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If there’s one thing the NHL league office is obsessed with, it’s competitive balance. Parity rules in hockey, and the league often emphasizes that it treats its 32 teams equally. That’s fostered by a hard salary cap. There’s a fixed amount teams can spend on players — and as the league recovers from revenues lost in the pandemic, that salary cap remains largely stagnant, jumping to $82.5 million this season after three straight seasons of $81.5 million.

However there’s an unspoken secret in the NHL: There’s no salary cap on hockey operations. And behind the scenes, there’s an arms race between teams, navigating where to spend extra cash — and how much of it needs to be spent — to find a competitive advantage.

“Nobody will say it out loud,” one NHL assistant general manager said. “But the divide between the haves and the have nots in the league is quite big. Not everyone is playing with the same deck of cards. If you think teams like Arizona, Carolina or Ottawa are operating on a budget that looks like what Toronto is spending, then you’re fooling yourself.”

What does that gap look like? Two dozen front office executives, coaches, agents, players and people closest to the game shared their insights to offer a picture of what type of spending goes on behind the scenes. They help explain where money is spent (and saved). Staff size is the easiest place to start.


NHL teams are not required to register hires with the league — and it’s not something the league tracks, nor has guidelines for. There’s not even a rule for how many coaches a team can employ. The Colorado Avalanche just won the Stanley Cup with the smallest coaching staff in the league; Jared Bednar has two assistants plus a goaltending coach, video coach and skills coach.

The Philadelphia Flyers‘ new hire, John Tortorella, is tied for having the largest coaching staff (eight). Some teams are figuring out how to surround their players with even more resources. The Flyers are one of four teams in the league to have their skills coach travel on the road, along with the Los Angeles Kings, Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers.

But when it comes to the number of people employed in hockey ops, everyone surveyed for this story pointed to one team spending far more than the rest: the Maple Leafs.

“If the salary cap was $140 million, Toronto would have a $140 million payroll,” one agent said. “They are the Yankees or the Dodgers of our league. [GM] Kyle [Dubas] seemingly gets a blank check from ownership.” Toronto players sometimes joke that they could spend each day introducing themself to a different team staffer. Rival front office members joke that Dubas has more assistant general managers than they have ties; the Leafs technically have five AGMs, plus eight people in hockey ops with a director title.

On the low end of the spectrum is Carolina, which has the leanest front office in the league. GM Don Waddell has a small circle around him, and they are all tasked with doing multiple jobs. Waddell also holds the title of team president. Multitasking runs throughout the organization; in the playoffs, public relations manager Mike Brown was assisting on video goal reviews.

Canes owner Tom Dundon said his philosophy is to spend on players — find the best players, and pay and treat them well. But on hockey ops, he has less people with a bigger voice. “I like to run it lean, and hungry,” Dundon said. “There’s a limit to how many people you need, in my opinion. I don’t pay attention to what other people are doing. But I know that when you have too many people around, not just for hockey but in general, it creates layers and people don’t know whose job is what. I want to make it clear: If someone is there, they matter.”

Compensation for staff

Compensation varies across the league. Depends on the team and market — and how much an owner is willing to spend. General manager’s salaries have slowly risen over the past several years. Coaches’ salaries are all over the map. Assistant coaches in the NHL make between $200,000 and $750,000 — largely dependent on experience level. Head coaches are paid between $1 million and $5.5 million — more contingent on market dynamics.

Not everyone is on the same page with treatment. “We all talk, and we know what goes on in other organizations,” one assistant coach said. “The teams with the best culture value their employees.”

Some teams happily cover costs for coaches’ families to visit if they relocate for the job. Teams cited as having a good staff culture do things like pick up the tab on postgame meals and cover for things like cars, parking, work visas. The high-end teams fly their top scouts in business class; but for most teams, even the director of amateur scouting is relying on their airline status to get bumped up.

The low-end teams try to save costs on things like health benefits, offering younger coaches and staff members the same plan as part-time employees. “And that’s despite coaches working 100-plus hours a week and spending weeks on end without their families,” one executive remarked.

Analytics departments

The fastest growing area in NHL front offices is analytics. It’s tough to track as many teams employ consultants or have staffers with split roles. The Flyers and the Maple Leafs are routinely cited as having the largest analytics departments in the NHL. The Seattle Kraken, already with a strong analytics staff, are expected to make even more hires this season.

“When I started [in the NHL in 2015], it was, ‘Oh, if they have one person in analytics, they’re so innovative.'” Kraken assistant general manager Alexandra Mandrycky said. “Now if you don’t have more than one person, you’re behind.”

Consider: When Pat Verbeek was named GM of the Anaheim Ducks last season, he took stock of the staff he inherited and realized it needed to be restructured to align more with his previous stops, in Detroit and Tampa Bay. The Ducks had just one full-time analytics staffer last season. This offseason, Verbeek quadrupled the department.

Scouting departments

Scouting staffs across the league fluctuate in size and assignments. Prior to COVID, some teams were already shifting to a more video-scouting focused strategy. That saves costs as they’re not flying scouts around the country. However, most of the best scouts still believe scouting live from arenas is optimal. You can notice things that don’t appear on video, like a players’ body language between shifts. Plus, video feeds for junior leagues can be wildly inconsistent in quality.

“For years, the two teams that would save the most money on scouting was Buffalo and Ottawa,” one director of amateur scouting said. “They’d have small staffs and really believed in video scouting. That was a few GM’s ago. They’re now more on par with everyone else. Toronto spends stupid money. A team like Arizona, you’d think they wouldn’t because of their reputation but they actually have a good department. It’s a priority for them right now, in a rebuild.”

Teams prioritize where they want to look for talent, and how much money they’re willing to spend looking for it. The teams with the biggest presences in Europe are the Chicago Blackhawks, Tampa Bay Lightning, Rangers and Detroit Red Wings.

“I think that’s the one area where you need to cover your areas but you don’t necessarily need the most people, you just need the best people,” one GM said. “To me, that’s where Tampa is top of class. [Assistant GM and director of amateur scouting] Al Murray runs a great program; just look at their track record.”

The Lightning would not have had their recent success if not uncovering draft gems like Nikita Kucherov (second round pick), Brayden Point (third round), Anthony Cirelli (third round) or recent cap casualty Ondrej Palat (seventh round).

Player development

All teams have the ability to draft highly touted prospects every year. But once they are in their system, the approach varies greatly. “The Kings are great at being super involved with their prospects,” one agent said. “While some teams still aren’t quite there. I don’t want to name the team, but I have one player who was a second-round pick in 2020. He went the entire summer without hearing from his team once. Not even a text to check in.”

The Kings, Rangers and Maple Leafs were all consistently mentioned for putting the most resources into player development, with the Montreal Canadiens and Red Wings cited as teams “trending up” in that area.

Los Angeles GM Rob Blake said he inherited a large player development staff from his predecessor, Dean Lombardi, who was inspired by models in MLB. Today, the Kings have a seven-person player development staff, and over the season they are dispatched across the world to check in on prospects.

“We’re very structured in our visits and communication with prospects,” Blake said. “Our player development staff is never teaching them any structure or system — we leave that to the coaching staff. It’s all about cultivating the relationship and building trust, with the No. 1 goal of making them a better hockey player.”

Goaltending resources

A few teams are trying to find an edge with goaltending. “I’m honestly surprised more teams aren’t focusing on that area considering the outsized importance a goaltender can have on a teams’ success,” one NHL team analytics staffer said. According to several people interviewed, goalie coaches around the league are consistently underpaid compared to their peers — and many goalie coaches are tasked with overseeing the NHL and AHL staffs.

A few teams have honed in here. The Florida Panthers, Calgary Flames and Vegas Golden Knights have established “goaltending departments” while the Rangers, New York Islanders and Kings have unofficial goaltending departments, as they also pour a lot of resources into the position.

Panthers GM Bill Zito said the formation of their “goaltending excellence department” was “serendipitous,” by having Roberto Luongo and his brother, Leo, in the organization to support goaltending coach Robb Talas, then finding out longtime goaltending coach Francois Allaire was living nearby in Florida. But with a $10 million cap hit goaltender in Sergei Bobrovsky and a 21-year-old in Spencer Knight, the organization views as a future No. 1, Zito said the holistic approach for individualized attention on and off the ice has been “fantastic” and helps get the most out of the position.

‘The extra amenities’

And then there are budgets for the “extra amenities” that create positive environments — and are used as part of college free agent and veteran free agent pitches. “I’m not sure if that’s ever the sole reason someone is going to sign, there’s so many factors that go into guys’ decisions,” a veteran player said. “But it might be what puts a team over the edge. And in general, guys talk around the league.”

A few years ago, players complained that the towels weren’t big enough in Carolina and Arizona locker rooms, and some amenities weren’t up to snuff. Those issues have been amended, and largely the standards are solid across the league.

Some teams go above and beyond. It’s not stipulated in the CBA that teams must offer breakfast, but the high-end teams have omelet and smoothie stations as soon as players arrive. The Rangers have always taken pride in how they treat players. For example, New York organized a bonding retreat for players in Rhode Island during training camp; at events like the All-Star weekend, where the league has a bus for all players and their plus-ones, the Rangers have arranged separate accommodations for their players. Toronto hires a babysitter for its family room, so wives and girlfriends can watch games from the stands.

Said a veteran player who has played for multiple teams, including the Maple Leafs: “Everything Toronto does is class. Sure, there’s a lot more pressure to win there, but you hear stories of the way guys are treated there and the resources they have there — then you get there, and it’s unreal. Even better than they say.”

What’s next

Perhaps the biggest arms race is just beginning now. Teams who have built new arenas or training facilities over the past decade have begun offering players amenities like underwater treadmills and cryogenic chambers. And with access to the facility year-round, teams can sell players on the convenience of sticking around in the offseason. While they’re not allowed to be coached, players can have access to the team trainers and equipment staffs, and can organize informal group skates.

“It’s been ever evolving to watch, and it’s not cheap, with the good [practice facilities] costing close to $100 million,” said Tim Leiweke, the longtime NHL executive and current CEO of Oak View Group. “But economically it’s a great investment. Almost everyone has one now, with the Golden Knights and the Kraken taking it to the next level.”

Leiweke has been heavily involved in the Kraken’s AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, who he believes will be revolutionary for the sport.

Between buying an expansion team, building the arena, the training center and infrastructure (parking and road and utilities), the pre-operating cost of the Firebirds is just short of $500 million.

“They have their own permanent training center, a locker room they get to themselves, equipment and physical therapy resources – you’re spending money to create your culture and create the right environment for players,” Leiweke said. “This will change the way NHL GM’s and coaches and team presidents look at developing their talent, and reimagine how to not just get value out of their assets, but take that value to the next level. This is the next arms race, the resources put into AHL franchises. Two or three years from now, I think everyone will be saying the Firebirds reinvented the business.”


Everyone’s chasing the same goal — the Stanley Cup. There’s no magic formula to tell teams how to get there, but teams will always try to look for an edge. The irony is not lost on anyone that the team that routinely tops the board in terms of spending is the Maple Leafs — the team that can’t get out of the first round of the playoffs.

“People will make fun of how much Toronto spends,” one front office executive said. “But that’s just because they’re jealous. Too often in this league we cater to the lowest common denominator. Sure it hasn’t led to playoff success for them yet, but it will — because they’ve created a forward-thinking culture. We should be celebrating that, and hope they’re raising the bar for the rest of the league to follow.”

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‘Just a top-shelf human being’: Teammates, opponents remember Ryne Sandberg

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'Just a top-shelf human being': Teammates, opponents remember Ryne Sandberg

Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg died on Monday at age 65. Sandberg, known for his power, speed and defensive prowess during his 16-year major league career, was the face of the Cubs during his 15 seasons with the franchise and a fan favorite throughout the sport.

Originally diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer in January of 2024, Sandberg was still around the Cubs as recently as spring training — and just as he did in his playing days, he made his presence felt with his signature combination of power and grace.

As the baseball world mourns the loss of an icon, those who knew Sandberg best shared their favorite stories about the Hall of Famer.


‘Ryno would be out there at 9 a.m.’

Sandberg was traded from the Philadelphia Phillies to the Cubs in January 1982 after struggling during his first call-up in Philly. A legendarily hard worker, Sandberg was willing to do whatever it took to make sure his stay in Chicago would go differently.

Larry Bowa, who was dealt along with Sandberg in the trade for veteran infielder Ivan DeJesus, remembers the hours Sandberg put in as he transformed from a light-hitting rookie in Philadelphia to a budding superstar in Chicago.

“I think about how he handled himself when he first got called up. He struggled out of the gate. I watched this guy not let it affect him. It might have affected him on the inside, but the way he handled himself on the outside was great,” Bowa said.

“Ryno would be out there at 9 a.m. [Manager] Jim Frey would tell him [to] hit every ball over the tarp and into the seats down the left-field line in foul territory. Hit it with authority over that tarp. Ryno looked at him like he was crazy. ‘I want every ball with authority over that tarp,’ Frey kept telling him. He did it for a week straight. That’s how he learned how to pull the ball.”


‘Just ungodly consistent’

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How Ryne Sandberg will be remembered in Chicago

Jesse Rogers reflects on Ryne Sandberg’s career in Chicago after he died on Monday at the age of 65.

After his power stroke clicked, it didn’t take long for Sandberg to take his game to the highest level. He was named National League MVP in 1984 after hitting .314 with 19 home runs and 19 triples, stealing 32 bases and leading the Cubs to their first postseason appearance in 39 years.

Perhaps no one had a better view for Sandberg’s dominant campaign than his close friend, Cubs leadoff hitter Bobby Dernier. The two batted 1-2 in the Chicago lineup and earned the nickname “The Daily Double” as they combined to score 208 runs that season.

“Just ungodly consistent,” Dernier said of what made Sandberg so great. “And the style of game back then demanded a little bit of baserunning prowess and being capable of stealing bases and scoring a lot of runs. And so that was our style. He was tremendous.

“Pitchers were always paying a little more attention to me on the bases than him at the plate, and that was a big mistake and he’d take full advantage. He’d almost giggle about it, is what I remember in the dugout.”

Sandberg cemented his legacy during that season with a signature game against the St. Louis Cardinals on June 23, forever known in Chicago as “The Sandberg Game.” He hit two game-tying home runs off Hall of Fame closer Bruce Sutter in the ninth and 10th innings before the Cubs won the game in the 11th — in front of a national TV audience.

“After he tied it up, I ended up hitting the ball off the wall, but if mine goes out, it’s probably never called the Sandberg game,” outfielder Gary Matthews said with a laugh. “He was great at everything that he did. I hit behind him and he was always on base.”


‘He had a perfect swing for his home ballpark’

Sandberg hit 282 career home runs during an era of baseball where second baseman weren’t known for that kind of power, but he was more than just a long ball threat. Six of those home runs — the second most off an opposing pitcher — were hit off Hall of Famer John Smoltz, who recalled one memorable afternoon for Sandberg.

“I gave up two home runs to him in a game and I had a [autograph] card show after the game and everyone in the world knew I gave up two home runs to Ryne Sandberg,” Smoltz said. “One was an inside-the-park home run. Those fans at the card show reminded me of that.

“He had a perfect swing for his home ballpark. He had a flatter swing that worked great for the angles at Wrigley Field, especially when the wind was blowing in.”

Sandberg was more than just an offensive threat; he also won nine consecutive Gold Glove awards during his time with the Cubs and posted a 123-game errorless streak.

“I used to tell Joe Morgan, ‘This guy doesn’t have to take a second seat to anybody on defense,'” Matthews said. “Morgan would say Ryne’s uniform was always clean. I said, ‘Well, you have to dive because you can’t get in front of it! Don’t get on him for perfecting the backhand.’ In the end Joe said, ‘You’re right.'”


‘He’s in a class by himself’

For all of his accomplishments on the field, the way Sandberg handled himself as a competitor and away from the game is what many who knew him best will remember about him.

“He’s an outstanding human being,” Bowa said. “That’s what I think of. Such a good family guy. His mental toughness is off the charts. Don’t let people deceive you by that little laugh he has all the time. He wanted to win as much as anybody. I’ve been around Pete Rose, and Ryno is right there.”

Smoltz added: “He’s in a class by himself. You would never know he was one of the greatest players ever, just by the way he carried himself and the ‘aw, shucks’ type attitude.

“I love competing against greatness that has integrity and character like Ryne Sandberg had. The way he carried himself, the way he was as a person is what I think about. It sure was nice to see him represent the sport and the city he played for.”

“Joy,” Dernier said. “That’s the first thing, and way so many more happiness types of stories. And it’s a grin on my face to think about him. And yeah, right now it’s melancholy that we know he’s gotten called up to the real big leagues. But I’m glad I knew him and I loved him being underestimated.”


‘Oh, man, I loved Ryno, but he’s lucky he was that good at baseball’

Of course, there were a few moments in Sandberg’s career where he wasn’t as gracious. In the Cubs clubhouse, teammates saw a different side of the Hall of Famer — a playful troublemaker and prankster.

“We had those chairs directors they use making movies, held together by sticks,” Matthews said. “Ryno would always take the sticks out, put the seat back in, and daily I’d fall to the ground. He’d be over there snickering or walking away.

“Or he would load your cigarette up and make it explode in a non-harmful way. Then when you figured it out, he would put two of those in the pack. He thought that was the funniest thing.”

Despite that kind of back-and-forth, Matthews and Sandberg often golfed together.

“I would ask for a few strokes,” Matthews said. “He would politely say, ‘no strokes, play better.’ He would hit some balls you couldn’t believe. Ball after ball. He would hit one and know it’s a good one but he’d ask, ‘Do you think that was any good?’ And just smile at me.

“Oh, man, I loved Ryno, but he’s lucky he was that good at baseball,” Matthews said with a laugh.

“He’d stir the pot and then walk away and look over his shoulder,” Bowa added. “He’d be cracking up after getting us going. He was so quiet outwardly with you guys [media], but not with us.”


‘He made such an impact on me ‘

After his playing days, Sandberg served as the manager of the Philadelphia Phillies from 2013 to 2015 before returning to Chicago, often putting on a uniform as a spring instructor and imparting the lessons from his Hall of Fame career to a new generation of Cubs.

“I just think it’s cool that he’s somebody that has kind of done everything in our sport but still doesn’t approach the game with any kind of ego,” current Chicago second baseman Nico Hoerner said. “He doesn’t talk like he has the answers to everything or the conversation is never about him.

“He’s kind of softspoken, but then if you got him going on something he really cared about, it’s really cool to hear him open up, whether it’s routines he had or how he took care of his body or just fun memories with teammates or playing at Wrigley.”

Shortstop Dansby Swanson added: “Just such a top-shelf human being. He made such an impact on me even in my short time of being able to be around him. Just an unbelievable human being and someone that I’m very, very grateful to have met and spent time with, whether it’s talking about life or talking about ball.”

It’s those attributes, the ones the baseball world got to see on the field and the ones only his teammates were able to witness, that were missed in retirement. But his attitude about life stands out for everyone.

“We talked about a lot of things, about defense and offense, but we talked about life, too,” rookie third baseman Matt Shaw said. “When he first came up, he struggled a little bit early on and he was like, ‘No matter what happens, you just got to keep believing in yourself and keep going.’ And I definitely take that to heart, and that’s something that I definitely think about a lot — is that belief to just to keep going.”

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Cubs Hall of Famer Sandberg dies at age 65

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Cubs Hall of Famer Sandberg dies at age 65

CHICAGO — Ryne Sandberg, a Hall of Fame second baseman who became one of baseball’s best all-around players while starring for the Chicago Cubs died Monday at age 65.

Sandberg was surrounded by his family when he died at his home, according to the team.

Sandberg announced in January 2024 that he was diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer. He had chemotherapy and radiation treatments, and then said in August 2024 that he was cancer-free.

But he posted on Instagram on Dec. 10 that his cancer had returned and spread to other organs. He announced this month that he was still fighting, while “looking forward to making the most of every day with my loving family and friends.”

Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts said Sandberg “will be remembered as one of the all-time greats in nearly 150 years of this historic franchise.”

“His dedication to and respect for the game, along with his unrelenting integrity, grit, hustle, and competitive fire were hallmarks of his career,” Ricketts said in the team’s statement.

The Cubs said they would wear a special jersey patch to commemorate Sandberg for the rest of the season.

Sandberg was born and raised in Spokane, Washington. He was selected out of high school by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 20th round of the 1978 amateur draft.

He made his major league debut in 1981 and went 1-for-6 in 13 games with the Phillies. In January 1982, he was traded to Chicago with Larry Bowa for veteran infielder Ivan De Jesus.

It turned into one of the most lopsided deals in baseball history.

Sandberg hit .285 with 282 homers, 1,061 RBIs and 344 steals in 15 years with Chicago. He made 10 All-Star teams — winning the Home Run Derby in 1990 — and collected nine Gold Gloves.

“Ryne Sandberg was a legend of the Chicago Cubs franchise and a beloved figure throughout Major League Baseball,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said. “He was a five-tool player who excelled in every facet of the game thanks to his power, speed and work ethic.”

Even with Sandberg’s stellar play, the Cubs made only two postseason appearances in his time there.

He was the National League MVP in 1984, batting .314 with 19 homers, 84 RBIs, 32 steals, 19 triples and 114 runs scored. Chicago won the NL East and Sandberg hit .368 (7-for-19) in the playoffs, but the Cubs were eliminated by San Diego after winning the first two games of the NL Championship Series at Wrigley Field.

The 1984 season featured what Cubs fans still call “The Sandberg Game,” when he homered twice and drove in seven runs in a 12-11 victory over St. Louis in 11 innings on June 23.

The Cubs paid tribute to Sandberg and that game when they unveiled a statue of the infielder outside Wrigley Field on that date in 2024.

“He was a superhero in this city,” Jed Hoyer, Cubs president of baseball operations, said during a TV broadcast of the team’s game on July 20. “You think about [Michael] Jordan, Walter Payton and Ryne Sandberg all here at the same time, and I can’t imagine a person handling their fame better, their responsibility for a city better than he did.”

Sandberg led Chicago back to the playoffs in 1989, hitting .290 with 30 homers as the Cubs won the NL East. He batted .400 (8-for-20) in the NLCS, but Chicago lost to San Francisco in five games.

Sandberg set a career high with an NL-best 40 homers in 1990 and drove in a career-best 100 runs in 1990 and 1991, but he never made it back to the postseason. He retired after the 1997 season.

“When you examine the offense and defense, you’ll find some years where he was the best player you’ve ever seen in your life,” former Cubs first baseman Mark Grace said.

Sandberg was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005, receiving 76.2% of the vote by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America in his third year on the ballot. The Cubs retired his No. 23 that same season.

“Ryne Sandberg had a relentless work ethic and an unshakable positive outlook,” Hall of Fame chair Jane Forbes Clark said. “With it, he inspired all those who knew him.”

Sandberg also managed the Phillies from August 2013 to June 2015, going 119-159. He got the interim job when Charlie Manuel was fired, and he resigned with the Phillies in the middle of a difficult 2015 season.

Sandberg is survived by his wife, Margaret; his children, Justin, Lindsey, Steven, BR and Adriane; and 11 grandchildren.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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D-backs 3B Suárez hit on hand, X-rays negative

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D-backs 3B Suárez hit on hand, X-rays negative

DETROIT — Arizona Diamondbacks All-Star third baseman Eugenio Suárez hopes he avoided a major injury when he was hit on the right index finger by a pitch late in Monday night’s 5-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers.

Suárez, who is a candidate to be traded to a contender, was struck by a 95.6 mph sinker from Will Vest in the ninth inning. Suárez immediately doubled over in pain and quickly left the field.

“The good news is that the X-rays were negative, but it still obviously hurt,” said Suárez, who was not bending the finger. “There are more tests scheduled for [Tuesday], and we will go from there. I’ll come back as quickly as I can.”

The 34-year-old infielder is hitting .248 with 36 homers and 87 RBIs in 104 games this season — the seventh time he has hit at least 30 homers across the past eight full campaigns.

“He’s very tough, and he never even winces,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “When he reacts like that, you know it isn’t good.”

Lovullo said he didn’t blame Vest.

“I don’t think there was any intent there,” Lovullo said. “He’s one of the most impressive hitters in MLB, and you don’t want to take those type of players off the field.”

The Diamondbacks are 51-56 and already have signaled they will be unloading players at the deadline. One of the teams believed to be interested in Suárez is the Tigers. The Venezuelan was signed by Detroit at age 17 and made his debut for the club in 2014, before being traded to the Cincinnati Reds after that season.

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