Worldwide Sports News

With the MLB collective bargaining agreement set to expire on Dec. 1, the possibility of a lockout before the 2027 season looms. And early negotiations between the league and the union have not been promising. 

On May 28, the league proposed a hard salary cap, which would be the first hard cap in MLB history and kick in for the start of the 2027 campaign.

Under the proposal, the hard cap would be $245.3 million, with a salary floor of $171.2 million. The floor would also be an MLB first.

Unsurprisingly, that proposal was a non-starter for the union.

Although it was just an opening proposal, a hard cap of $245.3 million feels quite low, given that the current CBT tax kicks in once a team crosses $244 million in yearly salary. 

There are currently eight teams that project to be above (with a handful well above) the luxury tax at the end of the 2026 season -- the Dodgers, Mets, Yankees, Phillies, Blue Jays, Braves, Cubs, and Padres.

The Mets' current payroll is roughly $379 million, with the Dodgers leading the pack at around $416 million. Expecting teams to get under a figure of $245.3 million for 2027 borders on fantasy. Even something $100 million or so higher would be a very difficult ask for teams like the Mets and Dodgers. 

Juan Soto, who signed the biggest contract in MLB history a few offseasons ago, recently weighed in on the labor talks.

"I don’t think that’s right, to have a cap," Soto told Will Sammon of The Athletic. "Baseball is doing great. We’ve been increasing every year. It’s been great for baseball. We are in the best moment in baseball right now in all kinds of ways. Why should we have a cap?"

While the $245.3 million cap number MLB proposed seems quite low, the floor of $171.2 million also feels like a level at least a handful of small-market owners would balk at, even though it should be easily doable.

The last labor negotiations -- in 2022 -- dragged out until the middle of March, with the season starting on April 7 as a result.

The Atlanta Braves were not able to get a sweep of the reigning AL champion Toronto Blue Jays yesterday, but they did win the series and look to take that momentum into the weekend series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Pirates are having somewhat of a surprising season this year with a .540 record, and a run differential of plus thirty-seven. They had Paul Skenes to build off of and went and added some bats in the off-season, but it would be hard for someone with a straight face to say they predicted this outcome so far this season.

Martín Pérez will be taking on the Pirates offense that has currently scored only four less runs than the Braves ranking them fourth in MLB. Unfortunately for Pérez, he has not faced many of these hitters much in his career. He has only seen six of the hitters on the Pirates’ current roster and none of them have more than nine at-bats against him. Brandon Lowe has those nine at-bats and Pérez has struggled a bit allowing a .333 average and .788 OPS against him. Old friend Marcell Ozuna has seven at-bats and has definitely had the edge in the matchup with a .571 average and 1.700 OPS.

On paper Pérez has been fantastic this year and has been way better than likely most expected with an ERA of 2.79. If his season ended today, that would be his best ERA in a season in his career. His strikeout rate of 20.5 would be his second best in a season. For his career he has averaged 16.5 percent. Interestingly, he has been able to do all of this with a fastball that averages 90.0 MPH, which is unheard of in today’s game.

The down side for Pérez is that his ERA is likely unsustainable. Players are hitting the ball hard against him 42.0 percent of the time which is far higher than his career 36.1 percent and ranks in the bottom 29.0 percent of MLB. He has also been aided by a BABIP against of .226 and a strand rate of 84.4 percent. All of this combined shows his expected ERA (xERA) to be 4.34. This xERA is not terrible for a fifth starter. In fact, it is the best he has had in a season since 2022. However, it is important to note that regression is likely coming and he is facing a potent offense tonight.

The Pirates will bring Mitch Keller to the mound that some would say has been an underrated pitcher for most of his career. He is not elite by any means, but he has gotten the job done many times and has been a steady arm for the Pirates for years.

Coming into this game Keller sports an ERA of 4.35, and a what is interesting is his xERA is almost exactly the same at 4.36. Basically, what you see is what you get with him. In 2024 he had the exact same ERA and xERA.

The Braves as a team have faced Keller quite a bit. Eight different players have faced him between eight and nineteen times. Of these players, the Braves core lineup has mostly had great success. Ronald Acuña has nineteen at-bats against Keller and has three HRs and 1.371 OPS in that span against him. Matt Olson has the exact same OPS as Acuña against Keller in twelve at-bats, and Austin Riley has an OPS of 1.055 in ten at-bats against him. Mauricio Dubón has also had success in ten at-bats with a .400 average and .955 OPS.

Michael Harris has struggled to a .500 OPS, and Ha-Seong Kim is hitless in eleven at-bats.

The key for the Braves today will be to get to the Pirates bullpen as soon as they can because their bullpen is a clear weakness with an ERA of 4.29, which is in the bottom twelve teams in MLB.

First pitch is at 7:15 EDT.

Game Info

Game Time: Friday, June 5th, 7:15 pm EDT

Location: Truist Park, , Atlanta, GA

Watch: BravesVision

Radio/Audio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan

The San Francisco Giants head to the Windy City today to begin a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs.

Taking the mound for the Giants will be left-hander Robbie Ray, who enters today’s game with a 4.45 ERA, 5.40 FIP, with 59 strikeouts to 31 walks in 62.2 innings pitched. His last start was in the Giants’ 19-6 win over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday, in which he allowed three runs (one earned) on five hits with six strikeouts and two walks in four innings.

He’ll be facing off against Cubs right-hander Edward Cabrera, who enters today’s game with a 4.00 ERA, 4.46 FIP, with 47 strikeouts to 20 walks in 54 innings pitched. His last start was in the Cubs’ 5-0 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on May 20th, in which he allowed four runs (one earned) on four hits with two strikeouts and two walks in three innings.

Game #64

Who: San Francisco Giants (25-38) vs. Milwaukee Brewers (37-22)

Where: Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois

When: 11:20 a.m. PT

Regional broadcast: NBC Sports Bay Area

National broadcast: n/a

Radio: KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM, KSFN 1510 AM

The Yankees’ season changed dramatically Thursday evening, when the team announced that Aaron Judge has a stress fracture in his rib and will likely be out until after the All-Star break. Given that speculation around his injury evolved to include thoracic outlet syndrome, a stress fracture that just needs rest qualifies as a relief. But given that Judge is as crucial to his team’s fate as any player in baseball, it also qualifies as a problem.

We all have questions about exactly how the Yanks will cope with losing the best right-handed hitter of his generation. So let’s take a stab at a few of them now...

Cashman at the least has to call the Angels to see if their CFer might be willing to waive his no-trade, right? -- @kenwhitehepflc

I mean, I certainly would. I have long operated under the assumption that if Mike Trout was willing to be dealt, he would have been by now. But after the show Trout put on when the Angels were in town last month, the idea of adding him to the Yankees’ outfield mix is certainly enticing. I don’t think it will happen. I don’t think the Yankees need to go big replacing Judge. 

But I will say, Giancarlo Stanton is only under contract through next year if the Yankees do not pick up his 2028 option, and Trent Grisham is a free agent again this winter. They will have more outfield at-bats to give the next few years than they have in some time. So I think it’s fair to dream.

Have to tread water until he gets back, and the defense, situational ball - imagine? - and bullpen have to be sharp. -- @SMD_LS

Exactly. And the defense and ability to play situational baseball are why I think this team is better equipped to handle life without Judge than teams past. Though the advanced metrics do not reflect this, they are far peskier on the bases than slugging Yankees teams normally are. Only three teams have stolen more bases.

Aaron Boone indicated this week that they will probably be more aggressive on the bases with Judge out in order to create runs. In Jose Caballero, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Cody Bellinger,and others, they have personnel with the speed and know-how to make their running game a difference maker.

The bullpen being sharp is less of a sure thing, though the fact that the Yankees will add to it feels like one. 

And as for treading water, Jasson Dominguez is nearing his return from injury and will likely get some run in the outfield. Based on his play in spring training and during his brief major league stint, he looks like a capable producer. If Stanton continues his progress and can return, say, a week or so from now, that combination should be more than capable of keeping New York afloat until Judge and his power return to help them set sail again.

I think they’re now a 90-92 win team, which should easily be enough to secure a wildcard (perhaps the top WC). Come October, a healthy Judge + elite rotation + upgraded bullpen will definitely be a World Series contender. -- @BartAcocella1

Agreed. This is why I don’t think they need to make a big deal to replace Judge. As is, with that pitching staff and Max Fried on the way back, they are more than capable of surviving two months of less offensive firepower. I still think they will probably pursue an offensive upgrade behind the plate, and maybe now that happens sooner than it would have if Judge were healthy. But bullpen help should – and I’m sure will – be more of a priority than interim offensive help.

This team is built for October. The key is getting there healthy. If that’s as the first Wild Card instead of a division champion, fine. Their pitching is more than good enough to survive a short series if they have to play one. 

Even a few months without Judge do not necessarily change their potential. If they were going to get an injury to their superstar, I think this is one they would sign for: bones heal, soft tissue injuries linger. Stress fractures can be tricky, but I still think that, based on everything we know now, this injury does not ruin what is one of the more promising Yankees seasons of Boone’s tenure.

The Mariners had their eight-game win streak snapped on Wednesday, but they maintained their 2.5 game lead over the Athletics with the series win over the Mets. Now the team embarks on their longest road trip of the season, a 10-day affair that will take them through Detroit, Baltimore, and Washington DC.  Thanks to this extended stretch of play without an off day, Seattle will be reinserting Bryce Miller and Luis Castillo into a six-man rotation.

The Tigers entered the season as the favorite to win the AL Central. With two straight playoff appearances, a competitive showing in the ALDS against the Mariners last year, a bolstered starting rotation, and one of the top prospects in baseball ready to make his debut, it really looked like Detroit was ready to ascend to the top echelon of the AL. Things haven’t exactly gone to plan. Through the end of April, the team was hovering around .500 but battling for the lead in their division. Then, on May 4, Tarik Skubal was placed on the IL with bone spurs in his throwing elbow. Since then, the Tigers have gone 7-21 and have fallen all the way to the bottom of the standings in the AL.

While the injury to Skubal has gotten all the headlines, it’s actually the offense that can be blamed for a lot of the team’s struggles this year. The Tigers scored just 2.89 runs per game in May and scored more than five runs in a game just three times last month. Riley Greene, Dillon Dingler, and Kevin McGonigle have been the lone bright spots. Greene is in the midst of his best offensive season yet, though his BABIP is an unsustainable .439 and his power output has concerningly subsided. Dingler should be getting more attention if it weren’t for Shea Langeliers’ breakout overshadowing Dingler’s big step forward. The young catcher has already blasted 14 home runs and has already accumulated 2.5 fWAR. McGonigle has performed extremely well in his first taste of the majors and is currently the favorite to win the AL Rookie of the Year award. Detroit did just activate Gleyber Torres and Kerry Carpenter off the IL last weekend which means the lineup is pretty close to full strength now.

Probable Pitchers 

Updated Stuff+ Explainer 

• Stuff+ scores for Mariners starters

A familiar foe from his time in Houston, Framber Valdez signed a huge free agent contract with the Tigers this offseason. The idea was that he’d form a formidable one-two punch atop Detroit’s starting rotation with Skubal, though that hasn’t exactly played out as planned. Valdez has struggled a bit to start the year, though a 10-run meltdown against Boston is doing a lot of heavy lifting propping up his high ERA. Still, his strikeout rate and his groundball rate are the lowest they’ve ever been. Those were his two calling cards during his time with the Astros. For whatever reason, he’s allowing a bunch more contact, and the majority of it is in the air.

Keider Montero has been pressed into service as a core piece of the Tigers rotation this year. He’s spent most of the last two years bouncing between starting and relieving, but he’s performed admirably as a replacement for the injured Justin Verlander this year. He won’t overpower batters with stuff; instead he utilizes a deep repertoire well enough and manages to induce a lot of weak contact. His changeup is nearly impossible to square up, though it’s not good enough to induce swings and misses. Instead, batters pop it up or mishit it leading to lazy flyballs.

Jack Flaherty lives and dies by the feel for his breaking pitches. His fastball is decent enough, but when he can’t command his curveball or slider, it’s very easy for batters to focus on his heater and do damage. That’s been his issue to start this season. Through his first nine starts of the year, he was walking 15.9% of the batters he faced. Over his last four starts, he’s walked just three total. The other issue is that his breaking pitches just aren’t enticing as many chases out of the zone or as many swings and misses overall. All those issues have combined to balloon his ERA over five.

The Big Picture:

Both the Athletics and the Rangers won their respective series this week to keep pace with the Mariners. The Astros dropped their series against the Pirates and fell to 5.5 games back in the division. The A’s and Astros meet in Houston while the Rangers host the Guardians this weekend.