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Growing up as the son of a Hall of Famer, I was raised with a deep respect for the game of baseball — not just the numbers on the back of the card, but the soul behind the uniform. My father, Hall of Famer Tony Pérez, showed me that greatness is not just measured in stats. It is found in the character, heart and the unrelenting love for the game in any player. I was lucky — not only did I learn that lesson early, I lived it alongside three men now being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame: Billy Wagner, CC Sabathia and Ichiro Suzuki.

In 1996, long before the lights of Cooperstown were even a thought for Billy Wagner, we played together in winter ball for the Cangrejeros de Santurce in my native Puerto Rico. That league is not just a proving ground — it was and still is a crucible. Billy showed up as a young fireballer — at the time, a starter with a left arm that snapped like a whip and a heart full of quiet intensity. What struck me was not just his velocity. It was his humility. He did not come to dominate. He came to learn, to grow, to honor the game. And he did it all with a work ethic that made him feel more like a native than a visitor.

A decade later, in 2006, I joined CC Sabathia in Cleveland. At that point, he was already a force. Towering presence, electric stuff, and the kind of leadership you can’t teach. But what stood out most to me was how deeply he cared: about the clubhouse, about the guys grinding beside him, and about the responsibility of carrying a franchise. CC pitched like he was protecting something sacred. He reminded me of my father in that way. He knew it wasn’t just about how you play the game, but how you carry yourself in the spaces in between.

That was embodied in something personal, something small but unforgettable. Every game that I was not in the starting lineup and he was not pitching — which, let’s face it, was often — I would jump on the stationary bike in the fifth inning. Without fail, CC would join me. That became our time. Sometimes for 10 minutes; if the inning went long, sometimes for 30 minutes (which we were never happy about). Just two teammates, side by side, pedaling through the middle innings, talking life and baseball. That was CC. Present, supportive and always a teammate first.

That same year, I was traded to Seattle and found myself sharing a dugout with Ichiro Suzuki. If Billy brought heat and CC brought heart, Ichiro brought harmony. A perfect blend of precision, preparation and pride. Every move he made was intentional. Every at-bat felt like performance art. But Ichiro was not aloof. He was engaged, thoughtful and deeply respectful of the game’s history. His discipline was on another level. He stretched long before most guys were even dressed. He closely studied the craft of right field. And behind the scenes, he lived by the clock; everything he did was to minute. The work never stopped.

There was one moment I will never forget. We were playing the Tampa Bay Rays, and I had been struggling at the plate. I figured I needed a little luck and a change. Ichiro never kept his bats in the rack. He always sat in the same exact spot in the dugout, and his bats were always lined up neatly right next to him. So, midgame, I made a bold move. I quietly took one of Ichiro’s bats from beside his seat and walked to the on-deck circle. As I stepped into the batter’s box, I could feel it. Ichiro, the entire team, everyone realized what I had done. I was using his bat. I ended up getting a hit up the middle, and when I came back to the dugout, Ichiro retrieved the bat. During the game, he wrote something on the knob and reluctantly gave it back to me. To be clear, he was not happy — that was the kind of competitor he was. His bats were not just tools, they were extensions of his craft. But even in that quiet frustration, there was a layer of respect. That was Ichiro — wrapped in a bat that, thankfully, worked for one swing that day.

These three men, Billy, CC and Ichiro, are now forever etched in baseball immortality. But the reason I am proudest to have played beside them has nothing to do with Cooperstown. It is because they showed up with authenticity. They gave the game everything they had. They respected the journey and the people around them. They played not for glory, but because they loved it.

And for me, someone who grew up in the clubhouse of the Big Red Machine and whose father taught him to honor this game with every swing and every breath, that is the highest tribute there is.

To Billy, CC and Ichiro, thank you for letting me share a small piece of your remarkable journey. Baseball is better because of you. And I am better for having played beside you.

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Ranking every prospect dealt before the 2025 MLB trade deadline

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Ranking every prospect dealt before the 2025 MLB trade deadline

MLB trade season has officially kicked into high gear with contenders looking to add to their rosters for the stretch run ahead and rebuilding teams aiming to stockpile young players with an eye to the future before Thursday’s 6 p.m. ET deadline arrives.

As the moves go down, you can probably form your own opinion of the MLB veterans headed to new teams, but it’s much more difficult to figure out what to make of the minor leaguers who have moved.

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here’s our running ranking of every notable prospect who was dealt during July sorted by tiers using my Future Value grades so you can see where they slot in an MLB top 100 list or your team’s farm system ranking.

This story will be updated with top prospects headed to new teams added to the list with every new deal, so come back every time a move goes down to see which stars of tomorrow are on the move this month.


40+ FV tier

Acquired from Seattle Mariners in Josh Naylor deal

A 2023 11th-rounder out of Texas A&M, Garcia was a sleeper in the Seattle system who broke through as a starter in 2024. This season, he was moved into a full-time relief role, leading to his big league debut earlier this month.

He has an upper-body-reliant delivery with very short extension and a near-sidearm slot that nonetheless creates a lot of velocity, with his fastball peaking at 100.4 mph this season and living at 95-98 mph with his plus sinker. He also mixes in an 88-90 mph cutter and 84-86 mph sweeper that are both plus pitches. Garcia’s fastball command improving and the cutter continuing to be a useful weapon against righties are keys to him becoming a late-inning reliever.


40 FV tier

Acquired from New York Yankees in Ryan McMahon deal

Herring signed for $800,000 after being selected in the sixth round of the 2024 draft. He made only one start over two seasons at LSU but showed starter traits. Through 16 appearances as a starter this year, pitching across both Single-A levels, that theory has mostly held up.

His 88-92 mph heater touches 94 and looks as if it’ll be a fringe-to-average pitch, while his slider is above average and his changeup (which should be used more often) also flashes above average. He’ll move up to the 40+ FV tier with a little more bulk of performance and/or a strong finish/promotion in Double-A.


Acquired from New York Mets in Gregory Soto deal

Aracena was a low-profile international signee, getting a $70,000 bonus in 2022 out of the Dominican Republic. He sat 90-94 mph for his first two pro seasons, then his velo exploded in 2024 to 95-98, hitting 100 mph. This year he’s been even a bit higher, sitting 96-99 and hitting 101 mph at 20 years old as a starter in Single-A.

The reason he isn’t ranked higher is his command is below average to the point that his likely career outcome is as a reliever. His fastball also plays below its velocity right now due to his command issues and higher arm slot, which creates a nonideal plane and a cutting action to the pitch. His 89-95 mph slider (possibly a cutter and slider that run together) is nasty, a clear plus pitch, while his changeup is rarely used and rudimentary.

The raw ability here is impressive and Aracena is young and athletic enough to get another year or two to prove he can start, but he also has late-inning potential as a reliever if that doesn’t work out. Aracena will move into the 40+ FV tier with either a tick more of command, developing a legitimate changeup or just keeping his head above water performance-wise as a starter in High-A.


Acquired from the Detroit Tigers in Chris Paddack deal

Jimenez is a 19-year-old, switch-hitting catcher playing in Rookie ball who has a solid chance to stick behind the plate long term, but, as you’d guess, he still has some defensive work to do. He’s a slightly above-average framer (particularly to his glove side) and has above-average arm strength (catching 34% of baserunners this year), but is a below-average blocker of pitches in the dirt.

He’d benefit from getting more agile behind the plate but the athleticism is there to do so: Jimenez is a solid-average runner right now despite a stout 5-foot-9 frame. His raw power projects as fringe-to-average given his lack of physical projection, though he has solid ball flight (think 15ish homers at peak), with a grade more power as a left-handed hitter. Jimenez’s contact and on-base skills grade about average, so the sales pitch here is an overall average offensive threat, which is enough to warrant playing him at other positions to get his bat in the lineup as a platoon option, but hoping he can progress in all phases enough to become a primary catcher.


5. Ashton Izzi, RHP, Arizona Diamondbacks

Acquired from Seattle Mariners in Josh Naylor deal

Izzi was a classic projection righty who signed for $1.1 million after being selected in the fourth round of the 2022 draft out of an Illinois high school.

He has delivered on that projection, with his average fastball velo having crept up from 93.1 to 94.0 to 94.5 in his three pro seasons. His four-seamer is a solid-average pitch, while his slider can get to average with slightly better locations and his sweeper is an above-average pitch, maybe plus.

The issue is Izzi’s sinker; although it has a fine velocity/movement combination, it is too center-cut in the zone and has been hammered by hitters while being used almost as much as his four-seamer. He also doesn’t use his changeup much — but probably should, especially as he dials back his sinker. With some progress in his mix and locations, this is a No. 4 starter package, but Izzi is more of a long reliever as currently constituted.


Acquired from Kansas City Royals in Randal Grichuk deal

Hoffmann was a 12th-round pick out of Illinois in the 2021 draft who was traded to the Royals in 2022 and finished the season in Double-A, beating predraft expectations. He was seen as a potential back-end starter at that point, but moved to full-time short relief this season en route to making his big league debut.

His mid-90s fastball is a solid-average pitch that plays up due to his funk and deception, and his main weapon is a plus changeup that tunnels well to the bottom of the zone. His slider is a clear third pitch and is fringy, which is why he was moved to relief to focus on using his two best pitches. With better fastball locations, Hoffmann could move from middle relief into the later innings.


35+ FV tier

Acquired from New York Yankees in Amed Rosario deal

Beeter was a second-round pick in the 2020 draft and has slowly moved down the starter-to-reliever spectrum to becoming a full-time reliever for the first time in 2025. He’s 26 years old with five career big league appearances under his belt, but Beeter is still in Triple-A for now because of his walk rate: 7.2 per 9 innings — including issuing seven walks in his last 8⅓ innings pitched.

Beeter is still a solid prospect because of his 65-grade slider and above-average fastball that peaks at 99 mph. His fastball command is the variable that, with more progress, could turn him into a late-inning reliever, but Beeter is a higher-variance middle reliever who needs to avoid walks in Triple-A to get his next big league shot.


8. Browm Martinez, CF, Washington Nationals

Acquired from New York Yankees in Amed Rosario deal

Martinez signed for a $130,000 bonus last January and was solid last summer in the Dominican Summer League before having a huge repeat season in the league this year — posting an OPS of 1.139 driven by higher contact rates.

There is still a wide range of potential outcomes for Martinez as an 18-year-old playing in the lowest level of the minors, but the key here is he has above-average bat control and pitch selection at the plate, arguably the two most important things to demonstrate at lower levels.

He’s also a solid-average runner who has 34 career stolen bases, and that speed could allow him to stay in center field. There’s some physical projection left given his age, but his power projects to continue to be below average, so sticking in center would be key to his long-term value.


9. Josh Grosz, RHP, Colorado Rockies

Acquired from New York Yankees in Ryan McMahon deal

Grosz is a potential No. 5 starter/swingman type with some feel and deception from his abruptly quick delivery. He throws a 92-95 mph dead-zone fastball with heavy tail that plays around average, an above-average changeup and a fringy slider.

He has a tougher road to being a solid big leaguer if he can’t stick as a starter because most teams prefer a middle reliever to have an above-average breaking ball to get right-handed hitters out.


10. Cameron Foster, RHP, Baltimore Orioles

Acquired from New York Mets in Gregory Soto deal

Foster is a 26-year-old long reliever who sits 93-96 and hits 99 mph from a high slot (it’s on the whole an average big league pitch). He also mixes in an 86-88 mph cutter (a solid-average pitch), an 81-84 mph slurve (an above-average pitch), and a big loopy 75-78 mph curveball (effective as a fourth offering that’s used in certain situations). He’s a solid back-end-of-the-roster-type utility arm who can be used in multiple roles and should debut this year or next. He needs to be added to the 40-man roster after the season to protect from the Rule 5 draft.

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Deion announces he battled, beat bladder cancer

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Deion announces he battled, beat bladder cancer

BOULDER, Colo. — University of Colorado football coach Deion Sanders announced Monday that he had undergone surgery to remove his bladder after doctors discovered a tumor there. Sanders said, since the surgery, there are no traces of cancer, and he will continue to coach this season.

In a packed Touchdown Club in the Dal Ward Athletic Center, Sanders appeared with Dr. Janet Kukreja, director of urological oncology at University of Colorado Cancer Center, and answered some of the questions that have swirled around him throughout the offseason.

The 57-year-old Sanders has largely been out of the public eye in recent months, save for an appearance at Big 12 media days earlier this month when he acknowledged Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark for repeatedly checking in on him and praised Colorado athletic director Rick George.

Sanders deflected questions about his health at Big 12 media days and previously had not publicly offered any specifics. In July his son, Deion Jr., posted a video on social media in which Deion Sanders is heard saying he was dealing with a health issue and that “I ain’t all the way recovered.”

In the video he was seen stepping into an ice bath as well as shooting a basketball and a walk with his daughter. Sanders said in May he had lost about 14 pounds as he had limited contact around the program during the team’s spring and summer workouts.

Sanders has previously dealt with serious health issues. He has had bouts with blood clots in his legs, had two toes amputated in 2022 and emergency surgery in June 2023 to treat the persistent clots, including one in his thigh in one leg and several just below his knee in his other leg.

On the field, Sanders is set to begin his third season at the school. With his son, Shedeur, at quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, college football’s most accomplished two-way player in the modern era, the Buffaloes finished 9-4 last season with an Alamo Bowl appearance. Sanders’ son Shilo, a safety for the Buffaloes for the past two seasons, has also moved on to the NFL, along with several high-profile players on offense.

The top storyline on the field for the Buffaloes is the battle to replace Shedeur behind center. In two seasons, Sanders completed 71.8% of his passes for 7,364 yards with 64 touchdowns.

It will be the first season Deion Sanders doesn’t coach a high school or college team with Shedeur at quarterback.

Seventeen-year-old true freshman Julian Lewis, a five-star recruit and No. 2 player in the 2025 ESPN 300, and Kaidon Salter, who started 24 games in four seasons at Liberty, will compete for the job.

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Guardians’ Clase on leave over gambling probe

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Guardians' Clase on leave over gambling probe

Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase on Monday was placed on non-disciplinary paid leave through Aug. 31 as part of Major League Baseball’s investigation into sports gambling, the second Guardians pitcher to be caught up in the inquiry.

Guardians right-hander Luis Ortiz remains on non-disciplinary paid leave after originally being placed there July 3 after unusual gambling activity on two pitches he threw for balls, sources told ESPN. Ortiz’s leave was later extended to Aug. 31.

In a statement, the Guardians said “no additional players or club personnel are expected to be impacted” by the investigation. The investigation, a source confirmed, has not turned up information tying other players with the team to sports gambling.

Clase, 27, is a three-time All-Star and two-time winner of the Mariano Rivera Award as the best relief pitcher in the American League. He finished third in AL Cy Young voting last year when he posted a 0.61 ERA over 74.1 innings. In 47.1 innings this season, Clase has a 3.23 ERA and has already allowed more hits this year (46) than last (39) while striking out 47 and walking 12.

His ties to the investigation that started following a June 27 alert from IC360, a firm that monitors betting markets for abnormalities, are unclear. Sportsbooks and gambling operators were alerted after a spike in action on Ortiz’s first pitch in the bottom of the second inning against the Seattle Mariners on June 15 and in the top of the third inning against the St. Louis Cardinals on June 27, according to sources. In both cases, unusual amounts of money were wagered on the pitches being a ball or hit-batsman from betting accounts in New York, New Jersey and Ohio, according to a copy of the IC360 alert obtained by ESPN. Both pitches wound up well outside the strike zone.

At the All-Star Game in mid-July, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said while he still supports legal gambling because of the transparency regulation offers, he was concerned about so-called microbets, such as ones that offer action on individual pitches.

“There are certain types of bets that strike me as unnecessary and particularly vulnerable,” Manfred said. “I know there was a lot of sports betting, tons of it that went on illegally and we had no idea, no idea what threats there were to the integrity of the play because it was all not transparent,” he added. “I firmly believe that the transparency and monitoring that we have in place now, as a result of the legalization and the partnerships that we’ve made, puts us in a better position to protect baseball than we were in before.”

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