As the National Hockey League enters the second month of free agency, a number of former Buffalo Sabres still remain unsigned. At this point of the offseason, players who have not latched on with an NHL club might consider playing in Europe, or taking a short-term deal or professional tryout to earn a one-year deal.
One of the most surprising players to still be on the market is big blueliner Logan Stanley. The former Winnipeg first rounder played nearly six seasons with the Jets before being traded at the deadline along with Luke Schenn to the Sabres for Isak Rosen, Jacob Bryson, and two draft picks. With Buffalo, the 6’7”, 231 lb. defenseman played mostly in a third pairing role and posted five assists in 17 regular season games, and eight of Buffalo’s 13 playoff games.
Will the Sabres add more scoring help before training camp?
There had been speculation that coming off a career-high 26 points last season, and with a very thin crop of free agents on the market, that the 28-year-old was in a prime position to get overpaid and get some term on a deal. Veterans like Jacob Trouba got that kind of offer, but Stanley, with some glaring holes in his game, is still out there.
Outlook: With it being the first week of August, most of the money out there has already been spent. It is likely that Stanley is looking for a one-year deal in a good landing spot, where he can get plenty of ice time, have a good season and hit the open market again next July.
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR - APRIL 22: Bryce Mayer #6 of the Corpus Christi Hooks pitches during the game between the Corpus Christi Hooks and the Arkansas Travelers at Dickey-Stephens Park on Wednesday, April 22, 2026 in North Little Rock, Arkansas. (Photo by Braeden Botts/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
The Houston Astros player development department has named IF Waner Luciano the Astros Player of the Month for July and RHP Bryce Mayer the Astros Pitcher of the Month for July.
Luciano, 21, batted .316 (24×76) with 15 runs, seven doubles, four home runs, 20 RBI, 21 walks, nine stolen bases and a 1.021 OPS in 22 games in July with Single A Fayetteville. For the minor league season, Luciano is batting .275 (46×167) with 27 runs, 12 doubles, seven home runs, 38 RBI, 34 walks, 15 stolen bases and an .873 OPS. Luciano was signed by the Astros as a non-drafted free agent on January 15, 2022, from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Mayer, 24, went 2-0 with a 0.47 ERA (1ER/19IP) in July with Double A Corpus Christi. He also recorded 29 strikeouts, six walks, a 0.79 WHIP and a .143 opponent batting average in four appearances, including three starts during the month. For the minor league season, Mayer has recorded a 2.61 ERA (20ER/69IP) with 100 strikeouts, a 1.13 WHIP and a .184 opponent batting average. He ranks tied for sixth in strikeouts in the Texas League this season. Mayer was drafted by the Astros in the 16th round of the 2024 MLB Draft from the University of Missouri. According to MLB.com, he’s rated as the Astros number five overall prospect and the top pitching prospect in the Astros system.
April Astros Pitcher of the Month: RHP Brandon McPherson
May Astros Pitcher of the Month: RHP Kellan Oakes
June Astros Pitcher of the Month: RHP Javier Perez
April Astros Player of the Month: C Jason Schiavone
The final move of the Mets’ deadline sell off landed just before 5 PM yesterday, with Clay Holmes and Tyrone Taylor shipped off as a package to the Cubs. In return, the Mets received Jefferson Rojas, an infielder ranked 63rd on MLB pipeline’s latest top 100 and 99th at Baseball America.
Rojas’ overall profile is one of good tools, but not great ones—a bunch of 50s and 55s if you want this in the 20-80 scouting parlance. He’s a good third base defender who can play second, he’s got a good hit tool and a bit of pop, and he’ll steal you some bases. But he’s neither a Gold Glove defender nor a standout hitter nor an exit velocity monster.
How you value this archetype of player is an interesting question, particularly in contrast to players who have obvious standout tools (Emilien Pitre’s hit tool, Sammy Stafura’s power) but also obvious deficiencies (Pitre’s power, Stafura’s hit tool). On the one hand, being average across the board raises your floor, and gaining a half or full grade anywhere makes you a plus regular. On the other hand, going from a 55 tool to a 60 is a lot harder than going from a 40 to a 50; players like Pitre and Stafura typically have an easier path to getting their weaknesses to a “good enough” level than players like Rojas do finding a true strength to hang their hat on.
This is not to say Rojas is a bad prospect—he’s a high floor, likely major league contributor on the infield in the relatively near term. It’s more to point out that a more modern view on prospect value likely rates him somewhat lower than his pipeline ranking might indicate.
As a return for the combination of Clay Holmes and Tyrone Taylor, this is a totally reasonable return. Holmes is a mid-rotation arm coming off injury with a player opt-out, both of which reduce his trade value. Tyrone Taylor, despite his recent home run binge, remains a 4th outfielder, and is nowadays one that you’re less thrilled to see in center field. Taking this deal is a better idea than extending Holmes (look to Sean Manaea for a cautionary tale of how contracts for this type of player work out) and is far more value than the QO pick the Mets might’ve received had they held Holmes and then let him sign elsewhere.
That said, you can’t help but wish the return had been a bit more exciting. Maybe the rumored Arizona package would’ve been flashier, or perhaps the Mets could’ve pulled something similar to what the Cardinals received for Dustin May and JoJo Romero. Chalk it up as another deal that’s probably fine but maybe could’ve been more.
We’ll have full grades for every deadline deal the Mets make once all the moves for the deadline have been made. Check back in for those next week.
Jul 8, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) breaks his bat while hitting a bloop single in the first inning against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Last week I posed this question to the FEED amidst another fairly disappointing and frustrating week of Mariners games and now it is time to rate you responses. As usual, I’ll be using my patented and very scientific Mariners Hot Take Ranking System:
Here we go!
Poster Aubrey says: “Lukewarm take: Julio, and it will be soon. Hot take: Alex Hoppe.”
First of all, speaking of Lukes, pour one out for Luke Raley who is apparently done for the season.
Bummer, man. But, Julio bouncing back? I mean, that’s what we all want and it’s what the Mariners need very badly to happen (one of several things), so is that a lukewarm take? Maybe an obvious one, but given how we haven’t seen Julio make a sustained return to his 2022 offensive output, I rank this as a BOSIO. A step above tepid, but not boiling. Now, the Alex Hoppe part, welp, learn to enjoy blue crabs smothered in Old Bay, buddy!
Blog Boss Kate Preusser says: “I believe in Colt Emerson’s ability to adapt and adjust – he’s been thrown to the wolves earlier than anyone wanted but I have a lot of faith in his approach and I think he will get back to it down the stretch here and get close to replacement level, which … is a fine outcome.”
I want to believe in Colt Emerson’s bat, and I think I do long term for sure, but this is a big (and unrealistic) ask for a rookie who just turned 21 last week. The fact that he’s hanging in there at 0.5 bWAR with sterling defense and occasional clutch hits like Sunday’s walkoff is a huge boost for this team. Expecting more than that at this point makes this take a bit spicy, but Kate did say “close to replacement level” which I guess he is slightly above right now, right? Unfortunately for this Mariners team, they may need 1 to 1.5 bWAR out of Colt in order to win the division and make any kind of decent playoff run with how things have been going. So, I’ll give this one an IWAKUMA for dangerous optimism.
Poster Rumdoodle says: “Carlos Vargas is going to be lights out. JP is done done.”
Okay, now we’re getting hot. First of all, nothing I’ve seen from Carlos Vargas and his glorious hair has ever approached anything resembling “lights out.” I will give him credit for that one very clutch save in 2025 down the stretch, but his control of the zone and his pitch location has always been tenuous at best. Suggesting that he’ll come back from a long injury rehab and start striking out the world is, well, I’ll have what Rumdoodle is having. Must be that good shit. And in regards to J.P. Crawford, first of all, how dare you? Second of all, this team needs their veteran hype man to be in the mix for any sort of postseason run. How else will they select a new post-win banger to listen to? So yeah, this take is pretty dang BRASH, almost bordering on CLIFF LEE-ish.
Poster Chris from Bothell says: “Donovan will bounce back and be a force for the rest of the season. Cal will… Well, let’s just say when the Mariners make the playoffs it will be despite him, not because of him.”
Multiple folks picked Brendan Donovan aka Bringo Dingo aka Isabelle would like to see proof of life of this man. So yes, Donovan returning and being able to play nearly every day without getting hurt again would be pretty huge for this lineup. Chris’s take on Cal is, well, depressing but that has been the tone of this nearly lost season for Raleigh. In fairness, his power does seem to be returning in fits and starts, but this team needs more than one dinger a week from this cornerstone of the lineup. Mashing 60 dingers, catching 121 regular season games in 2025, starting every game of a deep playoff run, and then fucking around with whatever the hell happened in the World Baseball Classic…..a catcher’s body can only do so much and he has clearly been pushed (well, pushed himself) past his limits. Cal is as tough as modern baseball players come, but we all have limits as humans. That said, 2-ish weeks of Cal hitting at or around his 2025 clip could literally make the difference between winning the division again or not. I still have hope he can do it. Giving this one the ol’ BRASH since Chris said the Mariners will make the playoffs even without Cal bouncing back.
Okay, moving along to a BONUS PROMPT.
As the resident sartorial shit-giver on the LL staff, I saw this post from the Mariners and immediately started thinking about A) how would I rank these 9 uniforms and B) which uniforms got snubbed? C) justice for for road greys!!!!
So, sound in the comments how you’d rank these 9 Mariners uniforms and give a shoutout to any particular favorites that were left off.
Teal. It will always be teal for me. #1 defender of teal. It’s the color that sets the team apart. Every winning Mariners team ever has worn teal.
Yellow S home whites
Sleeveless home whites (criminally underrated, sun’s out, guns out)
Steelheads
Current home whites
70’s Trident era home whites
Turn Ahead the Clock night
City Connect
Sunday off-whites
NOTABLE SNUBS: 70’s and 80’s powder blue road unis, the current navy road uniforms (arguably their most popular current uniform??), the extremely dark navy blue tops from the early 00’s, the Spring Training and sometimes regular season powder blue tops from 2019-2022, and yes, THE ROAD GREYS from both the yellow S era (completely forgotten heaters) and the modern road greys which got unceremoniously axed in 2023.
All right, thanks for everyone who responded to the prompt in the FEED and let’s hear some Mariners uniform takes in the comments!
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 12: Luis García Jr. #2 of the Washington Nationals at bat against the New York Yankees during the first inning at Nationals Park on July 12, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Well, that was underwhelming.
The 2026 Trade Deadline has come and gone, with the Yankees doing relatively little compared to what appeared to be a laundry list of needs. If you were told in May that this is what they would do at the deadline, you would’ve had so many questions about why the team got a corner outfielder and a first baseman while ignoring the bullpen and catcher’s room. Pinstripe Alley has provided a lot of coverage regarding both moves, so go check those out.
Nonetheless, it’s passed now, so all we can do is evaluate what happened. The Yankees acquired the likes of Luis García Jr. and Heliot Ramos from the Washington Nationals and San Francisco Giants, respectively. They also dealt away three relief pitchers who have spent time in the majors this season: Camilo Doval, Jake Bird, and Yovanny Cruz. It’s a much lighter transaction list than we thought, but let’s see how this affects not only the current roster, but beyond.
Let’s start with the payroll. The Yankees very much prioritize control at the Trade Deadline, as evidenced by moves in recent years to acquire guys like David Bednar, Joey Gallo, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Frankie Montas, and more, all players that were more than rentals. García is under control through 2027, and Ramos is just now entering arbitration and is under control through 2029. The impending lockout and CBA negotiations could complicate things, but assume they have those complete years of control. The Yankees will pay García about $2.1 million for the remainder of the season and Ramos $243,000.
Going forward, García’s breakout campaign will likely command a raise that will take his salary above $10 million in 2027, while Ramos will likely clock in around $3 million in his first year of arbitration. But that isn’t $13 million they’re directly acquiring, as they also got Doval and Bird’s arbitration figures off the books that would likely total a sum nearly as much.
The roster fit is clunky for both if you ignore injuries, but both will have a big role to play while the big boppers continue to recover (and Jasson Domínguez demoted as part of last night’s George Lombard Jr.-for-Anthony Volpe roster shuffle). When it comes to beyond 2026, the roster fit is cleaner for both. Ramos will likely be reduced to a platoon role down the stretch, but his control may make him an everyday starter in 2027 as Trent Grisham insurance, with Cody Bellinger moving into center field. With Ramos’ defensive limitations, could they consider moving Judge to left field in the offseason, or would they swallow the downside?
For García, he likely won’t have to contend with 38-year-old veteran Paul Goldschmidt for playing time as he rides off into the sunset. I’d expect him to go back and forth with Ben Rice at first base and DH, while also being insurance for a big elephant in the room: Giancarlo Stanton. The Yankees insist that the hulking slugger is nearing some semblance of a return, and he took BP against a rehabbing Carlos Rodón yesterday, but there’s still no knowing exactly when he’ll be back and how much he’ll be able to give.
Getting Stanton insurance is never a bad idea. After all, there’s no guarantee he’s going to be productive when he comes back. But will he even come back? I think he will at some point, which might create a logjam, but too much depth is a good thing, especially come playoff time.
Returning to what this means for the future, Stanton will be entering the final guaranteed season of his 13-year contract next year, and with the Marlins picking up the bill on $10 million of his $25 million salary, he’s reached the point where it’s within the realm of possibility that the Yankees decide to do with him what they have done with unproductive veterans at the end of bad contracts in DJ LeMahieu and Aaron Hicks. Is it possible that the Yankees cut ties with Stanton after this season? I certainly don’t think it can be ruled out, even with his decline more of the physical nature than horrible on-field performance.
Let’s briefly touch on the prospects that the Yankees gave up. I’ll gloss over the failed Jake Bird experiment, but I do want to mention he seemed to learn he was traded while he was on the mound for Scranton earlier today. Ouch. The lone starting pitcher dealt to Washington, Jack Cebert, was selected in the 15th round a year ago and has impressed in his debut season, making it to Double-A and seeming to settle in during a great July before going down with injury a week ago. We’ll see what the new-look Nats player development team can do with him.
The two guys I’m most bummed to lose are players who could be contributing at the MLB level out of the bullpen. We’ve all heard of Yovanny Cruz, who stings to lose with his triple-digit velocity and elite stuff, but being able to use him as a major piece in a deadline deal after signing him as a little-known minor league free agent in November is great work from the front office.
The other guy is Ben Grable, who I think has the potential to be an absolute stud. A former 11th-round pick out of Indiana, he’s exploded up the ranks and become a high-leverage reliever in Double-A Somerset, earning a spot at the 2026 Futures Game in Philadelphia. He has a freakish fastball that sits mid-90s and has outlandish induced vertical break. A 97 mph fastball with 17-ish inches of IVB is considered elite, but what about 96 at 22 inches? If any player here can become a star, it’s this man.
Ben Grable is another prospect that’s coming back to the Nats in the Garcia trade, which, like Yovanny Cruz, has an insane fastball
Now the guys sent to San Francisco. Henry Lalane has a lot of arm talent and was once one of the most exciting arms in the system down in the DSL, but saw his stock collapse after multiple injury-riddled seasons. He had rebuilt it considerably in 2026 to the point where I wondered aloud if he was the best starting pitcher in the farm system, but the injury risk is still there, and he’s been so-so in a recent bump to High-A.
The lone position player dealt was infielder Kaeden Kent, a former third-round pick who will be heading to his Hall of Fame father’s organization in a pretty wholesome move. He’s a great contact bat who has hovered around .300 all season until getting injured in July, but has questions on whether he can stick at shortstop or hit for enough power.
With all these guys gone, priorities shift. With Jackson Lovich earning a recent promotion and opening some room in the Single-A infield, do we see any of the 2026 draft picks debut in the coming weeks? What about a promotion for Tyler Boudreau to replace Lalane in Hudson Valley? With the bullpen depth torn apart, guys like Eric Reyzelman and Bradley Hanner suddenly become more important for the stretch run, along with the ultimate wild card returning from injury in Carlos Lagrange, though it seems unlikely he’ll seem a major league mound this year.
The M.O. of this deadline was to not only patch holes in the short term but also give get insurance in the long term with upside. For a hitting core that needs some youth, they’ve added two 26-year-olds. The consensus is that the Yanks didn’t do enough, but time will tell if what they did do gives them enough to make a run at the World Series.
Munetaka Murakami is the personification of all White Sox fans going into August. | Getty Images
The dust has settled on the trade deadline, and there is now baseball to be played. If you have missed all the trade news over the last week, here is what you should know.
Chicago acquired starting pitcher Luis Castillo and reliever Huascar Brazobán, along with catcher Joey Bart and outfielder Brenton Doyle. The overall sentiment from my friends on this site is that the Brazobán addition is a solid move and the rest is simply meh. The hope is that, at worst, Castillo can eat innings, and, at best, he’ll provide some solid starts down the stretch. The front office did not have to give up any of its young core or its coveted prospects to make these moves, so, all in all, it seems low-stakes.
We shall praise all the powers that be for the one glorious move that sent Seranthony Domínguez to the Mariners in the Castillo trade. Though the reliever had allowed no runs in eight of his last nine appearances, I am glad that this raised his trade value rather than convince Chris Getz to keep him on the club. We are all officially marked safe from being traumatized by the righthander ever again. Don’t you even dare suggest that there is a chance the White Sox could face him in the playoffs and be burned in a completely different way.
It should be noted that both Cleveland and Minnesota made meaningful additions to their clubs as well. As much as I would love to sit comfortably with a three-game lead heading into August, these acquisitions are going to keep this anyone’s division. If the South Siders want to win the division, they’ll simply need to keep doing what they’ve done all season: have fun and win games. Those other, more boring teams are just noise to be drowned out.
Now that the trade news is settled, let’s get to the games the team played over the last week. As most weeks seem to be these days, this was a big one. The two teams sitting above Chicago in the current playoff standings awaited them, with the Yankees coming to town first. The first two games of the set did not go to plan, but the pitching got it together to split the series before heading to Tampa and taking a series from the American League-best Rays.
The New York series, like the Houston one last week, was winnable. The South Siders took an early 3-0 lead in the opener, but the game was tied 4-4 by the bottom of the fifth. Sean Newcomb, who has been one of the bullpen’s best arms, had a rough showing, giving up four runs and letting the game slip away.
On Tuesday, it was the Yankees’ turn to take a 3-0 early lead off of Anthony Kay. Though the pitching staff did not give up another run for the remainder of the game, the White Sox could not catch up in the bottom of the ninth and dropped the second game 3-2.
Wednesday and Thursday were both thrilling matchups that saw the Good Guys back on top. Both games went to extras, with a throwing error and a walk-off single from Edgar Quero getting Chicago across the finish line on Wednesday, and a walk-off walk from Tristan Peters getting the job done on Thursday.
The pitching staff was almost unhittable in Florida. Over 27 innings, they surrendered just three runs. You read that correctly. THREE! To put this into perspective, the Rays have the best home record in baseball. The team is slashing .264/.331/.430 in its home ballpark. During this weekend’s matchup, they batted .213. Their pitching staff has the seventh-best home ERA this season at 3.61. The White Sox offense scored 15 runs (13 earned) over its 27 innings. I did some math, and that’s a 4.33 ERA for the Tampa pitching staff over the three-game set. Consider me mighty impressed with my baseball team.
Friday’s game was special with Miguel Vargas, Munetaka Murakami and Colson Montgomery all homering in the game. This is the fifth time this season that all three sluggers have hit a long ball in the same game. If they do it one more time this season, they will be the only trio to do so since at least 1900. Andrew Benintendi also homered in Friday’s game, but it was not nearly as historic as the other three.
Noah Schultz may have earned the loss in Saturday’s game, but it is exactly the type of outing he needed after having a rough go of it. He went five innings after Jordan Hicks opened the game, giving up the lone run of the entire ballgame on three hits. The young pitcher struck out four, but the more noteworthy stat from the outing was the lack of walks he issued.
In the rubber match on Sunday, the Rays started the game playing what I would describe as unstable baseball. Sam Antonacci led off the game by reaching on an error. He later scored on an error during Benintendi’s at-bat. Colson, who reached on a double, scored the second run of the game on a wild pitch. The scoring was abundant for the White Sox after that, driving in nine tallies, highlighted by home runs from Benintendi and Everson Pereira. Please enjoy Pereira’s home run as consolation for his DFA.
This week is shaping up to be similar to how July started. The club is headed to Boston, where they have to take on a Red Sox team that acquired Adley Rutschman and a slew of other reinforcements. When we saw them in July, they were in the midst of a 15-game win streak, and they have not slowed down since. Martin, Sean Burke and Castillo have their work cut out for them.
After a trip out east, the squad will head back home to take on the beefed-up Guardians. The weekend features Ozzie Guillén’s number retirement ceremony, so I am hopeful the celebration will carry the winning energy to the field.
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Sox fans and fans across the country.
This week, we have a pretty predictable question for you, one that’s already been tackled by one writer on site, as well as in our post-deadline podcast: How did the White Sox do at the trade deadline?
It seems fairly clear that the White Sox at least matched what Minnesota accomplished at the deadline. It is more debatable whether the Guardians’ pickup of starter Foster Griffin not only offsets the White Sox getting Luis Castillo from the Mariners, but the entire Chicago trade deadline package.
But that said, it’s your turn to get out your red marker and give GM Chris Getz and the front office your marks for the trade deadline.
ARLINGTON, Texas — Two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom told the Texas Rangers before the trade deadline that he wanted to stay with the team.
“I want to be here. I believe in this group,” deGrom said.
The right-hander, who has a full no-trade clause in his contract, addressed reports that the slumping Rangers were approached by at least one other club about his availability.
Asked if Texas presented anything specific to him about a potential deal, the 38-year-old deGrom said he wouldn’t get into any details.
The Rangers went into their series opener at home against San Francisco mired in a season-worst five-game losing streak that knocked them out of first place in the AL West. They were swept in a three-game series at Houston over the weekend, going from a half-game division lead to 2 1/2 games behind the Astros.
“Obviously, the last road trip didn’t go well, but I believe in this group and I believe we can win,” deGrom said. “I signed here to help this team win a World Series. In ’23, the team was able to do that, and I want to be a part of that in the future. ... That was the reason I wanted to be there. So I want stay here and help this team compete.”
The Rangers made one trade, sending utility player Josh Smith and minor league right-hander Josh Stephan to Toronto for rookie left-hander Adam Macko. Smith and Macko were both with Triple-A teams.
DeGrom is 7-7 with a 3.96 ERA in 21 starts this season, after going 12-8 with a 2.97 ERA in 30 starts last year. It is the first time since his back-to-back Cy Young Awards with the New York Mets in 2018 and 2019 that he’s made at least 20 starts in consecutive seasons.
Texas hasn’t reached the playoffs since winning its only World Series title in 2023, which was deGrom’s first season after signing a $185 million, five-year deal in free agency.
DeGrom was 2-0 with a 2.67 ERA and 45 strikeouts as the Rangers won all six games he started by the end of April. He later had elbow surgery that kept him out until the final three games of the 2024 season.
His deal with Texas included a since-triggered conditional option for 2028 that will be for $20 million, $30 million or $37 million, depending on deGrom’s performance and health.
The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL, which is in part due to them selecting high in recent drafts because of their not qualifying for the playoffs. The Sabres have displayed an eye for talent, and the organization’s developmental model has begun to yield results, with 2023 first rounder Zach Benson making an impact in the playoffs, and 2024 top pick Konsta Helenius appearing as one of the AHL’s top prospects the last two seasons.
Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. These players are all 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals, and have played less than 82 NHL games.
Will the Sabres add any scoring help before training camp?
33. Ryan Rucinski - Center (Youngstown - USHL)
It often occurs that when clubs are watching over their own prospects, they see another player that intrigues them. The Sabres prospect Luke Osburn made Team USA at the 2026 World Junior and had an excellent freshman season at Wisconsin. Prior to that, he played for the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms, where he won the USHL Defenseman of the Year. On that same club that was center Ryan Rucinski, who the Sabres selected with their final pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
The 5’10”, 176 lb. forward is from Broadview Heights, OH (south of Cleveland) and has hockey bloodlines through his father, Jeff, and maternal uncle Steve Duke, who both played NCAA hockey at Western Michigan and had long minor league careers.
Ryan Rucinski (#LetsGoBuffalo) finds Cooper Simpson (#NHLBruins) to start the scoring at the American Cup
The 19-year-old scored 42 points (19 goals, 23 assists) in 49 games with the Phantoms in 2024-25, and last season finished second on the club with 62 points (27 goals, 35 assists) in 59 games and was named to the second USHL All-Star team. Rucinski is headed to Ohio State this fall.
Elite Prospects Draft Guide describes Rucinski as “A detailed, versatile forward with an edge, who creates through puck protection, net-front skill, and winning battles. His preferred scoring tools: An instant inside leg wrister off the rush and quick hands in tight on the power play. And when neither of those is an option, he crashes the net and whacks away until he finds an opening.”
NEW ORLEANS, LA - OCTOBER 28: Draymond Green #23, Kevin Durant #35, and Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors celebrate during a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center on October 28, 2016 in New Orleans, Louisiana. 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 2016 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Kevin Durant is still in his feelings about his legacy on the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors already won the 2015 championship, and had just blown a 3-1 lead against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2016 NBA Finals following a record-breaking 73-win regular season when Durant hit free agency. Durant signed with the Warriors, which was only possible through a one-time salary cap spike in addition to Stephen Curry being signed to a cheap rookie extension. Golden State would win the championship the next two seasons with Durant being named NBA Finals MVP both years, but his rings never got the respect they deserved as fans accused him of taking the easy way out.
Now 10 years later, Durant turned a question about the Philadelphia 76ers’ offseason additions of LeBron James and Jaylen Brown into a defense of his decision to join the Warriors. Durant said “The last time three 20+ point scorers were together on a team, they said it was unfair.” Durant also said next season’s Sixers are better than the 2017 Warriors on paper.
As fans continued the debate in the comments section on social media, Durant chimed in again to rip his former Golden State teammates Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. Green immediately responded by saying Durant forgot he wasn’t on his burner account, which he has a long history of using to defend himself and criticize his teammates.
Thompson posted a screenshot of Durant’s Instagram comment, and asked why he used his full name to take a shot at him.
Green came over the top on Threads, and said Durant must have thought he was on his burner.
I fully believe that Draymond is right here. Durant probably thought he was on his burner when he left this comment. Would he really bash Klay and Draymond like that in public? It’s such a bad look.
Why is Durant equating prime Steph Curry with broken down Joel Embiid? Why is he compared his prime self to 42-year-old LeBron James? Why does he only care about offense? Honestly, no one is buying KD’s argument.
KD gotta relax. That Sixers squad is not better on paper than the GS squad he joined. He went to GS and we thought the NBA was cooked for the next 5 years. We’re not even all the way sold on if PHI can beat NY to win the East.
Durant joined a team that won a championship and had just broken the league’s all-time wins record. The Sixers haven’t reached the conference finals since 2001. I put Philly at No. 5 in my preseason power rankings, and even that felt like a little bit of an optimistic placement. When KD went to the Warriors, it felt like no other team had a chance to even compete.
Draymond then used his podcast to keep the conversation going, saying Durant thinks basketball is only about buckets.
Draymond reacts to KD's comments on LeBron joining the Sixers
"You have to understand the way KD view basketball, the way KD view basketball is very Uncle Drew-ish, this game will and always will be about buckets… so he's going to mention the 25-point scorers… He also said… pic.twitter.com/YC3yru9gEG
— The Draymond Green Show (@DraymondShow) August 4, 2026
Say what you will about KD, but the man loves getting into hoop debates online. I think that’s cool even if it often feels like he crosses the line. You can talk ball without ripping your teammates, and this has now been a problem for Durant at multiple stops. He essentially threw his Rockets teammates under the bus in a Twitter group chat last season with no real consequences. Now he’s trying to diminish the greatness of two players who helped him win the only rings of his career.
Durant is in a tough position. The Warriors won championships both before he signed with the team, and then after he left to join the Brooklyn Nets. He still hasn’t won a ring outside of Golden State, and now he’s about to enter his age-38 season. KD is still an excellent scorer, but at this point it feels more likely than not that he retires with only two championships, both with the Warriors.
Durant needs to throw his phone in the ocean, and just enjoy being a super rich, super awesome basketball player who is still performing at a high level in his late 30s. The burner accounts are ugly, and in this case, it’s even worse when you forget which account you’re using. At a certain point, the relationships become the best part of championship runs. It sure seems like KD might not have a great relationship with Draymond and Klay.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 06: Trey Jemison III #55 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives to the basket defended by Mitchell Robinson #23 of the New York Knicks in the second half at Crypto.com Arena on March 06, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. 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 Meg Oliphant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As per Chris Haynes, the Toronto-New York pipeline continues with the Raptors’ acquisition of third year centre Trey Jemison, bolstering both the Raptors’ and Raptors 905’s frontcourt. Jemison himself has seemingly confirmed this with a post on his Instagram, showcasing a Raptors’ practice jersey emblazoned with the number 50.
Jemison has played for five teams throughout his NBA career, with his most notable tenure coming as a member of the Memphis Grizzlies, where he started fourteen games in the 2023-24 season. Jemison averaged about ten minutes for the Los Angeles Lakers and the New Orleans Pelicans, though his usage slipped after joining the Knicks for their championship campaign.
NEWS: Free agent center Trey Jemison and Toronto Raptors have reached an agreement on a two-way contract, league sources tell me. The NBA champ finds a new home. pic.twitter.com/8RbPbsb2LL
Jemison is a non-shooting big man capable of some rim deterrence while delivering monstrous dunks at his opponent’s basket. At 6’10, the big man has a 7’2” wingspan, and makes use of that length when getting to the rim. The lob threat potential certainly seems here, as Jemison is athletic enough to get every bit out of his giant body, and could make for a great tandem working with Scottie Barnes. The lack of a jumper is, of course, unfortunate for a team that already struggles with spacing, which is something that fans see as the central need the Raptors have to address.
In many respects, Jemison looks on paper to be the antithesis of all of the struggles the Raptors have faced with Jakob Poeltl as their starting centre. Jemison is young, athletic, and looks ready to go. Of course, he will not be slotting into that starting job, and will have to earn his chops developmentally while deep on the depth chart. The Raptors seem to believe in their abilities to develop project centres, however, and I’m excited to see what the training staff does with him throughout the upcoming season.
Skubal, who won back-to-back Cy Young awards with the Detroit Tigers, is a free agent at the end of the season and joined Los Angeles in a blockbuster deal that further solidifies the club as World Series favorite again.
"They’ve been a pretty good baseball team without me," Skubal told reporters. "So I’m going to show up and kind of be a chameleon in a sense and fit right in with these guys and just gel with them.
"They’ve got the winning recipe. They know what it takes to win. I don’t. I’m going to lean on these guys, let them guide me and lead me."
Follow for the latest updates from Skubal's Dodgers debut on Tuesday:
How to watch Dodgers vs Cubs game
Date: Tuesday, Aug. 4
Where: Wrigley Field
Time: 8:05 p.m. ET
TV: TBS, SportsNet LA (Los Angeles), Marquee Sports Network (Chicago)
What time does Tarik Skubal pitch?
Tarik Skubal makes his Dodgers debut Tuesday, Aug. 4 at 8:05 p.m. ET (5:05 p.m. PT).
2021: 8–12, 4.34 ERA, 31 G (29 GS), 149⅓ IP, 164 SO, 1.26 WHIP
2020: 1–4, 5.63 ERA, 8 G (7 GS), 32 IP, 37 SO, 1.22 WHIP
When is Tarik Skubal a free agent?
Skubal is eligible for free agency at the conclusion of the 2026 season and will be one the most sought-after player on the market. Turning 30 this offseason, Skubal is likely to break Yoshinobu Yamamoto's $325 million record contract for a pitcher.
Tarik Skubal draft and college
Tarik Skubal played college baseball for the Seattle University Redhawks, earning Freshman All-American honors in 2015 before undergoing Tommy John surgery during his sophomore year in 2016.
Despite missing the 2017 season while recovering, he was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 29th round of the 2017 MLB Draft but chose to return to school. He was ultimately selected by the Detroit Tigers in the ninth round (255th overall) of the 2018 MLB draft and signed for a $350,000 bonus.
Tarik Skubal age
Tarik Skubal is 29 years old and turns 30 on November 20.
LAS VEGAS – Just like how waiting on LeBron James’ latest and presumably last decision in free agency affected the upcoming NBA schedule, so does the draft for the summer’s biggest showcase.
Summer league schedules for Las Vegas aren’t made until after the NBA draft to ensure the biggest matchups can face off for our first peek into the future. Look at the first day of summer league this year as an example.
AJ Dybantsa vs. Darryn Peterson. Darius Acuff Jr. vs. Keaton Wagler. Labaron Philon Jr. vs. Ebuka Okorie. Yaxel Lendeborg vs. Morez Johnson Jr. It was all there on Day 1.
On Day 2, Cameron Boozer vs. Caleb Wilson was the main attraction.
It also was the first game Warriors coach Steve Kerr attended this summer. Kerr, sitting next to Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy and new associate head coach Frank Vogel, was engaged all game watching new and familiar faces. His eyes were all over Lendeborg cranking the volume on competitiveness and taking his battle against Boozer personally.
But the most animated Kerr got was for someone on a two-way contract, not the No. 11 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Malevy Leons earned a fist pump, some happy claps and verbal praise for two very similar plays during the second quarter of an eventual blowout loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Leons took one shot in the first quarter, missing a three. He took three shots in the second quarter, again missing a three. His two makes, however, both came off non-stop motion that finished with a cut to the basket and converting a tough layup, with the second coming on Boozer. Those are the types of plays that translate to Golden State for Leons, and bring happiness to his NBA coach.
“I love Malevy’s cutting and his crashing,” Warriors summer league coach Khalid Robinson said after the loss. “Last game, I think he had like five or six offensive rebounds. That is who he has to be in this league: An elite crasher and cutter, and then if he has an open shot, take it and make it.”
The number of offensive rebounds that Leons engulfed the previous game was six, to be precise.
That game was supposed to be all about Lendeborg facing another former Michigan teammate in Oklahoma City Thunder center Aday Mara, who was taken one pick after him in the draft. And it mostly was in ugly game where the Warriors won by 25 points. Lendeborg scored a game-high 14 points, and Mara had 10.
They combined for the same amount of rebounds as Leons (11). He didn’t stop moving, and his nose for the ball sniffed out rebounds every which way. Leons grabbed five rebounds on the defensive glass and six on offense, which was one fewer than the Thunder had as a team.
“It’s very contagious,” LJ Cryer of Leons’ rebounding after the win. “Offensive rebounds in the game are backbreakers, especially in a game where we didn’t really have it going for a little while. When the game is slow and ugly like that, it can kind of break the other team’s spirit. He’s big for us.”
Leons’ six offensive rebounds led to an extra six points for the Warriors against the Thunder, and a much bigger number of extra chances.
Tenacity is a word Leons has to live by on the court. The possession battle is top of the pyramid in basketball, making Leons’ play style important for a variety of reasons.
“It’s really important, because crashing is a big role in the NBA right now, and if you can do that consistently with a lot of energy it helps you when you’re trying to get a spot in the league,” Robinson said.
The Warriors signed Leons from the Thunder’s G League system in December. He had played six NBA games previously and played 25 for the Warriors while spending 19 in Santa Cruz. The Warriors would love for Leons to at least be a threat to make wide-open 3-pointers after going 4 of 16 last season (25 percent) and 5 of 19 (26.3 percent) over the summer, but that would be getting greedy for what Golden State is going to ask of him.
Leons can be a Minutes Eater. For the Warriors, that can be called a Star Saver. Or maybe even a Volunteer for Vets. Call it what you want, the description is the same: Provide energy and activity whenever you’re on the floor, be reliable when the vets need a rest and be trusted upon over an 82-game season to have those games saved equal meaningful basketball at the end of the season.
At 27 years old before the regular season begins, and at 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot-1 wingspan and a never-ending battery, Leons fits the bill of what the Warriors need from the end of the bench on certain nights. His role doesn’t have to expand past its purpose, he just has to execute it.
There has been a rather interesting development regarding the Toronto Maple Leafs and a former prospect of the franchise, who has spent the past three years playing in the KHL.
Semyon Der-Arguchintsev, drafted by Toronto 76th overall in the 2018 NHL draft, has expressed interest in rejoining the Maple Leafs and playing in the NHL.
The latest on Der-Arguchintsev is that he was traded in the KHL from Dynamo Moscow to Vladivostok, but doesn't plan on playing for the team that has acquired him, according to his agent, Shumi Babaev, who spoke to RB Sport. This highlights Der-Arguchintsev's intentions to return to North America.
Der-Arguchintsev's trade and his decision to decline to play for Vladivostok came after his representative's initial comments to R.org on April 28. In this instance, before Toronto hired John Chayka as the GM, Babaev revealed that he had been in contact with former Leafs GM Brad Treliving.
"Semyon is considering the option of returning to Toronto," Babaev told R.org. "We contacted former general manager Brad Treliving and expressed our desire to return to the club’s system. Now we are waiting for the appointment of a new general manager and to understand his position," Babaev said.
Most recently, last documented on Sunday, Babaev commented to RB Sport that there has been a certain process that has been underway with the Maple Leafs.
"I can't comment on it," Der-Arguchintsev's agent said.
It's clear, based on what Babaev has been revealing, that Der-Arguchintsev wants to return to playing hockey in North America, and preferably for the Maple Leafs. But just how realistic is that?
Babaev truly sees an NHL future for Der-Arguchintsev, but knows the path won't be linear.
"I believe Semyon is ready for the NHL," he said. "Of course, he has to be ready for the possibility of playing in the AHL, but there is no point in going there just for that. We are talking about a one-way contract with a salary closer to the league minimum."
Even on a flexible contract like the one-year, league-minimum deal that he suggested, it would be fairly challenging for Der-Arguchintsev to crack the Maple Leafs' NHL roster.
The right-handed center hasn't played in North America since the 2022-23 campaign. He featured in 50 contests with the AHL's Toronto Marlies and scored a solid 12 goals and 40 points. He also made one appearance for the Maple Leafs on Dec. 6 against the Dallas Stars.
In a perfect world, for the player and the team, Der-Arguchintsev would get a look in the bottom six with Toronto. That would allow management and the coaching staff to truly evaluate him at the NHL level and decipher if he could contribute as a roster player.
The issue with that scenario is that there already isn't much space on the NHL roster. On July 1, Chayka added forwards Nick Paul, Jack Roslovic, Colton Sissons, Teddy Blueger and Brandon Duhaime, most of whom could have a role in the bottom six.
If the Maple Leafs and Der-Arguchintsev agreed on some sort of contract and plan, it would likely involve him seeing a lot of time in the AHL. That would allow Toronto to have frequent tabs on him and call him up at any point, including the purpose of filling in for injuries.
However, despite Babaev understanding that AHL time for Der-Arguchintsev is very likely and expected, he's not interested in his client spending an extended period of his stint in the minors.
At the end of the day, there is value in bringing Der-Arguchintsev aboard. After all, he'll still be 26 years old going into this coming season and is a talented offensive player known for his playmaking.
This past season, in 59 regular-season games split between Dynamo Moscow and Vladivostok, Der-Arguchintsev scored six goals and 36 points.
His best season in the KHL was in 2023-24 when he recorded 17 goals and 34 points in 57 regular-season contests, as well as 10 points in 13 playoff games.
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.
Toronto, ON - JULY 25 - The actual baseball that Dave Winfield threw that killed a seagull on a reproduction of the front page of the Toronto Star, showing Winfield's reaction and ball boy Jeff Pinchuk retrieving the bird with a towel. Thirty years ago on August 4, 1983, Dave Winfield threw a baseball that killed a seagull at Exhibition Stadium. He was arrested and charged with cruelty to animals by police officer Wayne Hartery who personally believes it was intentional act. (Chris So/Toronto Star via Getty Images) | Toronto Star via Getty Images
43 Years Ago Today
On this day at Exhibition Stadium, Dave Winfield accidentally threw a ball that struck and killed a seagull during a game.
At first glance, it sounds like the setup for a joke.
During the bottom of the fifth inning, Winfield tossed his warm-up ball toward the dugout, inadvertently hitting a seagull and killing it.
Anyone who remembers Exhibition Stadium knows how much seagulls flocked to the place.
Debate swirled over whether Winfield acted intentionally. I once thought he might have aimed at the bird, but surely he assumed it would fly away. Hitting it from 80 feet required remarkable—if accidental—precision.
His manager, Billy Martin, quipped, “That’s the first time Winfield’s hit the cutoff man all year.”
Strangely, after the game, Winfield was arrested for causing “unnecessary suffering of an animal.” It’s unclear what the police were thinking—perhaps they disliked the Yankees as much as I do, but I wouldn’t have arrested him. Winfield was taken to the police station, and Pat Gullick paid his $500 bail for his release.
The following day, the charges were dropped. The crown attorney explained, “It is always a key issue to find criminal intent, and I am satisfied there was none here.”
Before the police arrived, Winfield’s teammates teased him about the incident. Afterward, however, the mood changed. As Billy Martin put it:
“I’ll tell you one thing. We will get their four starting pitchers arrested when Toronto comes down to New York next week. We will have somebody call the police and say they were molested in the hotel.”
That comment tells you everything you need to know about Billy Martin.
Paul Godfrey even traveled to New York to apologize to Winfield in person.
An autopsy revealed the seagull was already unwell before being struck, explaining why it didn’t avoid the ball. It was expected to die within the next couple of weeks regardless.
The following winter, Winfield visited Toronto with a painting depicting seagulls flying and a red maple tree, which he auctioned to raise $32,000 for Easter Seals.
The Yankees won 3-1. Dave Stieb went the distance for Toronto, allowing six hits, three runs, three walks, and five strikeouts. Shane Rawley earned the win for New York, also pitching a complete game.
Winfield finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
37 Years Ago Today
Dave Stieb lost a perfect game with two outs in the ninth inning. The previous season, he had lost no-hitters in back-to-back starts, each with two outs in the ninth.
The Jays came out on top, winning 2-1 over the Yankees.
The Yankees weren’t yet the powerhouse they’d become a few years later, but their lineup featured some strong hitters.
Here was their starting lineup:
Steve Sax
Luis Polonia
Don Mattingly
Jesse Barfield
Mel Hall
Rob Geren
Randy Velarde
Alvaro Espinoza
Roberto Kelly.
In the ninth, Hal Morris pinch-hit for Velarde, and Ken Phelps—of Seinfeld fame—pinch-hit for Espinoza. But it was Kelly, the ninth hitter, who doubled to break up the perfect game. Sax then singled to end the shutout, but Stieb retired Polonia to close out the win.
The Jays managed just five hits. George Bell had two, while Ernie Whitt and Mookie Wilson each drove in a run.
Stieb finished with a two-hit complete game, striking out 11 and throwing 90 pitches (65 for strikes). The win improved his record to 11-6 with a 3.90 ERA. He’d end the season 17-8 with a 3.35 ERA over 33 starts and 206.2 innings—a low total for him, considering he threw 288.1 innings in 1982—with just three complete games.
