Which, for the Dodgers, comes with one big question:
Go after two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal? Or largely stand pat with a roster containing virtually no glaring needs?
Trade deadline season is here. For the Dodgers, that means deciding whether they want to pursue two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal.IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect Trade deadline season is here. For the Dodgers, that means deciding whether they want to pursue two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal.Getty Images
That’s the decision California Post baseball writers Dylan Hernandez and Jack Harris are discussing on the latest episode of the Dodgers Post podcast, as they look ahead to the team’s deadline plans with less than a month to go until the Aug. 3 occasion.
Dylan makes the case the Dodgers don’t have any holes, and don’t need to mortgage their future on a pitcher who –– for all his talent –– is also a pending free agent who could be gone next year. Jack wonders if the team needs to hedge against potential pitching injuries over the second half of the season, and whether that’s worth dealing from a farm system that will be important for the club to count on to provide talent in the coming years.
Elsewhere, the two recount an emotional day at Dodger Stadium, as rookie catcher Eliezer Alfonzo made his MLB debut on the same day he learned his sister and stepmom had been found dead in the rubble of the recent Venezuelan earthquakes.
They also recap other talking points from another Dodgers series win over the Padres.
Later, they take reader comments, including one on the differences between “reasons” and “excuses” for Roki Sasaki’s recent struggles.
And, as always, they finish with some trivia and predictions –– plus throw in a little World Cup talk at the end.
All that and more on the latest episode of the Dodgers Post podcast. Subscribe on YouTube or follow along on Apple and Spotify.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - APRIL 12: Koby Brea #14 of the Phoenix Suns drives to the basket during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 12, 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Phoenix Suns continue to secure their own free agents to new deals. Koby Brea is next, according to ESPN NBA’s Insider Shams Charania, who reports that the guard is signing a two-way contract to return to Phoenix.
Phoenix Suns G/F Koby Brea is signing a two-way NBA contract to return to the team, his agent Erika Ruiz of Primera Sports tells ESPN. The restricted free agent appeared in 12 games as a rookie last season.
In college, he was known for his shooting prowess at Kentucky and Davidson. Playing in 12 regular-season games after being selected in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft, Brea’s return is not a surprise, considering the frequency with which restricted free agents return to their teams and his listing on the team’s Summer League roster, alongside Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming, and newly drafted Koa Peat.
Brea’s best game of his young and inexperienced career came in the final game of the team’s regular season against the Oklahoma City Thunder, when he knocked down six threes and scored 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field in 29 minutes. Outside of the context, he played more than 10 minutes just once. For the season, he averaged 3.8 points, 0.7 rebounds, 0.8 assists on 41.7% shooting from the field, 43.3% from three and 100% at the charity stripe (he took just two free throws all year).
Brea spent the majority of the season with the Suns’ G League affiliate, the Valley Suns. He averaged 33.4 minutes, scoring 15.0 points on 37/43/80 splits in Tempe, adding 4.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists.
On a two-way deal, Brea can play up to 50 regular-season games, but is not eligible for postseason play. For him to play in the playoffs, they would need to convert his contract into a standard deal and waive a player like the team did for Jamaree Bouyea last season. Phoenix has used all of its standard roster spots to this point, as the team rosters 15 guaranteed deals.
With the team signing Luke Kennard to a multi-year deal to replace Grayson Allen, Brea’s role projects to be similar to the one he played last year as a reserve, getting minutes sparingly or when games are clearly decided. He joins newly signed Pat Spencer as the team’s only player on a two-way, but news about CJ Huntley returning to the team is likely to come soon, with him also being on the Summer League roster.
The Los Angeles Lakers made a major splash when they acquired center Walker Kessler in a sign-and-trade deal with the Utah Jazz earlier this month.
However, that trade wasn’t even the biggest thing to happen in Kessler’s live this week. He got engaged to Abbie Stockard (who was Miss America 2025) during Fourth of July weekend, which Stockard then shared to her Instagram profile, with a photo of the couple showing off her engagement ring with the caption, “The future Kessler’s. Let’s get y’all married!!!”
Walker Kessler and his fiancée, Abbie Stockard, celebrating their engagement. Abbie Stockard’s July 6 Instagram story post upon arriving in Los Angeles.
It didn’t take Kessler and Stockard long to arrive in Los Angeles. This was shown by a post that Abbie made to her Instagram on July 6, which showed a photo of multiple purple and gold balloons, including one gold “L” and another gold “A” next to it.
The post was captioned, “touched down in LA ”.
Walker Kessler smiles while walking down the court during a Utah Jazz game. Getty ImagesAbbie Stockard poses after winning Miss America 2025. JASON SZENES/ NY POST
It’s unclear whether Kessler and Stockard bought these balloons themselves or whether they were presented them by the Lakers or by someone upon their arrival. What’s for sure is that Kessler has enough money to buy them himself, given that he signed a four-year, $130 million deal upon joining the Lakers.
Los Angeles will need Kessler (who averaged 14.4 points and 10.8 rebounds per game with the Jazz last season) to produce in his first season, especially given that LeBron James won’t be returning to the franchise and Rui Hachimura is headed to the cross-town Clippers in free agency, which was announced on Monday.
But that’s the last thing on Stockard and Kessler’s mind right now, given everything positive that has happened in their life lately.
TAMPA, FL - MARCH 21: Owen Murphy of the Atlanta Braves pitches during the game between the Atlanta Braves and the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Saturday, March 21, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Vincent Mizzoni/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The series finale between the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets is about to start shortly and as usual, Walt Weiss spoke with the media ahead of the game and gave his thoughts on various hot
On Owen Murphy
“Good for him [earning a call-up],” began Weiss when talking about Owen Murphy. “He’s going to protect us out of the ‘pen. We’ve been running with a seven-man ‘pen for a while so at some point that’s going to run its course — and it probably has. [Murphy] will protect us with the ability to go long. He’s on schedule with his starts and he’s got a full tank of gas.” I went on to ask Weiss about whether or not this could potentially lead to an opportunity to start at some point but Weiss made it pretty clear that for this stint in the majors, Owen Murphy will be sticking to his role of being a bulk guy.
On the state of the farm system
Walt Weiss was then asked about how important it’s been to have a conveyor belt of talent being able to come up and make contributions to the team so far this season. “It’s important, critical, even,” stated Weiss. “We’re not like the other markets who go out and make a big splash in the free agency, so I think we do a really nice job of doing a little bit of everything. You gotta rely on your system and scouting and development and I think they’ve done a nice job when it comes to player development.”
“We’ve come a long way in a couple years prospect-wise,” continued Weiss. “A couple of years ago, we were talking about our system being dried up and now all of a sudden, there’s quite a few prospects.”
On Austin Riley’s attempts to get back on track
Austin Riley is coming into the final game of this series against the Mets with three hits and three RBI over the past couple of games. We’ve been here before in terms of Riley looking good for a brief spell before going back to struggling but Weiss is still backing his third baseman to eventualy get it going for real at the plate.
“He’s certainly putting in the work,” stated Weiss when it came to what he’s seen from Austin Riley behind the scenes lately. I’ve talked about how there’s a tipping point where it goes from physical to mental at times and I’m not sure that’s the case with Austin but speaking from experience…he’s putting in the work and he’s got a really good track record so it makes you believe that it’s going to work out.“
“We’ve got some recent examples with Ozzie and Harris last year. He really struggled in the first half of last season and then he finished strong and carried it into this year,” continued Weiss. “It’s nice to have a recent example that gives you hope and I’m sure it gives Austin hope that he can turn this thing around and end up having a really good second half and a really good season.”
For the first time in eight seasons, James won’t be wearing a Los Angeles Lakers uniform and everyone wants to know where he’ll go next.
LeBron James is the top free agent of the summer after informing the Lakers he would be leaving the franchise after eight seasons. Getty Images
Soon after James informed the Lakers he wouldn’t return for the 2026-27 season, the Golden State Warriors emerged as a contender to sign the four-time NBA champion.
James has spent time with Steph Curry and head coach Steve Kerr during their gold medal run at the Paris Olympics. Moreover, Draymond Green declined his $27.6 million player option with Golden State to become a free agent.
Green’s decision appeared to be in favor of the Warriors, giving the team more cap space to sign James. The 36-year-old said that it was a team-friendly decision on his podcast.
Yahoo Sports podcaster and writer Kevin O’Connor wonders whether Green was actually motivated to become a free agent in order to join James on another team.
LeBron James has reportedly not be in communication with any NBA team as his looming free agency decision greatly impacts the league. Getty Images
“This is just pure speculation on my part, but I think it’s worth wondering if Draymond Green could follow LeBron wherever he goes.
“I feel like a lot of people point to him opting out purely about Golden State having flexibility to sign LeBron, give him more money, also bring back Draymond at a discounted deal. And that might be all it is.
Draymond Green declined his player option with the Warriors, making him an unrestricted free agent this summer. NBAE via Getty Images
“But, Klay already left. Who’s to say Draymond wouldn’t leave either. He knows this business. He has talked openly how he understands in this league anyone can be traded…. I feel like there’s a possibility Draymond could decide to go wherever LeBron goes. A lot of the teams on that list for LeBron could use a Draymond Green.
“He just adds so much to any contending team. I think if the Warriors don’t get LeBron, there’s no path to anymore rings these next couple years,” O’Connor said.
“I think it’s worth wondering if Draymond Green could follow LeBron wherever he goes.” @KevinOConnor speculates about what could happen with Draymond during free agency.
While O’Connor is simply wondering whether Green’s decision to become a free agent could have other motives, the Warriors are no longer considered a favorite in the James sweepstakes.
Originally, there was speculation the Warriors could trade for Anthony Davis in order to land James, but that rumor has since been shut down.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 23: Mikel Brown Jr. speaks to the media after he is drafted sixth overall by the Brooklyn Nets during Round One of the 2026 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 23, 2026 in New York City. 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 Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After going 1-1 through their first two games in Sacramento, the Brooklyn Nets will close out their California Classic three-game slate tonight, squaring off against the Golden State Warriors.
And unlike yesterday, this is going to be a noteworthy game for fans to tune in to, as Miklel Brown Jr., Brooklyn’s No. 6 overall pick and their highest pick since they left New Jersey, will be making his Summer League debut. He’s also likely to be paired with what many Nets fans hope will be the organization’s back court of the future.
Joshua Jefferson, the Nets’ other first-round pick from June’s draft cannot yet play since the trade bringing his pick in the 2026 Draft has yet to be finalized. Erik Slater was first with the news fans have been waiting for since the Draft nearly two weeks ago.
Mikel Brown Jr. will make his Nets Summer League debut today vs. the Warriors, a league source tells @ClutchPoints.
While at first it was believed that the game could only be found on the Gotham Sports App, tonight’s matchup, just like Brooklyn’s first two clashes, is also available on NBA TV, ESPN+, NBA League Pass and Prime.
The game
For the California Classic, the Warriors have two teams, so there would be an equal number of squads playing in the first edition of the Summer League. Those teams include “Warriors Gold” and “Warriors Blue.”
Today, the Nets will face their blue team.
Warriors Blue are 0-2 throughout their first two games, losing 91-85 to the Sacramento Kings and 97-83 to the Milwaukee Bucks, whom the Nets beat, 89-69 yesterday without Brown, Jefferson, Egor Demin, Ben Saraf, Drake Powell, Danny Wolf, Tyler Bilodeau, and Chaney Johnson.
Despite that, though, all of those players will be active today with the exception of Jefferson and Wolf who still has some back soreness.
The Nets will not be facing Golden State’s 2026 first-round selection, Yaxel Lendeborg. He is on their gold squad. However, they are expected to go against the organization’s second-round pick, 6’7” wing Lajae Jones out of Florida State.
Without the Nets’ two-ways and seven first-round draft picks over the past couple of years, there was a perfect opportunity for Exhibit 10 players and Summer League invitees to earn premium minutes and showcase their skill sets.
The Nets have at least three players on E10’s, Ben Humrichous, Duke Brennan and Dion Brown, each stood out in different areas on Sunday. The signings have not been officially announced. Exhibit 10 contracts are essentially camp invites.
Humrichous was electric from beyond the arc, knocking down 5 of his 12 attempts from beyond the arc (41.7%) while drilling three in the first quarter alone. He ultimately finished the night with 15 points, two steals, an assist, and eight rebounds.
Brennan, 6’10”, collected a double-double, finishing the game with 10 points, 12 rebounds (including five offensive boards), a block, and a steal.
As for Brown, the 6’3” guard collected three steals, six rebounds, eight assists, and nine points on 44.4% shooting from the field.
All three will likely spend training camp and the preseason with Brooklyn before heading to Long Island for the G League season. However, strong Summer League performances throughout their eight remaining games could keep the door open.
The Nets still have one two-way remaining, and although there have been some reporting that Grant Nelson will get it. The 7-footer played for Brooklyn last year before coming down with a foot injury from which he is still recovering. However, nothing has been announced unlike the two-way deals signed by Johnson and Bilodeau.
Their fit will be worth watching today, especially with Brown Jr. in the fold and more of Brooklyn’s regular Summer League rotation also in action.
At this time of year, wins and losses frankly don’t matter. It’s more about development and how Brooklyn’s young pieces continue to grow, making it intriguing to see which players rise and fall while others sustain their level of play.
Jun 21, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler (45) throws a pitch against the New York Mets in the first inning at Citizens Bank Park.
Zack Wheeler’s absence from the 2026 MLB All-Star Game isn’t sitting well with some folks.
After Wheeler wasn’t named to the National League’s All-Star roster for the Midsummer Classic at Philadelphia’s Citizen’s Bank Park despite an impressive comeback from thoracic outlet syndrome, his agent B.B. Abbott ripped the snub.
Jul 1, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler (45) throws a pitch during the second inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citizens Bank Park. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“Major League baseball knows (about Wheeler’s injury recovery),” he added. “Everybody knows what he’s been through. And to not do what you needed to do to let this guy be honored in his home ballpark, it’s ludicrous.”
Wheeler’s Cy Young-caliber 2025 season ended abruptly in August after the discovery of a blood clot near his right shoulder.
Following thoracic outlet surgery in September, Wheeler missed the first few weeks of 2026 before returning April 25. He’s been just as dominant as he was before the injury.
Across 13 starts this season, the 36-year-old has gone 8-1 with a 2.36 ERA and 0.93 WHIP. He also has 84 strikeouts in 80 innings.
Jun 21, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler (45) throws a pitch against the New York Mets in the first inning at Citizens Bank Park. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Wheeler has also held hitters to a .580 OPS this season, ranking fourth in the NL behind All-Stars Jacob Misiorowski, Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
But it still wasn’t enough for an All-Star bid, as Wheeler wasn’t one of the five NL starting pitchers on the players’ ballot.
“They’re going to think that I’m grandstanding and on a soapbox,” Abbott said. “Quite frankly, I don’t care because it’s the right thing to do on this particular player. To be able to come back from something that not a lot of players can come back from – and certainly can’t return to the level of excellence that he has – it shows a real lack of acknowledgement by Major League Baseball to what he’s done up to this point.”
Although Wheeler didn’t make the cut, the Phillies still have five All-Stars in Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Brandon Marsh, Christopher Sánchez and Jhoan Durán.
Along with Wheeler, they’ve all been instrumental in turning around the Phillies’ season after a 9-19 start to a 50-41 mark — good for second in the NL East — entering Monday’s slate.
SAN FRANCISCO — As the holiday weekend came to a close and Monday arrived, the NBA reached a critical part of its calendar.
Teams were able to start signing free agents to contracts and complete trades as of 9:01 a.m. PT, turning agreements from over the previous six days of free agency into official deals.
But for the Lakers, critical holes in their roster remain evident.
And now what should be the Lakers’ next step is clear: They must add Jonathan Kuminga to their roster to make this offseason roster reconstruction a definitive success.
Despite his lack of three-point shooting, Kumimga would be an ideal complement on the wing alongside Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. AP
But for the Lakers’ makeover to truly be complete, it needs Kuminga, who’s been a significant priority of the team’s free agency plans.
At 6-foot-7, 225 pounds and 23 years old (turns 24 in October), Kuminga is just what the Lakers need from physical profile, youth and athleticism standpoints around Doncic and Reaves.
Kuminga was in the rotation for the Warriors’ 2021-22 championship team and took on a more significant role by his third season, averaging a career-high 16.1 points (52.9% shooting) to go with 4.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 2023-24.
Still just 23, the potential for Kuminga to flourish is high if he can find himself in the right situation. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
He has regular season averages of 12.5 points and 4.2 rebounds for his career, averaging at least 12 points per game in every season since 2023.
Kuminga is far from a perfect fit for the Lakers.
He’s a career 33.2% 3-point shooter on low volume (2.4 attempts per game). He’s been inefficient when it comes to creating his own shot and off-ball chances since entering the league.
But among the realistic choices in free agency, he’s the only one who would be a credible starter for the Lakers entering the 2026-27.
Kuminga would add defensive versatility becasue he can credibly guard 1-4 thanks to his athleticism, quickness and length. Throughout his career, he’s been tasked with guarding a top offensive option, which the defensively-depleted Lakers would need from him.
He wouldn’t provide the Lakers with the shooting and spacing they benfitted from with Hachimura, who shot 41.5% on 3s during his 3 ½ seasons with the Lakers, including 44.3% (league’s fifth-best mark) in 2025-26.
But Kuminga is a better rebounder, finisher, perimeter defender and help defender than Hachimura.
And at 4 ½ years younger and two fewer seasons of NBA experience, Kuminga has more room to grow and potential to fufill compared to Hachimura. Kuminga’s shown growth as a passer over the last few years.
Kuminga, who reportedly also has interest from the Bucks, Cavaliers and Hawks (re-signing or sign-and-trade) isn’t the Lakers’ only option to address the need on the wings who’d fit the team.
Ziaire Williams, who’s coming off a career-year with the Nets, is a player the Lakers eyed after the Nets declined Williams’ $6.3 million team option to make him an unrestricted free agent.
Bruce Brown, Matisse Thybulle and Ochai Agbaji are other unrestricted free agents still available.
But none of them have Kuminga’s talent. Or upsides. Or fill multiple needs like he does.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had spent his entire NBA career at Milwaukee Bucks [Getty Images]
Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo has joined Miami Heat from the Milwaukee Bucks.
The deal sees Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis move to Miami, with Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kasparas Jakucionis heading in the other direction.
Having been drafted by the Bucks in 2013, Antetokounmpo went on to win the NBA championship once in 2021.
The 31-year-old last season criticised his side's management for not clearing him to play after suffering a left knee hyperextension.
With his future uncertain, the Boston Celtics had also been linked with the Greek star.
Heat president Pat Riley said it is "one of the great trades" in the history of the franchise, who have won three NBA titles, in 2006, 2012 and 2013.
Speaking in April after the Bucks failed to reach the play-offs, Antetokounmpo said: "I feel like sometimes people just don't listen.
"They listen to the sources. The main source is me. It is what it is."
Elsewhere, the Philadelphia 76ers confirmed the acquisition of Jaylen Brown from Eastern Conference rivals the Boston Celtics, as well as the signing of free-agent guard Anfernee Simons.
The 76ers traded for Brown in exchange for veteran forward Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks.
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - JULY 3: Caleb Durbin #5 of the Boston Red Sox celebrates with a shower of seeds after hitting a home run in the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on July 3, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After finishing off a sweep of the Angels last night, the Red Sox are suddenly 8-2 in their last ten contests. Not only has this nearly cut the number of games they’re below .500 in half (from 14 to 8), but it’s also left them in a significantly better place in relation to the third Wild Card, even if it doesn’t appear that way on the surface.
With a quick glance, the only headline this hot stretch lends is Boston cutting the number of games they trail the third Wild Card by two, from six behind to four behind. But in terms of traffic? They’re in a whole different world. For more on that crucial detail, let’s take a look at the standings at the end of play on June 24th (just before the aforementioned ten game stretch began):
When the Red Sox left Colorado after that mortifying series loss to the Rockies, they not only had the worst record in the American League and trailed a Wild Card spot by six games, but they also trailed teams not holding a playoff spot like the Astros, A’s, and Rangers by five games each. This is why I’ve included that final column on the right side of the table: It puts into context how the Red Sox aren’t just chasing the Blue Jays; they’re chasing an entire pack of tightly bunched teams.
More specifically, we can add up all the cumulative games they trail the third Wild Card spot by at any given moment. For instance, on that June 24th snapshot, if you add up all the games the Red Sox trailed, there were a cumulative 30.5 games between them and a playoff spot.
So the obvious question becomes, “how does that compare to now?” Well, let’s take a look at the current Wild Card standings using the same format:
Game changer! Despite that top number not dropping all the much, the cumulative games the Sox trail the third Wild Card by has plunged from 30.5 to 11. In other words, in terms of distance they trail, they’ve only made up a third of the ground they need to cover in relation to the third Wild Card. But in terms of density and traffic? This 8-2 stretch knocked out about two thirds of the task at hand.
If this were a NASCAR race, they’ve gone from nearly losing the lead draft to being right in the middle of the big, gnarly pack. They still have plenty of work to do and more cars to pass, but they’re solidly in the race for the first time all summer. (Also, if you believe in run differential, they probably have a better engine under the hood than anybody around them as they’re the only team in the first seven spots on that board sporting a positive run differential.)
Oh, and it actually gets even better when you look above the teams listed in the standings I posted here. Both the Mariners and the Guardian are only 1.5 games ahead of the Rangers, and the White Sox are just a game above that. In other words, there’s additional teams that can stumble and fall back into the pack even if the Rangers, Astros or Twins go on a hot streak and threaten to pull away. A few weeks ago, the traffic was nestled just below the line. But now? The traffic is more concentrated just above the line — A subtle, but extremely important change.
With the Mariners leading the AL West at 47-44 and the White Sox leading the AL Central at 47-42, there’s a pretty hard lid on the ceiling of each of those divisions. This works almost as an insurance policy to prevent the likelihood of the third Wild Card rising much above .500 all year. In order for that to happen, two teams from the same division would need to vastly outperform expectations between now and the finish line, and if you’ve watched as much late night American League baseball as I have this season, the thought of that should provide a nice chuckle. (As a collective group, these teams suck!)
For this reason, FanGraphs still projects the third AL Wild Card to come in at a historically disgraceful 80-82. Personally, I think it lands a couple of games above that with things being rearranged at the trade deadline and somebody breaking out a little bit, but overall, something drastic would need to happen to move the target in a significant way.
This is all a long way of saying that despite Boston’s horrific play for most of the season, a playoff spot is still right there if they get some guys back after the All-Star break and go on another small hot streak. Personally, I find it absurd MLB has lowered the bar this much and needs to address the issue in the upcoming CBA (add it to the list), but it’s the reality we’re looking at now.
Finally, I have one last thought rolling around in my head before we wrap this up: The next six games before the All-Star break might be Boston’s most vulnerable window. With the Contreras suspension looming, Connelly Early and Ranger Suarez banged up, and the continued lack of timelines for Roman Anthony and Garrett Crochet, they could get themselves in real trouble over the next few days and erase much of the progress they’ve made. However, if they grind things out and get into the break with say a mere 3-3 record from here, then all of a sudden they have time to regroup before they resume play on July 17th. If they’re still sitting just four games out of a playoff spot with a bunch of timelines on the table to get guys back, things could get interesting in a hurry!
Attleboro, MA - March 26: Bishop Feehan senior Brody Bumila throws a pitch during a scrimmage on March 26, 2026. (Photo by Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
Brody Bumila, the 6’9”, 255 lb. prep lefthanded pitcher out of Massachusetts who throws over 100 mph, has a damaged UCL, per multiple reports. Bumila had internal brace surgery on his elbow last May, and returned to throw as well as ever for much of the spring, though a decline in both velocity and command in his final few starts raised concerns about his health. Those concerns, it turns out, were valid.
I had debated about whether to do a draft write-up on Bumila, as the Rangers have generally stayed away from high school pitchers in recent years. However, I’ve seen him mentioned as a possibility with the Rangers a couple of times — including in the June 29 BA mock draft — and you have to think the Rangers’ president of baseball operations has a soft spot for giant pitchers who also play basketball (Bumila led his high school team to the state championship this year).
Bumila is a good athlete for his size, and has shown good ability to throw strikes and repeat his delivery for a prep pitcher with his build. He has a relatively low arm slot and great extension, which makes his fastball play up and gives him good rising movement at the top of the zone. His secondaries, though, are way behind his fastball. Jen McCaffrey has a write-up on him for the Athletic that came out today, hours before the news of his UCL injury came out.
Bumila had gone from a likely first rounder to someone who could slip into the second round, based on the reports from the prognosticators, even before the news of the UCL damage. The fact that Bumila will likely need UCL surgery — either another internal brace surgery or Tommy John surgery — is likely to exacerbate that slide.
Bumila is a University of Texas commit, and so has the opportunity to play for a top team in one of the top conferences if he doesn’t end up getting signed by a drafting team. However, he’d most likely be sitting out all of the 2027 baseball season for the Longhorns with a medical redshirt. He’d also be running a risk in regards to whether, and how well, he’d come back after two elbow injuries, with the possibility of getting a lower payday after three (or more) years in college. You also have the uncertainty surrounding the future of the draft — if you’re a high school player who is being offered top two round money right now, you have to consider the possibility that the landscape and bonus structure for the 2029 draft could look much different than it does now.
As we’ve discussed quite a bit, the Rangers have not shied away from taking pitchers who are injured, or coming off of injuries, in the draft in recent years. If the organization feels comfortable with his medicals and their medical staff’s ability to get him back to 100%, he could be a high risk, high reward selection in the second or third rounds.
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