SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 26: Reynaldo Lopez #40 of the Atlanta Braves pitches against the San Francisco Giants in the first inning at Oracle Park on June 26, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Someone (rightfully) corrected me that the Sunday series finale versus the Giants was not the end of June, as we had one more left to play on June 30. In my defense, I was thinking it was the last series of the month, and thus it was basically done.
Well, June said “I got one more [Braves loss] in me” – the Braves dropped the Cardinals series opener yesterday in similar fashion: giving up homers while not hitting homers. Dismal, abysmal, etc.
Let’s start fresh. Please be good to us, July.
The Braves will be looking to equalize the series this evening with Reynaldo López (3-1, 3.47 ERA) on the mound. Making his second start since re-joining the rotation, López will be looking to build upon his outing versus San Francisco. With his ~60 pitch limit, he went three innings, gave up one run, and struck out one. He settled down after the first inning where the run scored. Here’s to hoping that those 57 pitches go a long way for his confidence and that he can stifle a productive Cardinals lineup for however long he’s allowed to stay on the mound. We’ll see if the Grant Holmes long-relief bullpen move sticks or if Hurston Waldrep can find more command in a longer relief outing than his season debut.
Only three Cardinals have seen Reynaldo before with a maximum of two at-bats: Alec Burleson, Ivan Herrera, and Mayn Winn. Herrera and Winn have one strikeout apiece, and Winn also worked a walk once.
The Braves are hoping to find their powerstroke (or any stroke at all, really) against 25-year old Michael McGreevy (3-6, 3.12 ERA). Utilizing a seven-pitch mix and unafraid to fill up the strike zone, McGreevy has delivered quality starts in four out of his last five outings. His most recent appearance was six scoreless against June’s hottest team, the Miami Marlins. We’re hoping for more of a final line like his June 19 start versus the Royals: L, 5 IP, 8 H, and 5 ER.
In some fun symmetry, only three Braves have seen McGreevy before with limited experience. The new guys Dominic Smith, Joey Bart, and Mike Yazstrzemski have nine at-bats in total. Dom Smith has the lone hit of the group with a double.
Is “pride of Georgia Tech” Joey Bart the only one allowed to hit homers around here? Ozzie Albies, I’m not talking to you, you’re fine. It’s a new month. Let’s get after it, boys.
The San Jose Sharks have signed veteran defenseman Jacob Trouba to a four-year contract worth $33 million. The contract carries an average annual value of $8.25 million.
Trouba served as captain of the New York Rangers for parts of three seasons before being traded to the Anaheim Ducks in the middle of the 2024-25 season. Last season, his only full season with the Ducks, the 32-year-old defenseman scored 10 goals for the third time in his career and recorded 35 points, the third-highest point total of his career.
Trouba is known for his offensive ability as well as his strong physical play, which occasionally comes under scrutiny.
In 906 career games, Trouba has scored 84 goals, 274 assists and a total of 358 points, along with 701 penalty minutes.
The Sharks were looking to add a defenseman who could move the puck, and Trouba can certainly help in that regard. With that being said, he hasn't been a regular on the power play in quite some time.
Trouba will certainly bring some veteran leadership to the blue line and he can serve as a long-term mentor for the Sharks' young defensemen.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 30: Henry Bolte #33 of the Athletics catches a fly ball at the wall hit by Andy Pages #44 of the Los Angeles Dodgers (not in photo) in the top of the fourth inning at Sutter Health Park on June 30, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
To think the AL West is so flawed this season that 3 teams, hovering just above or below the .500 mark, are clustered within 2 games of one another battling for 1st place.
Trouble is the A’s are not one of those teams. Now 6 games under .500, with a better team on the IL than on the field and an ERA north of 6.00 at home, the A’s enter July on a precipice trying to avoid falling more clearly out of any possible playoff picture. Numerically they’re still relevant so long as you don’t watch the actual performance.
Here are some random eyeball notes as the calendar turns to July and the A’s hope a new month brings a new level of play to a hobbled and reeling club…
Henry Bolte, CF
Bolte has been one of the bright spots, still maintaining a 110 wRC+ and keeping Lawrence Butler out of CF. There has been plenty to like, from his .370 OBP to 11 stolen bases in just 44 games.
Where the Eyeball Scout is less impressed than the stats is Bolte’s CF play so far. It hasn’t been bad, mind you, but Fangraphs gives him above average ratings with +2 DRS and +2 OAA. That’s not quite what I have seen. Last night provided one latest example of a “Bleday read” where Bolte’s initial step was back followed by an arc route in for a shallow fly ball that fell in.
A key difference between Bleday and Bolte, of course, is that Bolte’s elite sprint speed allows him to outrun the majority of his mistakes — but that doesn’t mean he can afford to get poor reads or jumps often, as sometimes the lost ground is simply too much to make up.
I have seen some tangible improvements from when Bolte first arrived, such as not overthrowing the cut off man recently. He still does not take charge as much as you would ideally like, a case in point being the drive to the left-center field wall that Joey Meneses missed because he finds catching fly balls either hard or a nuisance. Thanks to his speed, Bolte got there in time to catch it, but deferred to an outfielder known to be terrible at fielding.
In any event, I’m still optimistic that Bolte can be at least an average CFer if not better, but I kind of expect the metrics to catch up to my eyes and for him to settle in at only being average now. Still, at a premium defensive position, “average” at age 22 is not a bad thing. I just think there is a lot of work yet to do.
Max Muncy (ours)
I won’t harp on this too much because I wrote about it recently, but with each passing day far from getting more comfortable and improving, in fact Muncy’s 3B defensive metrics continue to slide.
After last night’s game, in which I thought an E-5 absolutely should have been charged on a sharply hit ball Muncy ‘ole’d’ to his left, here is how his 3B numbers look: 342.2 innings (38 full games), -12 DRS, -7 OAA.
It’s bad enough that the A’s need to make it a priority not to play him there, whether it means DHing him, benching him, or optioning him.
Obviously the timing is poor with both Jacob Wilson and Zack Gelof sidelined, but since Muncy is not hitting much anyway (.235/.299/.409 for the season now with a 32.9% K rate), the A’s would in fact be a better team with McNeil-Williams-Kuroda-Grauer or Kuroda-Grauer-Williams-Hernaiz at 2B, SS, 3B.
You could even make a case for calling up Tommy White even though his inflated stats at AAA are still below league average. The reasoning would be that White has made only 2 errors in 28 games at 3B and that if you are going to get limited range and a below average bat at 3B it may as well come with more sure-handed defense and fewer strikeouts.
But for now the A’s best bet is probably a “defense first” arrangement that puts a somewhat ghastly bottom 1/3 of the order out there in the name of run prevention. A team giving up over 6 runs/game at home, lately 9, could use all the run prevention possible.
Jeffrey Springs
Not to beat up on someone when they’re down, but some of the numbers on Springs are eye-popping. And by that I mean you want to take the nearest skewer and pop out your eyeballs to avoid seeing the next start.
Springs threw only 27 innings in June yet still managed to serve up 12 HRs. Yes, folks, that’s a HR every 2.5 innings on his way to a cool 10.00 ERA for the month.
Here’s what the Eyeball Scout has to say about it. Is it truly THAT hard for a pitcher to learn a 2-seam fastball, aka a sinker, that is mostly a different grip on a familiar pitch? I understand that “hey, add this new pitch” is popular with fans in theory and hard for pitchers in practice, but we’re not talking about an unusual pitch like a forkball or a knuckle-curve here.
The A’s know they play their home games in a launching pad ill suited to extreme fly ball pitchers. How, in 1.5 seasons, have they not been able to help Springs develop just a serviceable pitch that sinks, one he could bring out only at home if he wanted, just to keep balls from flying out of the park left and right?
If you’re wondering how dire the situation is, after last night Springs’ home ERA for the season stands at 6.79 with 16 HR in 54.1 IP. Overall, when it comes to serving up the long ball Springs is alone atop the American League, his 27 tied with Shota Imanaga.
In a game of adjustments, this old dog (33) needs to learn one new trick or he is simply not equipped to survive, let alone thrive. Adapt or perish, as they say.
Glimmer of hope alert: With Shohei Ohtani’s start pushed back to Friday, the A’s have a match up that is actually somewhat favorable on paper: JT Ginn against a “bullpen game”. Let’s hope July greets the A’s better than June sent them off.
Klimovich became an unrestricted free agent (UFA) on July 1 after the Vancouver Canucks did not tender him a qualifying offer. Now, the 23-year-old forward will be working on his development as a member of the Flyers organization.
Klimovich has yet to play at the NHL level and spent each of the last five seasons in the AHL with the Abbotsford Canucks. In 281 career AHL games over that span, the 6-foot-2 forward posted 70 goals, 53 assists, 123 points, and 227 penalty minutes.
Overall, with this move, the Flyers are adding a young forward to their depth. It will be interesting to see if he can make the jump to the NHL level next season with Philadelphia.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 19, 2026: Héctor Rodríguez #43 of the Cincinnati Reds hits a two-run single during the fourth inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the San Francisco Giants at Scottsdale Stadium on March 19, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
It is getting increasingly difficult for the Cincinnati Reds to continue to keep prospect Hector Rodriguez stashed down with AAA Louisville.
Hector struggled a bit during his first taste of AAA ball during the back half of 2025, hitting just .260/.304/.405 in 230 PA after ripping his way through the AA Southern League with the Chattanooga Lookouts. But during the 22 year old’s first full season with the Louisville Bats, he’s established himself as more than capable of crushing the pitching at that level.
For the full season, he’s hitting an impressive .283/.362/.527 (.889 OPS) with 18 homers through 354 PA. The left-handed hitter has pummelled right-handed pitching to the tune of .299/.389/.578 (.967 OPS) with 14 of those homers in just 247 PA, and his work of late has been even more thorough.
So thorough, even, that he was just named the International League’s Player of the Month for June, as the Bats relayed on Twitter.
The 1.014 OPS during the month featured 8 long balls, but over his most recent 32 games he’s been even more red hot. That span has seen him hit .319/.409/.689 (1.098 OPS) with 11 homers and 27 runs scored in just 137 PA, the kind of run through the AAA level that should, in theory, spark promotion discussion – especially when it’s coming from one of their top five prospects.
As the Cincinnati Reds themselves fall deeper and deeper into ‘seller’ mode ahead of the August 3rd trade deadline, a path to the majors may become much, much clearer for Hector. JJ Bleday and Noelvi Marte have stamped out pretty clear everyday roles in the outfield, but any potential moves of Eugenio Suarez or Nate Lowe would open up more time on the infield corners for Spencer Steer and, therefore, more space to rotate another bat through the DH spot on a regular basis. And if that series of events happens, Hector’s going to get his first shot at showing the performance at AAA was only the beginning.
The New York Rangers have acquired goaltender Joonas Korpisalo from the Boston Bruins in exchange for a 2028 fourth-round draft pick and forward Kalle Vaisanen.
Korpisalo comes in with a $3 million cap hit for the Rangers over the next two years, with the Bruins reportedly retaining $1 million per season from his current contract, which expires after the 2027-28 season.
The 32-year-old goaltender is coming off a season with the Boston Bruins in which he posted a 14-9-6 record, .894 save percentage, and a 3.14 goals against average.
This trade comes just about one week after the Rangers re-signed goaltender Dylan Garand to a two-year contract extension.
With Jonathan Quick officially retired, the backup goaltending position behind Igor Shesterkin is up for grabs.
The backup goaltending position is not solidified in the eyes of the Rangers’ management, as they anticipate Korpisalo competing with Garand during training camp.
Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler averaged 14.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.8 blocked shots last season, although he only played five games because of a shoulder injury. (Rob Gray / Associated Press)
The Lakers secured their starting center of the future in a massive trade with Utah on Wednesday, agreeing to send two first-round picks (2031 and 2033) and two pick swaps (2028 and 2030) to the Jazz in exchange for 24-year-old Walker Kessler, sources not authorized to speak publicly on the matter confirmed Wednesday to The Times.
Kessler, who was limited to five games last season because of a shoulder injury, is expected to sign a four-year, $130-million contract with the Lakers, people with knowledge of the situation said.
The center was a restricted free agent, but the Lakers worked around difficult negotiating limitations by throwing in nearly every first-round asset they had in addition to digging into their $51 million in salary-cap space. If the Lakers had only presented an offer sheet to the Jazz to lure Kessler away instead of working on a trade, Utah would have had until July 7 to match the offer.
Kessler’s addition, a day after LeBron James told the Lakers that he’d return for an unprecedented 24th season elsewhere, highlighted a flurry of transactions that will help the Lakers remake their roster around Luka Doncic. Soon after the Kessler trade Wednesday, the Lakers agreed to terms with three free agents — center Sandro Mamukelashvili, guard Quentin Grimes and guard Collin Sexton.
Kessler is a much-needed defensive backstop. The 7-foot-2 center has averaged 2.4 blocks over his career. He was off to a strong start last season in Utah before a season-ending shoulder injury. The previous season, he averaged 11.1 points and 12.2 rebounds. His 4.6 offensive rebounds per game in 2024-25 led the league.
Mamukelashvili declined a $2.8-million player option with the Toronto Raptors and was rewarded with a four-year, $52-million deal with the Lakers, a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to The Times. Primarily coming off the bench, the Georgian center averaged 11.2 points and 4.8 rebounds for the Raptors last season.
Toronto's Sandro Mamukelashvili scores on a layup in front of Wizards forward Anthony Gill on Feb. 28 in Washington. (Scott Taetsch / Getty Images)
His three-point shooting has improved in recent seasons; Mamukelashvili shot 38.9% from three-point range last season on 3.7 attempts per game, improving from 37.3% on 2.6 attempts the previous season. The long-range shooting element would stand out in a revamped front line that includes the returning Deandre Ayton, who was the Lakers’ major free-agent signing last year. He exercised a $8.1-million player option after career lows in points (12.5), rebounds (eight) and minutes (27.2) per game.
Grimes, 26, averaged 13.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists for the Philadelphia 76ers last season. He agreed to a four-year, $60-million contract, The Times confirmed.
Sexton agreed to a two-year, $19-million contract, The Times confirmed, after the guard played for the Charlotte Hornets and Chicago Bulls last season. The Lakers will be his fifth team in his eight-year career, which began in Cleveland, where he was named All-Rookie second team in 2019.
Luke Schenn will be a member of the Vancouver Canucks for the third time in his NHL career.
Vancouver announced earlier today that Schenn has signed a one-year deal worth $2.25M, bringing him back to the Canucks for the third time in his career and second time via free-agency.
The defenceman first joined the Canucks organization by trade in the 2018-19 season, playing in a total of eight games before he eventually parted ways with Vancouver via free agency later in the off-season. He went on to win two Stanley Cups with the Tampa Bay Lightning before returning to the Canucks for the second time.
Schenn's return to Vancouver came about via free agency, as the defenceman signed a two-year deal worth $875,000 per year. After putting together eight goals and 30 assists in 121 games with Vancouver through 2021 to 2023, Schenn was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs near the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline.
Since his last stint with the Canucks, Schenn has played for Toronto, the Nashville Predators, Winnipeg Jets, and Buffalo Sabres. As of late, he has operated within a depth-defender role.
Mar 12, 2026; Buffalo, New York, USA; Buffalo Sabres defenseman Luke Schenn (5) waits for the face-off during the first period against the Washington Capitals at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
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Former Florida Panthers youngsters Mackie Samoskevich and Mike Benning have signed contracts with Western Conference teams.
Samoskevich, who was dealt to the Seattle Kraken prior to the 2026 NHL draft, has signed a three-year, $3.85-million contract with the Kraken. When the 23-year-old’s contract expires, he’ll remain a restricted free agent and will be just 26 years old.
Samoskevich’s contract has no trade protection.
“We’re very happy to have Mackie officially signed with the team for three years,” said Kraken GM Jason Botterill in a press release. “He’s a proven winner who is skilled and brings speed and scoring ability to our group. We’re excited to get to work with him in the fall.”
As for Benning, he has signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Calgary Flames. Benning had his first opportunity to play in the NHL this past season with the Panthers and showed that he was up to the task.
Despite being a bit undersized at 5-foot-9, Benning held his own in the NHL and produced some offense. In 18 games, the 24-year-old scored two goals and six points.
The Flames are a rebuilding team, and Benning should find plenty of opportunities to earn minutes on the Flames' NHL roster, despite signing a two-way deal.
Samoskevich has a real opportunity to play in the Kraken’s top six alongside players like Jared McCann, Matty Beniers, and Jordan Eberle.
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The depth deals keep on coming in for the New York Islanders, as the team has now signed goaltender Vitek Vanecek and right-shot defenseman Matthew Kessel to one-year contracts.
Vanecek's deal is identical to to ex-Islanders' David Rittich's, signed purely to be a strong depth option behind Semyon Varlamov and Ilya Sorokin.
Vanecek played 22 games for the Utah Mammoth last season.
According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, the Penguins have signed defenseman Declan Carlile to a two-year contract. The average annual value is $1.5 million.
Carlile played in four combined games with the Tampa Bay Lightning during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons before appearing in 42 games this past season. He compiled one goal and three points in those 42 games.
This could be similar to the Parker Wotherspoon deal from last year when the Penguins signed him to a cheap contract, feeling that he was ready for a bigger opportunity.
Carlile did well in his minutes with the Lightning and will try to build off that success with the Penguins.
For the second summer in a row, defenseman Dennis Gilbert has departed from Ottawa in free agency.
Gilbert, who suited up for three of the Senators' four playoff games against the Carolina Hurricanes this spring, signed a one-year, one-way deal ($850,000) to return to the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday. That, according to TSN's Darren Dreger.
THN's Steve Warne discusses the status of Claude Giroux.
This wasn't Gilbert's first go-around with Ottawa, and it won't be his first with the Sabres either.
The Sens acquired Gilbert and Dylan Cozens from Buffalo at the 2025 NHL trade in the deal for Josh Norris. He only played four games with the Sens before they let him walk into free agency last summer. He then signed on for this season with the Philadelphia Flyers, who started him in the AHL.
The Sens re-acquired him in mid-November of this season for minor leaguer Max Guenette, who was still unsigned and hadn't made an NHL appearance with the Senators since 2023-24. Gilbert reported for duty in AHL Belleville and had 12 assists in 31 games.
He was called up to Ottawa for 8 regular-season games and then 3 more in the playoffs.
Gilbert was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the third round, 90th overall, of the 2015 NHL Draft. In between Chicago and Buffalo, his NHL stops have included the Sens, the Calgary Flames, and the Colorado Avalanche.
At 29, Gilbert hasn't yet found full-time NHL work. He had a career-high 34 games with the Calgary Flames in 2023-24, so the one-way terms of his new contract (getting NHL money even if he's in the AHL) make it a big deal.
By Steve Warne The Hockey News
This article was first published on The Hockey News Ottawa Senators site. For full coverage of the Senators check out one of the latest headlines below:
Former San Jose Sharks forward Jeffrey Viel has finally earned himself a long-term contract at the NHL level. The 29-year-old winger signed a 5-year, $12.5 million deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday, shortly after free agency opened.
Viel spent five seasons as a part of the Sharks organization, spending the majority of his time with their American Hockey League affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda. He played just 49 games with the Sharks, scoring three goals and tallying a total of five points for the team in teal, while also registering 139 penalty minutes. With the Barracuda, he appeared in 212 games, scoring 45 goals and a total of 93 points, as well as 398 penalty minutes.
Since departing the Sharks organization at the end of the 2023-24 season, Viel has had stints with the Boston Bruins and Anaheim Ducks. Last season, the first full season at the NHL level of his career, he played 45 games between the two organizations, tallying 10 points and 79 penalty minutes. He also played in the first playoff games of his NHL career, scoring two goals and adding two assists for the Anaheim Ducks.
Welcome to the steals report! I will be here every Wednesday to go over important stolen base trends so you can find more speed for your fantasy teams.
Stealing a base is as much about the opposing pitcher and catcher as it is the actual base runner themself. So, being able to spot which teams and pitchers specifically are being run on most frequently will help you to figure out who can swipe some bags over the next week.
Before we get to this week’s important trends, here is the stolen base leaderboard on the season so far.
The next generation of MLB stars is headed to Philadelphia, with Jesús Made, Leo De Vries, Kade Anderson and Eli Willits among the headliners.
D.J. Short
,
Full Season Stolen Base Leaders
Player
SB
CS
Nasim Nuñez
32
3
Bobby Witt Jr.
28
4
José Ramírez
24
2
Jazz Chisholm Jr.
24
4
Oneil Cruz
21
4
Pete Crow-Armstrong
20
5
Randy Arozarena
19
4
Fernando Tatis Jr.
19
9
José Caballero
19
7
Chandler Simpson
19
10
Jackson Merrill
18
1
Jakob Marsee
18
9
Nasim Nuñez just keeps doing it. He’s started 16 of the Nationals’ last 17 games and adds a great wrinkle of speed and defense to their strong lineup.
Jackson Merrill has surged up this leaderboard after only stealing one base all of last season.
Last Seven Days Stolen Base Leaders
Player
SB
CS
Victor Robles
3
0
Jackson Merrill
3
0
Henry Bolte
3
0
Jorge Mateo
2
0
Esteury Ruiz
2
0
Xavier Edwards
2
0
José Caballero
2
0
Pedro Ramírez
2
0
Caleb Durbin
2
0
Colton Cowser
2
0
Dylan Crews
2
0
10 Others Tied
2
-
Victor Robles is back for the Mariners in a part-time role and still finding plenty of opportunities to steal bases.
Henry Bolte is heating up, playing every day, swiping bags, and is now the Athletics' lead-off hitter.
Stolen Base Disappointments
Player
SB
CS
Chandler Simpson
19
10
Geraldo Perdomo
12
8
Zach Neto
11
7
Ceddanne Rafaela
10
6
Andy Pages
8
6
A.J. Ewing
8
6
Austin Martin
8
5
Daylen Lile
7
5
Garrett Mitchell
6
5
Gunnar Henderson
6
4
Maikel Garcia
5
3
Isaac Collins
4
4
Ozzie Albies
1
3
Jose Altuve
1
2
Willy Adames
1
2
Mookie Betts
1
2
Mets’ rookie A.J. Ewing has one of the fastest spring speeds in the league, but can’t quite get on track as a base stealer. He was just 1-for-4 this past week and it may be a skill that comes with some more experience.
Fantasy Baseball Stolen Base Targets
It was a relatively slow week for stolen bases across the league with no team allowing more than nine. The Giants led the way with those nine steals against them, and we’ve been somewhat waiting for them to climb this leaderboard.
They traded defensive stalwart Patrick Bailey away on May 9th in pursuit of more offensive fire power. Since then, their .790 OPS as a team is second-highest and the 51 stolen bases they’ve given up are tied for the second-most. So, mission accomplished!
Without Bailey, Daniel Susac had taken the lionshare of reps at catcher. He’s very solid defensively as a plus framer and plus thrower with a 29% caught stealing rate, which is a good bit better than league average.
Yet, he went on the injured list last week with a back strain. Now, Eric Haase and Drew Cavanaugh are splitting catcher duties.
It’s also worth noting that Robbie Ray and Logan Webb are two of the worst pitchers in baseball at holding runners on. Ray specifically allows some of the biggest jumps by base stealers among any left-handed pitcher in the league. Each let up a stolen base in their most recent start against the Braves and should be targeted when seeking stolen bases.
The Giants are scheduled to face the Rockies and Blue Jays over the next week with Ray and Webb each on tap for starts in Coors Field. Look for Jake McCarthy, Ezequiel Tovar, Willi Castro, or Andrés Giménez to supply cheap speed.
Hello Mr. Herbstreit
I’m sure many of you saw College Football Commentator Kirk Herbstreit’s nonsensical diatribe about the state of baseball a few days ago. If you didn’t, here it is.
THANK YOU!!!!!
Where did the athletic ability go?
Clutch hitting in the 8th and 9th inning?
Starting pitching that goes 8 or 9 innings?
Base stealing-hell just good base running and SPEED?!?
Sac bunts-moving runners over late in a game?
Where’s Tony Gwynn? Rod Carew?
Wade Boggs?… https://t.co/Pnhx3a0Hkv
He hit all the pressure points of the average old man yelling at a cloud. Like beckoning for the next Tony Gywnn, lamenting “launch angle” (which he put in question marks for some reason), and yearning for the return bunting and small ball tactics.
Herbstreit said, “Where did the athletic ability go…Base stealing-hell just good base running and SPEED?!?”
Is he watching the same game we are? He’s a self-documented Reds fan and he just missed Elly De La Cruz over the last three seasons? Does he not see the unbelievable athletic ability of Pete Crow-Armstrong, Bobby Witt Jr., Julio Rodríguez, Byron Buxton, or Konnor Griffin? Or the fact that three of the four seasons with the most stolen bases since the mound was lowered in 1969 were the last three seasons.
It’s sad that these faulty talking points are not only regurgitated by the worst people you’ve ever met, but amplified by some of the largest figures in sports media who clearly don’t follow the game closely.
Maybe Kirk should be tuning in to this fantasy baseball steals report so he can keep better track of the base stealing he clearly cares so deeply for.
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 14, 2026: Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura (28) reacts during the game against the Denver Nuggets at Crypto.com Arena on March 14, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
If it wasn’t clear before the Lakers made their flurry of moves on Wednesday morning, then it certainly is now.
Rui Hachimura will not be a Laker next season.
The writing was on the wall coming into free agency and Wednesday’s moves effectively made it impossible for the team to bring back Hachimura. The trade for Walker Kessler paired with the signings of Sandro Mamukelashvili, Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton exhausted all of the Lakers’ spending power.
To make those deals official, the Lakers will have to renounce all their cap holds, which includes Hachimura’s. In doing so, it means the team can no longer go over the cap to sign him. And with no spending power and no ability to go over the cap, it means Hachimura won’t be in LA.
Even before Wednesday, the assumption from most was that Hachimura wouldn’t be back.
Lakers free agent Rui Hachimura, Clippers free agent John Collins and Pistons free agent Tobias Harris are also known to be on San Antonio’s list. Hachimura, for that matter, is also believed to still be drawing interest from Brooklyn and Detroit and is regarded as increasingly likely to join James. Smart and Phoenix-bound Luke Kennard out the exit door in Lakerland.
“The Lakers now have a lot of cap space and how they use it is going to be very interesting and Luka Dončić is going to be watching it very carefully. Rui Hachimura is a free agent. I think he’s going to be on another team next year.”
All of that also aligns with reporting prior to the start of free agency. Dave McMenamin of ESPN said that Rui would likely be the “odd man out” for the Lakers and would have to find his deal somewhere else.
The aforementioned Fischer and Stein report was about the Spurs, so he’s still on that list. However, that same report also said that San Antonio isn’t looking to give out more than a two-year deal on forwards this summer.
Free agency is a very fluid situation with lots of bluffing and negotiating, so things can change quickly. But barring some drastic late change, Rui’s time in LA is finished.
D.J. Short
