As Alex Ovechkin makes his retirement tour, the Nashville Predators are the latest team to give him a parting gift.
Ovehckin, 41, announced on Oct. 5 that will be his last season in the NHL.
The Predators gave Ovechkin a black custom Gibson guitar, complete with an inscription on the pick guard which reads "Alex Ovechkin No. 8." and has Predators and Capitals team logos.
The caption reads "A Music City gift for the "Gr8"... Congrats to Alex Ovechkin on an incredible career!"
Ovechkin's first NHL season came in 2005-06, more than a year after he was selected No. 1 overall at the 2004 NHL Draft. The NHL lockout in 2004-05 delayed Ovechkin's arrival, but it was worth the wait. He scored 52 goals as a 20-year-old, winning the Calder Trophy (rookie of the year) easily.

#alex #year #team #ovehckin

NEW YORK (AP) — When Jake Bauers gloved the final out of the Milwaukee Brewers' first World Series triumph, it might have ended the last Major League Baseball game for a long time.
While just 148 days remain until the scheduled start of the 2027 season on March 24, owners have proposed a salary cap for the first time since their 1994 plan led to a 7 1/2-month strike and the first cancellation of the World Series in 90 years.
"Obviously, you'd love to see the game be in a good spot and continue to be played," Milwaukee captain Christian Yelich said Wednesday a few hours before his team finished a five-game victory over Tampa Bay. "I think the game's in a great spot right now with a lot of people tuned in, a lot of popularity, a lot of great players out there. It would obviously be a shame if we miss time, but we'll have plenty of time this offseason to talk about it."
Baseball's five-year labor contract, agreed to in March 2022 on the 99th day of a management lockout, expires on Dec. 1. MLB is likely to lock out players again as soon as the deal expires.
That could create another free-agent frenzy ahead of the expiration. On Dec. 1, 2021, clubs committed to $1.4 billion in salaries that included nine-figure contracts for Javier Báez, Byron Buxton, Kevin Gausman, Max Scherzer, Corey Seager and Marcus Semien.

#time #series #obviously

Twins news: Byron Buxton provides 2027 availability update ahead of hip surgery appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
With the Minnesota Twins beginning to fall out of the playoff race, star outfielder Byron Buxton will undergo hip surgery next Friday, Aaron Gleeman reports. The expectation was that Buxton was going to receive the surgery at some point, but he wanted to wait and help the Twins compete for the postseason. With Buxton getting the surgery soon, he is hoping to be ready for 2027 spring training.
"Byron Buxton said the hope is that he'll be ready for spring training," Gleeman reports.
There is a chance of an MLB lockout as well. That would obviously be far from ideal for MLB, but it would give Buxton even more time to recover from his hip surgery. However, the outfielder is seemingly hoping to be ready for the currently scheduled spring training.
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#spring #outfielder

The theme of our final regular-season free-agency update? Status quo.
Frankly, not much has happened since the trade deadline. The good players have continued to play well. A few characters have tumbled from underperformance or skyrocketed up from anonymity, but for the most part, August solidified what we already thought we knew.
As a reminder: This is a weak class. It's increasingly unlikely that a single position player will surpass the $100 million threshold, something that hasn't happened in more than a decade. The uncertainty of the lockout will have an impact as the sport prepares to go on a transactional hiatus starting Dec. 1.
We'll be back with free-agency coverage before then, with our comprehensive top 50 free agents list dropping in October.
Notes: Whenever you see a number, a slash and another number, that's a reference to contract years and total earnings. For instance, the shorthand for Bryce Harper's 11-year, $330 million deal would be "11/330." Ages listed below are for the 2027 season.

#agency

The biggest oil companies in the United States are playing hardball in unionized labor negotiations in a bid to get more concessions from workers' unions in the new contracts.
Over the past few years, some of the top U.S. refining companies have resorted to lockouts to ensure most of the company management's proposals in new labor contracts are accepted.
The trend began earlier this decade with Exxon locking out in 2021 as many as 650 workers out of the Beaumont refinery for 10 months. This was the longest labor dispute at a U.S. refinery in four decades.
Five years later, BP and Marathon are currently in a similar position, locking out workers at their Whiting, Indiana, and Martinez, California, refineries, respectively, amid labor disputes over union contracts.
The refineries continue to operate with contractors, supervisors, and replacement workers. The continued operations show that Big Oil is not as afraid as it used to be to use replacement staff while seeking concessions from the unions.

#contracts #unions #refinery

The biggest oil companies in the United States are playing hardball in unionized labor negotiations in a bid to get more concessions from workers' unions in the new contracts.
Over the past few years, some of the top U.S. refining companies have resorted to lockouts to ensure most of the company management's proposals in new labor contracts are accepted.
The trend began earlier this decade with Exxon locking out in 2021 as many as 650 workers out of the Beaumont refinery for 10 months. This was the longest labor dispute at a U.S. refinery in four decades.
Five years later, BP and Marathon are currently in a similar position, locking out workers at their Whiting, Indiana, and Martinez, California, refineries, respectively, amid labor disputes over union contracts.
The refineries continue to operate with contractors, supervisors, and replacement workers. The continued operations show that Big Oil is not as afraid as it used to be to use replacement staff while seeking concessions from the unions.

#contracts

Diamondbacks News
Diamondbacks' Slump Is Hurting Postseason Chances
The Diamondbacks simply must find a way to get out of this scoring funk they have been in for a while now.
Diamondbacks Prospect Has Award Winning Homer Spree
The Amarillo Sodpoodles' Avery Owusu-Asiedu has had himself a great time since being promoted to AA. The outfield prospect has now homered in four consecutive games for the second time in a month. The feat hasn't been done for a few years now and was done by the Dodgers' Will SMith.
Diamondbacks Release Spring Training Schedule Despite Threat of Lockout
Anything to distract from the owners and players competing to see who can set fire to the game faster.
Diamondbacks Make Surprise Decision to DFA Jorge Barrosa
The longer the season gets into September, the more it looks like Arizona has some sort of handshake deal with Max Kepler to keep him around.

#diamondbacks #time #hurting #chances

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Padres fans and fans across the country.
In the end, it was not close. To be honest, that was to be expected.
Ty France was the overwhelming answer to the Gaslamp Ball Reacts Survey poll question this week. "Who has been more impressive so far this season?" Respondents had the choices of France, Luis Campusano, Walker Buehler or Bradgley Rodriguez. Looking back, it would have been appropriate to add Yuki Matsui to the list of candidates as well, but France would probably remain the top choice.
The right-handed slugger has been stellar defensively for the Padres this season, despite a bobble on a play on Saturday night. The fielders, Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts and Jake Cronenworth all seem to enjoy having a Gold Glove Award winner manning first base. It allows them to make throws without the pressure of having to make them perfect. France himself is not perfect, but more often than not, if he can get to a throw he does and that results in more outs and less traffic on the bases for San Diego pitchers.
France came into the 2026 season as a minor league invite, but he has taken full advantage of his second opportunity with the Padres. There is no reason to think he would not receive a multi-year contract offer that would start in 2027 if the season is not lost due to a lockout. France added to his season totals with a home run int the second game of the series against the Tampa Bay Rays. He is currently hitting .287 after 355 at-bats. He has 19 home runs with 59 RBI and 47 runs scored. France has also walked 30 times. He has been entrenched as the No. 4 hitter in the San Diego lineup and there have been calls from some fans the the Padres to slide him up to the No. 3 spot in front of Machado who has been struggling as of the late.

#Padres #fans

The Atlanta Hawks are staring down a roster that's too bloated and too messy. Right now, the count sits at 17 players, yet the league mandates a strict 15 before the regular season tips off. That creates a brutal math problem for the front office in Atlanta. They can't keep everyone. Two players have to go, and the choice is getting harder by the day.
Reports confirm the team needs to trim the list before training camp opens. Corey Kispert, Buddy Hield, Ryan Nembhard, Devin Carter, and Mouhamed Gueye are all part of the existing group. Each brings complications that make a trade sticky. Kispert holds an undesirable contract that might require Atlanta to attach draft picks just to move him. The team hates doing that, but they have no real choice. The math simply doesn't work otherwise.
Hield is on a deal that expires soon, yet no one wants to pay him nearly $10 million this season. He couldn't even crack the rotation last year. Carter and Nembhard have trade lockouts lasting until late August and mid-September. Gueye is out with a foot injury that will keep him sidelined until November or later. He'll miss the entire preseason. Keeping him on the active list makes no sense for a team that needs to win now.
There's a gaping hole at small forward that needs filling. The current depth chart lists Dyson Daniels at the spot, with Aaron Wiggins and Lu Dort behind him. Dort is capable of playing guard or forward, but he was nearly unusable for OKC during the postseason. Injuries hurt his production during the regular season. Relying on him to be the answer is a risky gamble for Atlanta.
The team should look to swap out a non-contributor like Kispert for a short-term solution. This wouldn't hurt the cap sheet in the long run. A deal with the Denver Nuggets could bring in Cameron Johnson. Johnson gives the Hawks a reliable scorer who can play the position right away. The trade would also include Jericho Sims and a 2028 second-round pick. That move clears the logjam and adds real depth.

#atlanta #team #carter

The Kansas City Royals' nine-game winning streak came to an end with a 3-0 loss to Toronto, but Jacob Milham and Jeremy Greco frame it as a strong stretch rather than any kind of collapse. Bobby Witt Jr. stays in the AL MVP conversation, though the offensive edge right now still points toward Yordan Alvarez. Jac Caglianone's struggles since returning from injury spark a broader conversation about rhythm and confidence, and how much weight a rough game or two should actually carry.
The roster continues to churn. Michael Massey has gone on the seven-day concussion list after a scary-looking play, and Mason Black has been optioned to Triple-A Omaha. Josh Rojas is back for his third stint with Kansas City, and Anthony Gose has been selected after a strong stretch in Omaha and a long MLB career as both an outfielder and a pitcher. Beck Way's returned rehab ***** ignment reignites a heated critique of how the organization has handled player health this year, and Nick Mears' thoracic outlet syndrome diagnosis becomes another example of injuries taking far too long to sort out. The conversation turns pointed when Craig Kimbrel and the broader old-versus-young roster philosophy come up, with Jacob and Jeremy questioning whether Kansas City is leaning too hard on veterans who have no real bearing on the team's future.
The back half of the episode is dedicated to MLB's newly floated CBA proposal, and it is a thorough breakdown. A proposed $265 million cap on free-agent contracts, changes to Rule 5 draft eligibility, and earlier arbitration and free agency timing are all covered in detail. Jacob and Jeremy are particularly critical of the calendar-based offseason plan, arguing that manufactured transaction windows and a winter meetings quiet period would depress salaries and make the sport less interesting rather than more efficient. The very real possibility of a lockout when the current CBA expires in December 2026 closes out the discussion, along with a personal note on how a work stoppage would affect the people who depend on baseball's offseason calendar to network and find jobs in the industry.
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Need your Royals fix? Head to royalsreview.com for news, ***** ysis, and to engage with Royals fans around the world! Follow us online:

#jacob #omaha #game #strong

Kade Anderson made his major league debut on Saturday afternoon against the Chicago Cubs. (Photo by Eric Hiller/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Kade Anderson, the third pick in the 2025 MLB draft, made his major league debut on Saturday afternoon in Seattle against the Chicago Cubs. He became the first player from that class to make it to the big leagues.
According to Keith Law of The Athletic, Anderson is number one prospect in baseball. There was much consternation about bringing him up from Double-A Arkansas. Anderson pitched two seasons at baseball juggernaut LSU, accruing a 16-3 record before entering the draft last year. Due his heavy workload helping the Tigers win their eighth national ****** le, Seattle elected to have him sit out the remainder of 2025 to avoid injury.
Anderson, a 6'2" lefty, skipped the lower levels of the minors and has spent the entire season at Double-A, where he went 10-1 with a 1.06 ERA, and struck out 135 batters vs. just 13 walks. A 10/1 strikeout to walk ratio will play in any league.
But, because Anderson is just one year out of college and has been in Double-A all season, he was not on Seattle's 40-man roster. That changed when the team elected to call him up. As a general matter, Anderson won't pitch in enough games this season to lose his rookie status for next year. However, because he is now on the 40-man roster, the Mariners will not be allowed to have any contact with him in the event there is a lockout come December 1st. And with a rookie getting his first taste of big league competition, with potentially many things to learn from and work on, Seattle — and Anderson — may find it quite problematic that they cannot communicate with each other for the duration of the lockout. It is impossible to know — especially at this early date — the impact that will have on the pitcher's development, but it is not an ideal situation. Had the Mariners kept Anderson on the farm for the whole year, they could have worked with him all winter, regardless of any labor dispute.

#anderson #league #Seattle #saturday

The WooSox didn't get much offense in Syracuse (Mets AAA) and, as a result, got walked off with two outs. But it shouldn't have even gotten to that point since they were getting outhit 11-3, so there's some people on the squad we need to tip our caps to. Blake Wehunt didnt' quite make it five innings but kept all but one run off the board despite allowing seven total baserunners. Allen Castro drove a late run in to make this a tie game in the 9th, and Franklin Arias and Romy Gonzalez hit doubles; Arias' scored a pair of runs.
Don't look now, but Arias already has 22 RBIs since his call up to Triple-A a month ago, and his total in 2026 sits at 74. That's a good season by any account, but keep in mind that Arias batted first for a lot of his time in Double-A so that total might be even higher if he wasn't hitting so many solo shots to start the game. That he's consistently been the youngest at his level and hasn't gone more than three days before finding a groove are very, very good signs going forward (as in, after the lockout, in this writer's humble opinion.) Still, Arias is slashing .291/.357/.488(!) in a sample size that is growing bigger and bigger against guys who are getting better and better. And maybe, just maybe, it was all part of Breslow's plan to waltz straight from the Trevor Story (0-4, 2 K's on Friday) contract into Franklin Arias mowing down big league pitching. (And it was just how he drew it up, even down to Andruw Monasterio playing so well this year, right?)
Yes, it was Roman Anthony rehab night against the Fightin Phils (Phillies AA.) Yes, he drove in a run, his third in as many games. Devin Futrell also had a good night on the mound and shoved through six innings even after allowing a first-run home run, displaying a line that could have been plenty enough to take a decision win with a bit more pop at the plate: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K.
But the real story of the night – aside from Anthony getting closer to beign back with the big league club just in time to be one of the team's "September call-ups" – has got to be how good Justin Gonzales has looked in general this year, but especially since his promotion to Double-A. He hit a triple and his OPS stands at over 1. These are numbers that folks made a big deal out of when Arias started the season hot this year, and there's reason to believe that it's time to pay attention to the outfielder, who won't turn 20 until New Years Eve.
I will not jinx the Drive into saying they might be able to sleepwalk into a win Saturday following a rain delay in which they had a lead. The last time I did that, they sweated out a 7-run performance in the remaining innings and gutted a win out by the skin of their teeth. What I will say is that it's looking good in the third against Winston-Salem (White Sox High-A.) "First" pitch of the double-header is today at 4:30.

#even #time #getting

As the 2026 MLB season has unfolded, everyone involved, front offices, players, and fans, has approached this season with a sense of urgency.
The reason? Most observers aren't sure there will be a season in 2027.
There will be a work stoppage following the completion of the World Series once the current Collective Bargaining Agreement expires, most likely through an owner's lockout of the players that will last for months. Spring training will be affected and the likelihood that games will be missed next year is very real.
Owners want a salary cap. The MLB Player's Union is dead set against it.
It is the Kashmir issue of MLB's labor battle. It is the Taiwan. It is the Jerusalem. It is seemingly the one topic on which there can be no compromise.

#agreement #spring #union

Usually, there is no reason to focus on MLB free agency in August. It's three months away and there's playoffs to worry about.
Except this year, baseball's traditionally drawn-out free agency period is expected to be a frenzy, condensed into the three weeks between the end of the World Series and the end of the collective bargaining agreement.
The market opens five days after the World Series ends. The labor deal expires at 11:59 p.m. ET on Dec. 1, and a lockout is widely expected the moment it does. The last one ran 99 days and froze every signing and trade in the sport. This one could be worse, because the owners want a salary cap and the union has spent decades saying that's not even in the conversation.
So, the players about to hit the market are looking at a narrow chance in November where deals can actually get done under the current CBA before the expected lockout.
These last two months will matter more than they normally would. Almost every name in this free agent class just changed teams at the deadline. Tarik Skubal is a Dodger. Freddy Peralta is a Ray. Luis Arraez is a Phillie. Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes are Cubs.

#expected #three #days #lockout

Expected Lockout Could Cause Red Sox to Not Promote Franklin Arias originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Major League Baseball's expected lockout in December will bring a ton of questions about what the league looks like in the short and long term. Long-term-wise, there is an expectation that a salary cap could be implemented. It remains uncertain what will really happen on that front, but there are at least some rumblings about it.
Short-term-wise, there are decisions that could be made on prospects that have an impact.
That includes one on Boston Red Sox youngster Franklin Arias, with two reporters from the Boston Herald recently outlining why he might not get called up over the next month or so.
"With a lockout all but certain to begin this December, teams won't be able to communicate with any player on the 40-man roster until a new labor deal is reached. Those players also won't be able to train at club facilities, an especially problematic issue for prospects and minor leaguers who won't be allowed to attend minor league spring training, which will continue even if a new labor deal hasn't been reached and big league camps remain shut down.

#term

Jorge Martin converted pole position into a commanding victory in the British Grand Prix sprint to extend his lead at the top of the MotoGP standings.
The Spaniard nailed the start and then led every lap of the half-distance race at Silverstone, only facing a brief threat from Trackhouse's Ai Ogura during the middle stages before pulling comfortably clear in the final laps.
With Marco Bezzecchi finishing third behind team-mate Martin and Ogura, Aprilia secured its first-ever sprint podium lockout, even as Raul Fernandez crashed out early on.
At the start of the race, Martin made a clean start from pole, with Ogura jumping to second as his team-mate Fernandez slipped to sixth.
Meanwhile, Marco Bezzecchi and Marc Marquez engaged in a close battle for fourth behind Ogura and Fabio di Giannantonio, the pair making contact at Turn 4 before the factory Ducati rider found a way past into Stowe.

#ogura #martin #sprint

A plane flew over Wrigley Field ahead of Tarik Skubal's Los Angeles Dodgers debut on Tuesday, Aug. 4. It was supposed to read, "The Dodgers ruined baseball"... if it weren't upside down.
The fumbled stunt, funded by sports gambling company Underdog, was intended as a jab at the back-to-back World Series champions — and their projected $322 million payroll — in the wake of their blockbuster trade for the best pitcher in baseball.
"We just want to say what every fan is already thinking," Underdog said in a statement to USA TODAY Sports. And in that aspect, they accomplished just that. Just look at the replies under Jeff Passan's tweet when he broke news of the trade on Saturday night.
"They ruined the sport I love," wrote murphyJacks0n.
"We need a lockout," owennoble81 tweeted. "This is crazy."

#Dodgers #sports #Baseball #field

The 2026 Trade Deadline has officially come and gone, and it's time for the immediate breakdown of the state of the Yankees following it. It's fair to say that most weren't projecting a flashy deadline for New York with a big-name blockbuster or anything of that sort, but it still comes as a surprise that at the end of the day they made only three moves: they traded Camilo Doval away to Pittsburgh, and then added Luis García Jr. alongside Heliot Ramos to bolster their lineup and provide some depth to the outfield while two of their stars are on the shelf.
Let's start with what they did accomplish before we get into what they failed to get. García is a legit A-plus addition offensively, leading the National League in slugging and coming in just behind Ben Rice for third overall across MLB. They also managed to pry him away from Washington for a basket of arms that they likely didn't have plans for this season and possibly even next, sending off their 14th-rated prospect Jack Cebert and their 25th-ranked prospect Ben Grable by MLB Pipeline's scouting, alongside Yovanny Cruz and Jake Bird. Cruz impressed in Triple-A this season and got a couple brief stints with the major league team but never seemed to be in the plans for a postseason bullpen, while Bird actively worked his way off the roster two years in a row after getting acquired at the deadline last season. Overall, that's a more than acceptable package to surrender in exchange for a bat that can mash against righties and bring some protection to Rice's spot in the order.
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García's defensive fit is a bit more murky, as he's a first baseman when the team already has Rice and Paul Goldschmidt working there. Goldschmidt, for all his early-season success, is still meant to be a backup for this team, and it looks as though he'll cede playing time to García at first while Rice will primarily play as the designated hitter.
What that group looks like once Giancarlo Stanton is back in the fold, who knows, but the Yankees can't plan on Stanton just sliding back in after missing most of the season and needing a bat in the worst way to stay afloat here and now. The Yankees will have García for the 2027 season as well, ****** uming there will be one amidst CBA negotiations and the very real threat of a lengthy lockout.

#season

Once this offseason comes and the collective bargaining agreement expires on December 1, there will be a lockout in Major League Baseball. Owners will use the Dodgers' spending and winning as a cudgel to try to advance their proposals.
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman pushed back against criticism of the team's latest move, acquiring ace Tarik Skubal for three players on Sunday.
"It just seems like there's always blowback with us," Friedman said. "There's nothing that we did that no one else couldn't have done."
Alden González at ESPN has more on that side of Freidman's Sunday media scrum.
Ken Rosenthal at The Athletic wrote about how cries of the Dodgers ruining baseball will increase after the Skubal trade, even though the move guarantees nothing. Rosenthal wrote about how the Dodgers' financial largesse is certainly an advantage, but the specific Skubal trade was one that many other teams could make:

#sunday #nothing #wrote

On Saturday evening, the Los Angeles Dodgers pulled off another major acquisition as they attempt to become the first club since the New York Yankees to win three consecutive World Series ******* les.
They acquired pitcher Tarik Skubal, the back-to-back American League Cy Young Award winner, from the Detroit Tigers, and in return, they sent outfielder Zyhir Hope and right-handed pitchers River Ryan and Brady Smith back to the Motor City.
So far, the trade has generated enormous controversy, adding to the Dodgers' already massive payroll and giving them yet another notable, high-priced player that fans of opposition clubs feel will contribute toward a potential lockout in 2027.
Until then, Dodgers fans are thrilled at the prospect of chasing a third straight World Series victory with Skubal in the mix.
Following the trade, Dodgers fans were certainly in a celebratory mood on social media.

#trade #angeles #york

In the end, he left the way we all knew he would, to play with the rich kids, to star in the land of movie stars. Didn't matter that he was drafted by the Detroit Tigers, developed by the Tigers or elevated to greatness with the Tigers.
Once Tarik Skubal became the best pitcher in baseball, he was no longer ours. The gods of money, greedy agents and big markets took over, pushing mere mortals in smaller markets aside.
Skubal became the pretty girl you knew was going to leave you for the football star, the startup genius you knew was going to get lured away by Google. Now he's the object of that Drifters song, "There Goes My Baby," moving on down the line.
There goes our baby. A little before midnight on the first day of August, Scott Harris, the Tigers' president of baseball operatons, traded Skubal to the Los Angeles Dodgers for three prospects: two pitchers and an outfielder, none of whom rank higher than fifth in LA's farm system.
FANS REACT: MLB lockout omen? Reaction to Tarik Skubal trade has fans feeling dark

#goes

Astros have one question left amid Jeremy Pena trade rumors, per EPSN originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Houston Astros are expected to buy at the 2026 MLB trade deadline after their strong performances recently have them atop the AL West.
But, despite likely buying this summer, there are still plenty of rumors floating around about Jeremy Pena and his trade availability. There's been enough buzz about a Pena trade that it can't completely be ruled out until the deadline passes.
ESPN's Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel revealed the odds that Pena is traded are at 25%, but more importantly, revealed the one last question left for Houston about a potential trade of Pena.
"Replenishing a bad farm system with few players close to the big leagues takes a move like trading Pena, and the only question at this point is whether it will be before Aug. 3 or before the Dec. 1 lockout," Passan and McDaniel write.

#sporting

The Red Sox made an initial strike on the trade market this weekend when they made the 1-for-1 deal that sent lefty starter Connelly Early to the Nationals for breakout star Curtis Mead. It appears they aren't done, either. Here's what we're hearing on Boston's plans ahead of the trade deadline, which is Monday (August 3) at 6 p.m. ET.
º The Red Sox are keeping an open mind ahead of Monday, but according to major league officials, they're targeting three main needs. First, the club — like every contender this time of year — is interested in adding pitching depth, not just at the back end of the rotation but also in the bullpen. Secondly, catching upgrades remain on the table. Lastly — and perhaps most surprisingly — the club is in the shortstop market.
The addition of Mead at second base hasn't stopped Breslow from continuing to look for an infield bat and one rival evaluator said the belief is that the Red Sox are looking for a "long-term" option at shortstop. The market is rich with big-name candidates who may or may not move, including the Angels' Zach Neto, Houston's Jeremy Peña, the Mets' Francisco Lindor and Washington's C.J. Abrams. Considering the potential pending lockout — and a very poor position player class in free agency this winter — Boston may be looking at this deadline as an opportunity to settle that position.
That search comes with its complications. Landing a shortstop would signal the Red Sox waving the white flag on Trevor Story, whose Red Sox tenure has been defined by injuries but also a massive amount of respect for the leadership he brings. Adding Mead and a shortstop makes the pathway to regular at-bats much less clear for Marcelo Mayer moving forward. And perhaps most strikingly, it further clogs the pipes ahead of the arrival of top prospect Franklin Arias, who was just promoted to Triple-A.
"Not sure why (they're in that market) with Arias coming," said one rival scout.

#market #mead

A new rumor just made things a whole lot easier for the Los Angeles Dodgers if they decided to pursue a trade for the best pitcher in the game, Tarik Skubal.
With tongue firmly planted in cheek, the defending champion Dodgers surprisingly are a half game out from owning the best record in MLB as they head into their game on Wednesday night against the Philadelphia Phillies. Yet, what is most horrifying is LA isn't even at full strength and has some major reinforcments coming of the injured list soon.
That is why the idea of the Dodgers trading for Detroit Tigers ace Skubal seems laughable. However, according to Fan Sided's Robert Murray, "It's the question that everyone across baseball is wondering." LA doesn't need the two-time Cy Young. But with a lockout very possible after the season, and the team being the biggest hurt by the next collective bargainning agreement, why not go all in to achieve a rarity of winning a third straight World Series ***** le.
Well, if the Dodgers were to use their talent rich farm system to target a trade for the star pitcher, the team that could make just as a good an offer — the Milwuakee Brewers — is unlikely to do it according to Murray.
"I've advocated for the Brewers to make a splash — a Tarik Skubal-level splash — but I don't get the feeling that's overly likely."

#game

PHILADELPHIA – For the better part of 90 minutes Tuesday, July 14, Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred and MLB Players' ****** ociation interim executive director Bruce Meyer laid out their alternative visions of reality, staking out opposite poles on a salary cap, revenue sharing, and perhaps the color of the sky as the sport grinds toward a Dec. 1 owners' lockout.
Yet there's one subject in which they were in full agreement: If sports gambling and prediction markets are legal, they most certainly should get a piece of it.
Meyer, in his first major press briefing since Tony Clark's February resignation, acknowledged that widespread legalized sports betting has created "an environment where our players are subject to constant threats, harassment. Always has been, but I think the players will probably say it's reached a new low."
Yet in late April, the MLBPA struck a long-term licensing agreement with Hard Rock Bet, which it said integrates "MLB player name, image, and likeness directly into the core of the betting experience across Hard Rock Bet's digital and retail platforms throughout North America."
That would seem to put the union at odds with one of its core principles, protecting player safety and welfare. Yet both league and union have adopted a mindset that could also serve as the ****** les of a '90s album: Everybody else is doing it, so why can't we?

MLB and the MLBPA disagreeing is nothing new, seeing as both are already in talks for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement to avoid a lockout for the 2027 season.
The latest reported disagreement doesn’t concern next season but rather the 2028 Olympics, set to be hosted in Los Angeles.
Baseball is returning to the Olympics with a six-team tournament to be hosted at Dodger Stadium. The United States, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic have already qualified, but it is now uncertain which players will be available to participate if MLB and the MLBPA can’t come to an agreement.
The current disagreements, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan, concern “hotel rooms, tickets and a mandatory-participation agreement.”
MLB’s current plan was to shut down the sport in the middle of the 2028 season for an All-Star break that included the Olympic tournament, giving an unprecedented break in the middle of the season.

It is in times like this where I have to intentionally remind myself how much I will miss baseball during the lockout.
I swear, if they can't hit Bailey Ober AGAIN today…
Here's the Guardians' lineup:
Here's the Twins' lineup:
Let's go, Guardians!

The knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup has arrived, and the stakes have never been higher for fantasy managers.
The tournament is moving into a ruthless, single-elimination phase where one tactical misstep can end your campaign.
To survive, your squad must be anchored by the tournament's most consistent point producers and explosive offensive talismans.
The upcoming lockout represents a critical line in the sand, and prioritizing ******* ets with elite clean-sheet security or high shot-on-target volume is essential. Lock in these last 16 must-have players of the world cup fantasy to ensure your roster is built for survival.
Anchoring the backline of the most dominant defensive team in the tournament, Unai Simón has secured four consecutive clean sheets. With Spain looking completely impenetrable, he is an absolute lock for defensive security.

The current collective bargaining agreement between Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players **** ociation is set to expire at 11:59 p.m. ET on Dec. 1. It is expected that MLB will institute a lockout following the CBA’s expiration, and the lockout could threaten the 2027 season. Sportico’s Michael McCann, who is an attorney and a law professor, breaks down the potential legal fallout of a lockout in two parts. Below is Part I, which **** yzes the outlines of the labor dispute and the legal questions confronting MLB and management. Part II, which will run on Monday, will look more closely at the player and labor side of the legal question.
1. What’s the Dispute About?
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The current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between MLB owners and the MLB Players ***** ociation will expire on Dec. 1, 2026. Barring an unlikely agreement before that time, a lockout will commence thereafter.
The two sides are a gulf apart, with current concerns ranging from the implementation of a salary cap system and contract duration limits — which the owners desire, but many of the players view as an attempt to limit their earning potential — to how teams will spend the money they receive from revenue sharing; players want to ensure more of the funds, ostensibly earmarked for competitive balance purposes, land in their pockets.
The MLBPA released a statement on Thursday, June 25 criticising the league's first proposal as designed to drive a rift between the players themselves with inconsequential sweeteners… and maintaining that the players are united as they work toward a new agreement.
Catcher Henry Davis, who serves as the Pirates' MLBPA representative, described the union's perspective, saying that the proposals the league puts forward (and the concessions offered) will change as the deadline comes closer.
"I think it's frustrating, but not surprising, given most of MLB's tactics generally work off the deadline. They're making offers that — I think — they know exactly how we'll interpret them," Davis said. "And I think the unifying thing is because at times, they'll try to divide certain sects of players: free agents versus pre-arb, et cetera. But everybody couldn't be more unified."