Connect with us

Published

on

The Rangers have continued their climb up our weekly power rankings and have now usurped the Dodgers for the No. 2 spot, with the Rays holding steadfast at No. 1. But, with the roll Texas has been on as of late and its historic run differential, does it deserve to have the top spot?

Meanwhile, at the other end of our rankings, the Athletics are on a historic pace of their own — albeit a bad one. Will they challenge the 1962 Mets’ modern record of 120 losses? Or will the Royals catch Oakland at the bottom of our list?

Our expert panel has combined to rank every team in baseball based on a combination of what we’ve seen so far and what we already knew going into the 162-game marathon that is a full baseball season. We also asked ESPN MLB experts David Schoenfield, Bradford Doolittle, Jesse Rogers, Alden Gonzalez and Joon Lee to weigh in with an observation for all 30 teams.

Week 9 | Preseason rankings

Record: 45-19

Previous ranking: 1

It looked as if Tampa Bay’s streak of no more than two consecutive losses on the season might be broken after the Rays dropped two games against the Cubs, but they stormed back by taking three of four against the Red Sox. Teams rarely go an entire season without dropping into a slump at some point, but we are more than two months into the season and the Rays continue to look like one of the most formidable teams in the sport without skipping a beat. — Lee


Record: 40-21

Previous ranking: 3

The Rangers had the proverbial good news/bad news kind of week as they increased their lead in the American League West with a sweep of division rival Seattle. Texas outscored the Mariners 30-9 in three games over the weekend, and Marcus Semien has remained hot, with a hit in 25 straight games (ending Wednesday, as he went hitless in the 1-0 loss to the Cardinals) and 31 of 33. The team’s +155 run differential through its first 60 games is the best to start a season by any MLB team since the 1939 Yankees. The bad news? Texas lost Jacob deGrom to elbow surgery. It’s a major blow, but Bruce Bochy, already the heavy favorite for AL Manager of the Year, has the team depth to keep rolling. — Rogers


Record: 37-24

Previous ranking: 4

Not that the Braves-Mets rivalry needs more juice, but it will be interesting to see what happens moving forward after Pete Alonso bashed a 448-foot home run off a Bryce Elder hanging slider and yelled, “Throw it again! Throw it again, please!” as he rounded the bases. Elder claimed not to hear it and said he didn’t view it as an insult. Plus, the Braves got the last laugh as they won the game 6-4 after rallying from a 4-1 deficit. Elder continues to make a strong push for the All-Star Game as he picked up the win to improve to 4-0 with a NL-leading 2.26 ERA. While Alonso hit the home run off a slider, it’s been an effective pitch for Elder, as batters are hitting just .152 against it. — Schoenfield


Record: 36-26

Previous ranking: 7

Astros stalwart Alex Bregman is as unflappable as any player in the game, so if there was some consternation about his slow start, you can be sure none of it was coming from him. A month ago, Bregman was hitting .190/.322/.320 with four homers and 15 RBIs over 34 games. We’ve seen this act before from the often slow-starting third baseman, whose career slugging percentage in games before May is just .398. Anyway, since that season nadir, Bregman has mashed to the tune of .306/.372/.463 with four homers and 21 RBIs in 28 games. His numbers aren’t yet back to career norms, but they appear to be headed that way. As always, third base doesn’t look like a problem spot for the Astros as they look to gather momentum for their pursuit of the front-running Rangers in the AL West. — Doolittle


Record: 35-27

Previous ranking: 2

The Dodgers dropped their weekend series against the Yankees, but there are plenty of bright spots for this team between the star-studded lineup continuing to hit and the call-up of top prospect Bobby Miller. Through three starts, the 24-year-old righty has a 1.06 ERA and 0.76 WHIP with 16 strikeouts in 17 innings pitched. Additionally, Mookie Betts has been on fire the past week, hitting four homers in five games while slashing .350/.458/.950. — Lee


Record: 37-24

Previous ranking: 6

Baltimore suffered a major blow by losing Cedric Mullins to the injured list due to a groin strain, moving Adam Frazier into the leadoff spot in the batting order. To replace Mullins in the lineup, Baltimore signed former Yankee Aaron Hicks, who has looked rejuvenated in his early days in Baltimore. Through five games with the Orioles so far, Hicks has six hits in 15 at-bats, including one homer. If Hicks can return to form, he could provide another offensive threat in what has been a top-10 offense in baseball this season. — Lee


Record: 36-26

Previous ranking: 5

As the Yankees sit in third place in the American League East, they keep getting hit with the injury bug. Aaron Judge is out after slamming his toe into the wall at Dodger Stadium, and All-Star starter Nestor Cortes is on the IL with a left shoulder strain. New York did, however, see Giancarlo Stanton, Josh Donaldson and Tommy Kahnle all come off the IL in the past week, and Carlos Rodon is progressing toward making his Yankees debut at some point in the near future. — Lee


Record: 37-25

Previous ranking: 8

With every passing week, Arizona continues to show staying power in the NL West, no small task with perennial division winner Los Angeles playing well. Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen continue to lead the way on the mound, allowing just five earned runs in 25 1/3 innings over their past four starts combined. Arizona will have to lean on them, as the rest of the rotation has been shaky. Improved performance by Ryne Nelson could help — three of his past four outings have been OK but not nearly good enough for a division contender. Same goes for Tommy Henry, who gave up five runs in 4.1 innings against Washington on Tuesday. — Rogers


Record: 35-28

Previous ranking: 9

Alek Manoah’s continued struggles have landed him in the rookie-level Florida Complex League, where the Blue Jays hope he’ll find his stuff again. It’s a big blow to Toronto’s viability as a World Series contender, given his former All-Star pedigree. Picking up the slack has been Jose Berrios, who has a 3.66 ERA in 12 starts this season and looks again like the starter Toronto hoped to receive when it traded for him. — Lee


Record: 31-31

Previous ranking: 12

The Twins’ offense had been headed in the wrong direction for about three weeks, and now, they will have to try to reverse this trend without their leader in runs created, Byron Buxton, who landed on the IL with a rib contusion. A major issue with the roster is a preponderance of pull-heavy, high-strikeout sluggers. Minnesota leads the majors in strikeout rate and swing-and-miss rate, and only the Braves have pulled a higher percentage of their balls in play. As the season nears the trade deadline, perhaps the Twins might try to balance the lineup by targeting a first baseman-DH type with bat-to-ball skills, or perhaps another outfielder, as Minnesota’s collective left field OPS is the worst in the majors. — Doolittle


Record: 31-31

Previous ranking: 11

The Red Sox keep wavering back and forth between streaks of success, like their eight-game winning streak in late April through early May, and coming back down to earth. Boston is getting a bunch of injured players back, such as Christian Arroyo and Adam Duvall — and Trevor Story is inching his way back toward a return to the lineup — but it still faces trouble in its rotation, with Chris Sale on the IL due to shoulder inflammation. — Lee


Record: 34-28

Previous ranking: 14

Winning three of four against the Reds over the weekend righted the ship for Milwaukee, as what the Brewers lack in power they’ve made up for in speed, at least over the past week. They hit only .205 as a team but swiped 11 bases, including four from Christian Yelich, who had a good seven days overall at the plate. Yelich is on pace to set a career high in steals with 16 so far, after swiping 19 bases all of last year. The Brewers’ offense has been just good enough this season, and Milwaukee is the favorite in the division now. — Rogers


Record: 30-32

Previous ranking: 13

In recent seasons, the Mets’ offense has been driven more by batting average than power, but that hasn’t been the case in 2023. In 2020, the Mets led the majors with a .272 average and ranked third in OPS (although just 13th in runs as they hit poorly with runners in scoring position). Last year, the Mets were second in batting average and tied for fifth in runs. But this year seems to be following the path of 2021, when the Mets hit just .239 and ranked 13th in the NL in runs. They’re hitting .238, which ranks 21st in the majors. Francisco Lindor is down to .216 with a sub-.300 OBP. Jeff McNeil is down nearly 50 points from last year’s league-leading .326 average. Alonso, Starling Marte, Mark Canha … all down. A reason to be optimistic: The Mets are near last in BABIP, so maybe that will start climbing up. — Schoenfield


Record: 35-28

Previous ranking: 20

In a four-game stretch from Saturday through Tuesday, Luis Arraez went 5-for-5, 2-for-4, 3-for-4 and 2-for-4 to raise his average from .374 to .401. It’s the first time a player has been hitting .400 through his team’s first 62 games since Chipper Jones in 2008 (who was at .421 but remained above .400 for just nine more games). It will be interesting to see what kind of support Arraez gets in the fan voting for the All-Star Game. It’s not unprecedented for the fans to vote in a Marlins player: Marcell Ozuna was voted in as a starter in 2017 (Giancarlo Stanton, who would go on to hit 59 home runs that year, also started, but as an injury replacement). Meanwhile, Tuesday’s win put the Marlins at 34-28, the first time they’ve been six games over .500 since August 2016. — Schoenfield


Record: 32-29

Previous ranking: 21

Every time you count the Pirates out, they rebound with a good stretch of baseball. The latest came in a weekend sweep of the Cardinals in Pittsburgh, declaring to the baseball world which team is better in 2023. Ke’Bryan Hayes had a huge week, going 9-for-19 with two home runs and a 1.316 OPS. He torched Cardinals pitching, going 7-for-11 in the Pirates’ three wins. — Rogers


Record: 30-31

Previous ranking: 10

Well, that was ugly. The Mariners went into Arlington looking to make up ground on the Rangers and lost all three games, by scores of 2-0, 16-6 and 12-3. They managed just three hits in 13 innings against Rangers starters Jon Gray and Nathan Eovaldi. With Marco Gonzales placed on the IL, Bryan Woo made his MLB debut on Saturday and allowed seven hits and six runs in two innings. Bryce Miller allowed seven runs on Sunday, and after posting a 1.15 ERA through his first five starts has now allowed 15 runs over his past two. Manager Scott Servais summed it up: “We’re not playing winning baseball against top-flight teams.” Yep. The Mariners are 7-0 against the A’s and well under .500 against everybody else. — Schoenfield


Record: 33-30

Previous ranking: 15

The Angels had a chance to make a statement against the Astros but dropped three of four over the weekend. Reid Detmers fell to 0-5 with a 5.15 ERA in the first game, Shohei Ohtani had his worst start of the season as the Astros tallied nine hits and five runs off him in Game 2, and then Patrick Sandoval got knocked out in the fourth inning on Saturday. The Angels did win the finale 2-1 as Griffin Canning allowed just one run in six innings on Sunday.

While Ohtani has been good, the rest of the rotation continues to scuffle, as the Angels are 21st in the majors in rotation ERA. Some of the markers do point to improvement: They have a 4.79 ERA but a 4.52 FIP and 4.53 xFIP. With hard-throwing Ben Joyce (his fastball has averaged 101.7 mph in his three outings) and former first-round pick Sam Bachman now up and in the bullpen, let’s see if Phil Nevin goes to even quicker hooks on his starters. — Schoenfield


Record: 29-33

Previous ranking: 17

The Padres have not won two consecutive games since having a three-game winning streak snapped on May 2. They are getting some surprising offense from Gary Sanchez, who is hitting .310/.375/.793 with four homers in nine games since joining the Padres. Blake Snell also had two strong starts in the past week, going 12 total innings without allowing a run on five hits while striking out 15 and walking six. Joe Musgrove is also showing signs of a turnaround, allowing just one run in 11 innings over two starts. If Musgrove and Snell can truly turn things around, San Diego will likely see some massive improvement in its record. — Lee


Record: 29-32

Previous ranking: 18

Kyle Schwarber hit his first leadoff home run of 2023 on Tuesday — and it proved to be the only run in a 1-0 victory, just the third time in Phillies history a leadoff home run held up as the winning run (Jimmy Rollins on Aug. 14, 2012, and John Briggs on June 12, 1969). Schwarber now has 16 home runs through Tuesday while hitting .173/.322/.425.

Some fun numbers for Schwarber to chase: (1) Joey Gallo hit 38 HRs in 2021, the most for a player who hit under .200; (2) Schwarber’s 105 OPS+ would be the second highest for a player who hit under .200 (Gallo had a 121 OPS+ in 2021, but only two others have finished above 100); (3) Del Young hit .194 in 1937, the lowest batting average by a qualified player in Phillies history (although back then the qualification was 100 games played; the lowest with 502 plate appearances is Pat Burrell’s .209 mark in 2003). — Schoenfield


Record: 31-30

Previous ranking: 16

The middle-of-the-pack Giants have a middle-of-the-pack offense, one devoid of stars and long on interchangeability. That doesn’t mean Frisco can’t win, but it does mean that the real MVP of the organization might be whoever writes marketing copy that effectively makes this team look sexy. Harsh? Yeah, probably.

But right now, the Giants’ top three in runs created are LaMonte Wade Jr., Thairo Estrada and J.D. Davis. Certainly, this speaks to the organization’s ability to help externally acquired players become the best version of themselves. Wade has exemplified this. He entered the season having struck out more than twice as often as he’s walked in his career. This season, his walks and strikeouts are about even and he has become a plus-.400 OBP standout. Nevertheless, somehow, the franchise that has featured Mel Ott, Willie Mays, Barry Bonds and so many other generational star hitters needs to locate its next one. — Doolittle


Record: 28-33

Previous ranking: 22

Both good and surprising news marked the Guardians’ week. The good news was really good: Triston McKenzie returned from the IL after being out since spring training with a shoulder issue. He allowed just one hit over five scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts in a win over the division-leading Twins. The surprising news was that Cleveland created space on the roster by designating righty Zach Plesac for assignment. Plesac looked like a rotation fixture after a strong showing during the abbreviated 2020 season, but it’s been all downhill since then. He posted a 7.59 ERA over five starts for the Guardians early in the season, earning a demotion to Triple-A, where he put up the same numbers — a 7.56 ERA over five outings. — Doolittle


Record: 26-35

Previous ranking: 23

The Cubs’ offense has tanked without Cody Bellinger, who remains out of the lineup with a knee injury. They rank in the bottom five teams in OPS since he went down in mid-May. But the bullpen remains the biggest problem and continues to make manager David Ross look bad. Twice in the past week, Ross pulled young starter Hayden Wesneski mid-inning only to see the bullpen blow it moments later. The latest came on Tuesday, when lefty Brandon Hughes walked Shohei Ohtani to load the bases only to see Mike Trout single home two runs. The Cubs might not be underachieving, a word used often to describe them; this could be who they are. — Rogers


Record: 29-33

Previous ranking: 25

Cincinnati is becoming the “it” team for prospect promotions as Elly De La Cruz was the latest on Tuesday. He scorched a double against the Dodgers for his first major league hit. The Reds’ youth has been on display in both good ways and bad recently, as a sweep of the Cubs was followed by losing three of four to the Brewers — but a ninth-inning comeback over the Dodgers on Tuesday might have been their best win of the season. The Reds’ offense ranked second in walks last week, showing plate discipline from a young team. Cincinnati probably isn’t going anywhere in October, but the proverbial “future is bright” tag applies here. — Rogers


Record: 26-37

Previous ranking: 19

Any positive May vibes have disappeared as St. Louis opened June in losing fashion. A sweep by the Pirates followed by a series loss to the Rangers dropped the Cardinals’ record against plus-.500 teams to 17-28. In fact, their record in all areas is bad: They have a losing record against every other division and in interleague play. A once-feared pitching staff is anything but this year: Last week, opposing hitters had a .308 batting average against St. Louis pitching. — Rogers


Record: 27-35

Previous ranking: 26

The White Sox are more or less at full health for the first time all season. Perhaps not coincidentally, they are enjoying their most prolonged stretch of winning baseball in 2023. In part thanks to the inclusive nature of AL Central competition, Chicago has closed in on the Twins, Guardians and Tigers in the division race. Run prevention has been the key, with the pitching staff posting an MLB-best 2.97 ERA since May 13.

Leading that charge has been resurgent righty Michael Kopech, who has a 2.72 ERA over seven starts since the beginning of May, with 10.9 strikeouts per nine innings and a K-BB ratio of 3.25-1. The White Sox have a ways to go before they can even reach .500, much less first place, but things haven’t looked this sunny on the South Side for some time. — Doolittle


Record: 26-33

Previous ranking: 24

The Tigers have a 17-10 record in games decided by one or two runs, a big reason Detroit has out-won its run differential-based expectation by more games than any other AL team except for Baltimore. Some of this is good fortune, some of it is the work of manager A.J. Hinch aligning his player usage with leverage situations, and more than some of it is because the Tigers have a pretty good bullpen.

The latter could present a quandary for the Scott Harris-led front office as the trade deadline approaches. Relievers such as Jason Foley, Alex Lange, Will Vest and Tyler Holton will surely come up in trade calls. But what happens if the Tigers continue to hover around the division lead despite underlying metrics that suggest their level of contention won’t last? For now, this is only a potential drama, since the Tigers have been a pleasant surprise. — Doolittle


Record: 25-36

Previous ranking: 27

The Nationals have received just one home run from their first basemen (mostly Dominic Smith). OK, let’s try to put that lack of power in perspective. The fewest home runs from first base in the wild-card era (since 1995 and not including 2020): the 2011 A’s with seven. Since the divisional era began in 1969: the 1981 Phillies (Pete Rose) with zero. The Phillies also hit just one in 1980 (Rose again) — although they nonetheless managed to win the World Series that season. And then there’s DH (mostly Joey Meneses), where the Nationals have received just four home runs. So the Nationals have just five home runs from 1B/DH, fewest in the majors … remarkably, however, they’re middle of the pack in OPS from 1B/DH. — Schoenfield


Record: 26-37

Previous ranking: 28

Colorado is doing what Colorado does: hit at Coors Field but not away from it. The Rockies rank in the top 10 teams in the majors in OPS at home but near last on the road. Their run differential is the worst in the NL, but they could catch the Padres for fourth place in the West if they go on a mini run. It’s not likely to happen with a team ERA over 5.00. Bud Black will likely join a long list of Rockies managers unable to figure out how to get consistent pitching in Colorado. — Rogers


Record: 18-44

Previous ranking: 29

For most of the past month, currently rostered Royals have ranked dead last in the majors by win probability added in both hitting (Bobby Witt Jr.) and pitching (Jordan Lyles). Lyles has had a dreadful season to be sure, but the 32-year-old isn’t exactly a foundation piece for K.C. Witt, on the other hand, very much is. He continues to dazzle observers with his raw tools — top-end speed, tremendous raw power, etc. But he also has a maddening tendency to try to hit a five-run homer in every situation — even in the field, as if that were possible.

This hyperaggression contributes to his bottom-basement showing in WPA, which contextualizes a player’s situational performance. Entering Wednesday, Witt had a .266/.311/.487 line with the bases empty. But with runners on base, he was at .190/.204/.316 with just two walks in 98 plate appearances. The next big step for Witt is to learn how to channel that aggression more productively. — Doolittle


Record: 14-50

Previous ranking: 30

The Athletics recently reached a hurdle in their move to Las Vegas, as ownership has hit a snag in its plans to build a $1.5 billion stadium. Opposition to passing the public funding for part of the stadium has been growing in the city. If the franchise does not receive enough votes for the construction of the ballpark in Vegas, it could renew its lease for another year in Oakland, as the sentiment that funding stadiums with taxpayer dollars ends up being a bad deal for the public increases in Las Vegas. — Lee

Continue Reading

Sports

The anticipated archvillains for every top 25 college football team

Published

on

By

The anticipated archvillains for every top 25 college football team

You know it as soon as the college football schedule drops. The game that’s circled, the player you love to hate, the rival coach who seems to especially delight in destroying your team’s season.

We’re getting into the dog days of summer, with the only relief being the crisp autumn days of the college football season are rapidly approaching. But that means the enemies are lining up at the gates.

Today, we’re doing recon on where each post-spring top 25 team stands and who stands in their way. These are each teams’ potential future villains, the coaches, players and teams that have the chance to make the whole season go south. — Dave Wilson

1. Penn State: Ryan Day

Penn State coach James Franklin and the Nittany Lions have been unable to get over the hump against Ohio State, especially since Day took over in Columbus. The Nittany Lions have dropped six straight to Day, culminating with last year’s defeat, as fourth-ranked Ohio State rallied to topple the third-ranked Nittany Lions in State College 20-13. This season, Day will have a new starting quarterback and inexperience on both sides of the ball coming off last year’s national championship. Penn State will counter with one of the most experienced teams in the country, headlined by veteran quarterback Drew Allar and running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. Franklin even hired away Day’s defensive coordinator, Jim Knowles. The Nittany Lions travel to Columbus on Nov. 1 in a showdown that figures to carry major playoff implications. — Jake Trotter


Clemson’s arch enemy for this season is obvious: Sellers. The Tigers watched the South Carolina quarterback dodge defenders, break tackles and keep one play after another alive last season in a stunning Gamecocks win that nearly derailed Clemson’s season. Clemson will be looking for revenge, of course, but new defensive coordinator Tom Allen will be more focused on finding answers for the elusive Sellers. There are lofty expectations at Clemson this season, and the Tigers don’t necessarily need a win over South Carolina to achieve them, but nobody will sleep soundly in the state if the 2025 defense coughs up another win to its biggest rival. — David Hale


3. Texas: Oklahoma

In Week 1, the Longhorns get a rubber match against an Ohio State team that eliminated Texas from the playoff last season, but the results of this game leave a lot of runway for either team to get back into this year’s postseason. Yet, there is no bigger test every year for Texas than Oklahoma in Dallas. This one’s a bit of a mystery, with the Sooners bringing in new offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and quarterback John Mateer, who played high school football in the Dallas area, from Washington State. The new-look Sooners could either be a launching point or a big speed bump in the SEC schedule for a Longhorns team with national championship aspirations. — Dave Wilson


4. Georgia: Alabama

The last coach Georgia fans ever wanted to see on the other sideline is doing television. Nick Saban was 5-1 against Kirby Smart, but even with Saban in his first year of retirement last season, Alabama still beat Georgia in a wild 41-34 game in Tuscaloosa the final weekend of September. Georgia has lost nine of the past 10 games in the series and hasn’t beaten Alabama in the regular season since 2007, Saban’s first season in Tuscaloosa, when the Mark Richt-coached Bulldogs won 26-23 in overtime. Georgia has vaulted to elite status under Smart, but a second straight loss to DeBoer — especially with this year’s game being played in Athens — wouldn’t sit well with anybody in Athens. — Chris Low


5. Ohio State: Sherrone Moore

Michigan coach Sherrone Moore has become a problem for the Buckeyes. He might not wear the villain outfit quite as well as predecessor Jim Harbaugh did, but Moore’s rise in coaching — as Wolverines offensive line coach, offensive coordinator and now head coach — has coincided with Ohio State’s longest losing streak (four games) to its archrival since 1991. Moore served as acting head coach during Harbaugh’s Big Ten-imposed suspension in 2023, as Michigan punched its ticket to the Big Ten championship game. He then earned the permanent role and pulled off one of the more stunning upsets in the history of The Game in November in Columbus. The story of Moore’s coaching career at Michigan is really just beginning, but he has already demonstrated his ability to win the biggest games. — Adam Rittenberg


6. LSU: Daytime home games

LSU fans have been known to curse day games, especially in the sweltering September heat. It’s at night when Tiger Stadium (and typically LSU’s football team) shines. In 2025, the only SEC home game that LSU will definitely play at night is the league opener against Florida on Sept. 13. Home games against South Carolina and Texas A&M fall into the “flex” window, meaning they could start as early as 3:30 p.m. ET or as late as 8 p.m. ET. Since 2000, LSU is 112-15 in Saturday night home games at Tiger Stadium. Brian Kelly has faced just two nationally ranked SEC opponents in day games at Tiger Stadium and is 1-1. — Low


7. Notre Dame: Miami

No Notre Dame players were alive for the 1988 clash with Miami, and Fighting Irish coach Marcus Freeman was only 2 years old. But longtime Domers will always view the U as a true villain, and new Miami quarterback Carson Beck, the transfer from Georgia, sparks a range of reactions. Notre Dame scored a signature win in the CFP semifinal at the Sugar Bowl against a Georgia squad that had lost Beck to injury. When healthy, Beck is talented enough to villainize a Notre Dame defense replacing standouts Xavier Watts, Jack Kiser, Rylie Mills and others and appearing in its first game under new coordinator Chris Ash. Early season games are one of the only knocks against Freeman, who has dropped at least one September game in each of his three seasons as Irish coach. Notre Dame needs a strong start with its two most talented opponents — Miami and Texas A&M — leading off the schedule. — Rittenberg


8. Oregon: Ohio State

Is it too simple to say Ohio State? Maybe just Jeremiah Smith after he caught seven passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns in the Rose Bowl drubbing that the Buckeyes put on the Ducks to end their undefeated season? The good news for Dan Lanning & Co. (or bad depending on how you look at it) is that Oregon will not face Ohio State in the regular season this season and a rematch could only occur in the Big Ten title game or in the College Football Playoff. Penn State enters the fray this season as a much-hyped conference contender that the Ducks will have to face and yet it feels like Oregon and Ohio State are still the cream of the crop for the conference and are likely to continue seeing each other on the sport’s biggest stages. — Paolo Uggetti


9. Alabama: Vanderbilt

Remember when Saban won 100 straight games against unranked opponents, the longest such streak in the AP poll era? Now, all of a sudden, the Crimson Tide are 2-3 against their past five unranked foes, a stretch that started with a stunning 40-35 loss at Vanderbilt last season, which came only a week after DeBoer beat No. 2-ranked Georgia in his SEC opener as Alabama’s head coach. It was the first time Alabama had lost to Vanderbilt since 1984. Alabama will get its shot at payback this season on Oct. 4 when Vanderbilt visits Bryant-Denny Stadium. The loss to Vanderbilt a year ago ignited what was the first three-loss regular season for Alabama since 2010. Judging by some of the comments from Alabama players this offseason, nobody will need to remind the Tide when the Commodores are coming to town. — Low


10. BYU: Utah

It’s always Utah. The “Holy War” frequently manages to surprise us. A year ago, BYU was coming off a 5-7 season and Utah was considered the Big 12 favorite. This time, we have a full reversal: The Utes are the ones coming off a disappointing 5-7 campaign and the Cougars are ranked the highest of any Big 12 team on this list. (Granted, this ranking doesn’t account for the sudden uncertainty BYU is dealing with at the QB position.) We’ll already have a decent idea of BYU’s capabilities by the time Utah visits Provo in Week 8, but the Holy War could serve as a Big 12 title elimination game, and it will definitely impact the tenor of the season for both teams. It always does. — Connelly


Purdue didn’t generate many highlights in 2024, but it gave Illinois a major scare at Memorial Stadium, erasing a 24-3 deficit to force overtime before falling 50-49. Among the Boilermakers’ stars that day was tight end Max Klare, who recorded his first 100-yard receiving performance, finishing with 133 yards on six catches. Klare, like most of Purdue’s best players, transferred following the team’s coaching change. He landed at Ohio State, which will visit Memorial Stadium on Oct. 11. Illinois certainly will be aware of Klare but also must contain Heisman Trophy contender Jeremiah Smith and several other standout wide receivers, if it wants any chance at knocking off the defending national champions. — Rittenberg


12. Arizona State: Regression

Arizona State had one of the hottest teams in the country at the end of 2024 and returns far more of last year’s production than most. The Sun Devils appear primed for a run at a repeat Big 12 title. The problem: No one repeats in the Big 12. ASU’s biggest archrival could simply be regression to the mean. Among current members, the past six teams to reach the Big 12 championship before 2024 — 2020 Iowa State, 2021 Baylor, 2021 Oklahoma State, 2022 Kansas State, 2022 TCU and 2023 Oklahoma State — went a combined 28-9 in one-score finishes during their title runs. The following seasons, they went a combined 9-22 in such games. ASU went 6-2 in one-score finishes last season. It’s really hard to do that twice in a row, and in the Big 12 it appears impossible. — Connelly


13. South Carolina: LSU

South Carolina has its share of hated rivals — Georgia, Clemson, anyone else who plays “Sandstorm” during timeouts — but as the Gamecocks look to make a playoff run in 2025, enemy No. 1 might well be LSU. The Bayou Bengals have dominated South Carolina over the years, holding an 18-2 all-time record and winning eight straight matchups dating to 1995. More recently, LSU escaped Columbia with a 36-33 win last season in which the Gamecocks blew a four-point lead with less than 2 minutes to play. That loss ultimately cost South Carolina a playoff bid, but the Gamecocks feel certain they’re a far better team than they were then. If they can exact some revenge this time, it’ll be a big step toward reaching those lofty goals. — Hale


14. Iowa State: Kansas State

There’s no such thing as a Week 0 elimination game, but we get the closest thing to it in Dublin to start the 2025 season. The annual (for now) Farmageddon battle between ISU and Kansas State will take place in particularly green pastures this time, and it will pit two preseason top 20 teams with major Big 12 title hopes. Last year, the Cyclones’ defense played a perfect fourth quarter against the Wildcats, allowing just one yard in 12 snaps to win 29-21 and advance to the conference title game. This time, someone will be 0-1 in conference play before Week 1 even arrives. This is about as big a season opener as you could hope for. — Connelly


15. SMU: TCU

SMU was 3-17 against TCU coaches in the Dennis Franchione/Gary Patterson era, then Sonny Dykes won two straight against the Frogs in Dallas. Once he defected for the purple pastures of Fort Worth, he then won his first two against the Mustangs. Last year, however, SMU got its revenge in a 66-42 pummeling of TCU in a game in which Dykes was ejected. This year, the two teams, which have met 103 times, are scheduled for their last Iron Skillet game for the foreseeable future. This one will have some heat. — Wilson


16. Texas Tech: Baylor

Red Raiders coach Joey McGuire got his start in college coaching at Baylor under Matt Rhule and was promoted under Dave Aranda. He left in midseason in 2021 when he got the Tech job. While trying to right the ship in Lubbock, he’s gone 1-2 against Aranda, including a 59-35 home loss last season. Since Mike Leach was fired, the Red Raiders are 5-10 against the Bears, a team they’ll need to eclipse with their big ambitions to sit atop the Big 12. — Wilson


17. Indiana: UCLA

Coach Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers did a great job of retaining players and coaches from a 2024 team that won a school-record 11 games and reached the CFP. But two who got away — a coach and a player — landed with UCLA, which visits Indiana on Oct. 25. New Bruins offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri coached Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke last year and had spent the previous three seasons on Cignetti’s staff at James Madison. He might know the secrets to attacking Indiana’s defense. Defensive back Jamier Johnson transferred from Indiana to UCLA after recording 35 tackles and an interception last fall for the Hoosiers. Johnson, who began his college career at Texas, will be part of a reshaped UCLA secondary. — Rittenberg


18. Kansas State: Iowa State

As mentioned above, it’s all about the season opener against Iowa State. It will be the first opportunity for quarterback Avery Johnson and K-State to prove that last year’s all-or-nothing offense has matured a bit. The Wildcats averaged 37.6 points in wins and only 15.8 in losses. They scored TDs on 75% of red zone drives in wins and 42% in losses. They committed more turnovers in the four losses (nine) than in the nine wins (seven). You could almost say that this means K-State’s biggest archrival is K-State. Regardless, Week 0 is enormous. Turnovers and later-down failures cost it dearly against Iowa State last season, and it gets an immediate opportunity to right one of 2024’s wrongs. — Connelly


19. Florida: Georgia

Florida has plenty of teams it considers rivals, but only one on the schedule this season has beaten the Gators four years in a row. That would be Georgia, which has absolutely dominated them since Kirby Smart took over the program in 2016. Smart is 7-2 against Florida, and just like that record, has finished ahead of Florida in the SEC standings seven times. We all know the Gators closed last season strong with big wins over LSU and Ole Miss, but the true litmus test for where this program is — and whether it can return to elite status under coach Billy Napier — is the Georgia game. — Adelson


20. Michigan: Ohio State

Even though the Wolverines have won four straight in the series, Ohio State remains Michigan’s archvillain for obvious reasons. The Buckeyes rattled off eight straight wins before Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh turned the tide in 2021 with the first of the four straight victories. Coach Sherrone Moore salvaged an up-and-down, first full season with a stunning 13-10 victory over Ohio State in Columbus last year. Much of that Ohio State national championship team has moved on to the NFL. But the postgame flag-plant fracas at the Horseshoe last year reinforced why this bitter rivalry has never carried more vitriol for either side. The last thing the Wolverines want this season is to watch Ohio State return the favor by planting its flag on the Block M at the Big House. — Trotter


21. Miami: Syracuse

Georgia Tech is not on the schedule this year or that would be the slam dunk choice. We could go with the obvious “traditional arch nemesis” Notre Dame, which is visiting South Florida for the first time since 2017. But there is another team that gets to wear the villain hat, if only for this season: Syracuse. That’s right, the team that beat Miami 42-38 in the 2024 regular-season finale to keep the Hurricanes out of the ACC championship game visits Hard Rock Stadium on Nov. 8. While both rosters have turned over since that game, the head coaches remain the same and there might be some added fuel to the fire. — Adelson


22. Louisville: Kentucky

In 2022, Louisville was 10-1 and favored against rival Kentucky. The Cardinals lost. In 2021, they were 7-4 and lost. It was an all-too-familiar story. Since 2016, Louisville has lost as a favorite against its rival three times — often sullying otherwise impressive seasons. Last year, the Cardinals had no such worries as they beat up on the Wildcats, who were slogging through a down season, but Jeff Brohm & Co. know the history too well to assume that will be the start of a trend. There are tougher and bigger games on Louisville’s schedule this season, but none that will mean more than beating those hated Cats. — Hale


23. Texas A&M: Steve Sarkisian

Sarkisian has done a masterful job reloading Texas to meet its potential. Last year, he took the Longhorns into Kyle Field and spoiled the Aggies’ chances of getting into the SEC championship game, and this year, A&M visits Austin for the first time since 2010 where Arch Manning hysteria dominates the headlines and the Longhorns will be seeking a coronation for a playoff run. Sarkisian, an avowed fan of college rivalries and traditions, will look to push all the right buttons to ignite his team. — Wilson


24. Ole Miss: Mississippi State

Don’t get anybody in Oxford started on those “dreaded” cowbells clanging away from fans of the “school down south.” That school being bitter rival Mississippi State, whose former coach, Dan Mullen, used to refer to Ole Miss as the “school up north.” Either way, nobody in the SEC is particularly fond of the Mississippi State cowbells, in no way a banned artificial noisemaker. Yes, that’s a joke. But to Ole Miss fans, they would rather hear nails scratching on a chalkboard. The good news for the Rebels is that they’ve lost only once in the past five games between the schools but will get a heavy dose of the cowbells this Nov. 28 in Starkville. — Low


25. Oklahoma: Texas

In the Wishbone era, and then once again after Bob Stoops took over then ceded way to Lincoln Riley, the Oklahoma quarterback position made college football kings. In recent years, Landry Jones, Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, Jalen Hurts, Caleb Williams and Dillon Gabriel all put up huge numbers. But the Sooners have fallen back a little and Texas is rolling into the Cotton Bowl with its own football royalty in Arch Manning. Oklahoma needs to right the ship, and all eyes will be on Dallas and where the program stands in the SEC era. — Wilson

Continue Reading

Sports

Passan finds the perfect trade deadline addition for every MLB contender

Published

on

By

Passan finds the perfect trade deadline addition for every MLB contender

It’s posturing season. Major League Baseball’s trade deadline goes through the same mechanics every year. Following June calls to indicate interest in players, early-to-mid-July brings out the first offers, which are inevitably imbalanced toward the teams willing to move players and, accordingly, holding all the leverage.

It’s the reason trades before the All-Star break are rare — and also a reminder that just because a match isn’t there now, it doesn’t preclude one going forward. So many elements play into a deadline (the keenness of teams to send away quality players, the willingness of contenders to make a move over the objection of their analytical model, the standings, recent performance and dozens of others) that to link team and player in a potential deal is a fool’s errand.

Well, consider this slightly foolish. Needs are needs, and even the best teams in baseball have them. Who would be the best players to fill them? This exercise endeavors to answer that.

Below are the 16 teams in MLB with winning records. Certainly a cadre of under-.500 teams — the Texas Rangers, Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins, Arizona Diamondbacks chief among them — could work their way into the conversation despite their slow starts. For now, though, these are the best teams baseball has to offer, and for each we found a fit among available players that makes too much sense not to pursue.

Teams are listed in order of record by league.


American League

59-35, first place, AL Central

Weakness: Swing-and-miss relievers

Best match: David Bednar, Pittsburgh Pirates

Cade Smith (Cleveland Guardians) and Griffin Jax (Minnesota Twins) are the right answers, but the likelihood of Detroit pulling off an in-division deal to get a swing-and-miss reliever is minimal. Which leaves Bednar, who has rebounded from an atrocious 2024 to recapture his form of 2021-23, when he was among the five best relievers in baseball. With a high-90s fastball, a hard-breaking curveball and a mean splitter, Bednar’s arsenal would give the Tigers a ninth-inning option beyond Will Vest or Tommy Kahnle.

Beyond the bullpen, the Tigers don’t need much. They can really hit, with eight of their nine regulars sporting slugging percentages of .415 or better. Manager AJ Hinch’s constant tinkering — the most Detroit has used one lineup this year is four times — doesn’t just work, it is an identity the team embraces.

And as much as the Tigers could use capital from their tremendous farm system to add to this team, they don’t necessarily need it. This is the second year of a window that’s bound to last. Securing Bednar’s services for two playoff runs is the sort of incremental step needed to capitalize in a down American League.


55-38, first place, AL West

Weakness: Starting pitching and left-handed hitting

Best match: Seth Lugo, Kansas City Royals

The Astros lost Alex Bregman to free agency, traded Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs, have spent most of the season without Yordan Alvarez, their best hitter, and currently sport a rotation that includes 26- and 28-year-old rookies. There is no reason they should be this good. And yet they are.

So even if the cost is heavy and eats into a farm system that’s among the worst in MLB, targeting a pitcher of Lugo’s ilk would give them among the nastiest postseason rotations in the game and further entrench the Astros as a force. Lugo’s peripherals suggest he’s in line for regression but even if his ERA does jump from its current 2.67 mark, Lugo’s nine-pitch mix gives him the flexibility to adjust in-game — a luxury shared by only a handful of starters in the game.


54-39, first place, American League East

Weakness: Starting pitching

Best match: Mitch Keller, Pittsburgh Pirates

Adding Keller solves multiple problems at once. The 29-year-old is producing the best season of his seven-year career with the Pirates, averaging nearly six innings a start and giving up only seven home runs in 106⅓ innings. The Blue Jays need rotation help — and, in a deal for Keller, could try to get David Bednar, Dennis Santana or Caleb Ferguson from the Pirates to complement an already-good bullpen riding breakouts from Braydon Fisher and Brendon Little.

Further, Keller remains under contract for three years at a reasonable $54.5 million, and with starters Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer free agents after this year and Kevin Gausman following the 2026 season, Toronto covets controllable starting pitching in a market that, at the moment at least, doesn’t offer much.

Pittsburgh could hold onto Keller and march into 2026 with a staff of Keller, Paul Skenes, Mike Burrows, Bubba Chandler and Bailey Falter — easily a top-10 rotation, maybe better — with Hunter Barco not far behind. But the Pirates desperately need bats and while Toronto’s farm system is not teeming with them, the Blue Jays can cobble together enough to make a deal worth Pittsburgh’s while.


51-41, second place, AL East (first wild card)

Weakness: Third baseman and pitching

Best match: Eugenio Suárez, Arizona Diamondbacks

This could be Seth Lugo. Or Emmanuel Clase of the Guardians. Or any number of players. The Yankees are not going to stop at one player this deadline. For all their strengths — and there are plenty — they have too many weaknesses to take half-measures.

Suárez is an excellent first step. His power is undeniable, a perfect fit in the middle of any lineup. He plays third base, a black hole for New York this season. The Yankees could two-birds-one-stone a deal and get Zac Gallen or Merrill Kelly from Arizona, too. But Suárez is the main target, because even if other third-base options exist — Nolan Arenado in St. Louis, Ryan McMahon in Colorado, Ke’Bryan Hayes in Pittsburgh — they’re owed significant money and are under contract for multiple years. Suárez’s expiring contract would allow the Yankees a trial run, and if he thrives in the Bronx, all they would need to bring him back is cash.


50-43, third place, AL East (second wild card)

Weakness: Relief pitching

Best match: Griffin Jax, Minnesota Twins

Remember, now, this is the best match, not necessarily the likeliest. Minnesota is notoriously value-conscious in its dealings, and the Twins will put an exceptionally high price on Jax, whom they regard as one of the best relievers in baseball — an opinion shared by most teams. With a fastball that sits at 97 mph and a dastardly slider, he is a setup man in name and a closer in stuff — precisely what the Rays, who are missing Manuel Rodriguez and Hunter Bigge, could use.

The Rays aren’t typically the sort of team to overpay for relievers, even ones with two additional years of club control. If not Jax, they could opt for Brock Stewart (Twins), who likewise has a vast array of swing-and-miss stuff — and two more years of team control as well.


48-44, second place, AL West (tied for third wild card)

Weakness: Corner infielder

Best match: Josh Naylor, Arizona Diamondbacks

Though the Mariners are managing with Donovan Solano and Luke Raley at first base, upgrading to Naylor would transform Seattle’s lineup for the better. Whether it’s slotting him behind J.P. Crawford to ensure Cal Raleigh comes to the plate with more baserunners, or sticking him in between Raleigh and Randy Arozarena to do the cleaning up himself, Naylor is a high-average, low-strikeout slugger whose quality at-bats would help transform a solid Seattle lineup into something more.

Pairing him with Eugenio Suárez would plug both of Seattle’s holes, and certainly the Mariners have the prospect capital to pull off the double. Considering the state of their pitching — a tremendous rotation and a Gabe SpeierMatt BrashAndrés Muñoz endgame — the Mariners need only a depth reliever to feel comfortable. Upgrading the lineup is the distinct priority over the next three weeks, and executives expect Seattle to act aggressively.


49-45, fourth place, AL East (tied for third wild card)

Weakness: Relief pitching

Best match: Ryan Helsley, St. Louis Cardinals

Red Sox relievers walk too many hitters and don’t strike out enough. Take away Aroldis Chapman — the best reliever in the AL this season — and the Red Sox have a middle-of-the-pack bullpen. Getting Helsley from St. Louis would give Boston arguably the top setup-closer combination in baseball and go a long way toward supporting a rotation that has been among the game’s best over the past month.

Boston has the makings of a very good team in the second half. Alex Bregman will return soon. Roman Anthony has an OPS of nearly 1.000 over his past 10 games. Ceddanne Rafaela is one of the best center fielders in baseball. Carlos Narváez is a gem. Wilyer Abreu, Trevor Story, even Abraham Toro — everyone is contributing. A reliever or two and another starter would make the Red Sox the sort of contender they envisioned being at the beginning of the season.


National League

56-38, first place, NL West

Weakness: Pitching depth

Best match: Jhoan Durán, Minnesota Twins

The Dodgers enter every deadline season seeking a major move, and the 6-foot-5, 230-pound Durán qualifies. With a fastball that averages over 100 mph, a splinker that sits at 98 and a curveball to keep hitters off balance, Durán is pitching as well as ever. He hasn’t given up a home run this season, and his 1.52 ERA is third in MLB for pitchers with at least 40 innings.

The asking price will be hefty. Durán comes with two more years of team control beyond this season. The Dodgers don’t have time to waste on taking advantage of Shohei Ohtani‘s prime, though, and assembling a team with standouts in all facets is a reasonable goal. For a group threatening to approach a major league record for pitchers used in a season — the Dodgers are at 35, the record is 42 from Seattle in 2019 — adding another wouldn’t in and of itself be a needle-mover. If that one happens to be Durán, the Dodgers could theoretically trot out him, Tanner Scott, Kirby Yates and Alex Vesia to make their bullpen every bit as scary as the rest of their team.


Chicago Cubs

54-38, first place, NL Central

Weakness: Starting pitching

Best match: Sandy Alcántara, Miami Marlins

The market for Alcántara might not reflect his résumé. A former Cy Young Award winner, the 29-year-old has been arguably the worst pitcher in baseball this season, with an ERA just above 7.22. Some teams — even ones that could desperately use starting pitching — see the remaining two years and $38.3 million on Alcántara’s deal as an impediment to any trade, particularly with Marlins GM Peter Bendix asking for a haul in return.

Whether it’s Alcántara or another starter, the Cubs are a good starter away from having one of the top teams in baseball. Their offense is undeniable. Their defense is magnificent. Their bullpen has been a pleasant surprise. Adding a playoff-caliber starter, even if it pushes Chicago past the $241 million luxury-tax threshold, would reward a team that has brought excitement back to the North Side of Chicago.


54-39, first place, National League East

Weakness: Bullpen and outfield

Best match: Emmanuel Clase, Cleveland Guardians

As long as the Phillies are aiming high — and nobody aims high quite like Dave Dombrowski — perhaps they could take a run at landing both Clase and Steven Kwan from Cleveland. Maybe it would take Andrew Painter. Maybe Aidan Miller. Maybe Justin Crawford. Regardless, the Phillies’ window is closing, and getting both club control (Clase is under contract through 2028 and Kwan through 2027) and cost certainty (Clase is due $26 million for the next three years and Kwan less than $20 million for two) would make dealing high-end prospects significantly more palatable.

If Cleveland ultimately balks at moving Clase, it doesn’t change the imperative: Philadelphia needs to address its weaknesses. This bullpen is not suited to win a playoff series, much less the World Series. The consequence of bad relief pitching manifested itself in the postseason last year, when the New York Mets filleted Phillies relievers for 17 runs in 12⅔ innings. No other bullpen gave up more than nine runs in the division series. Clase (or Jhoan Durán or any shutdown reliever, really) is just a start. An on-the-fly overhaul is what this team needs — and deserves.


53-39, second place, NL East (first wild card)

Weakness: Pitching depth

Best match: Zac Gallen, Arizona Diamondbacks

The Mets started 45-24 on the strength of their starting pitching. With a 2.79 ERA that was nearly a quarter-run better than the second-best rotation, they cut the figure of a juggernaut. Since June 13, their starters’ 5.61 ERA is worse than every team in baseball aside from Washington. And if your starters are getting compared to those of the Nationals, something went haywire.

Gallen has looked more like his old self in recent starts, and if his home run rate stabilizes — typically one per nine, it has jumped to 1.6 — alongside a perilously low strand rate normalizing, he can shake off the 5.15 ERA and be a real difference-maker for the Mets before hitting free agency after the season. Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns doesn’t, as a general rule, spend big on pitching. In this case, though, an investment in Gallen makes too much sense for the Mets not to consider.


53-40, second place, NL Central (second wild card)

Weakness: Power

Best match: Ryan O’Hearn, Baltimore Orioles

With 88 home runs, the Brewers rank just 21st in MLB. And while that hasn’t impeded their production — they’re eighth in runs scored — another big bat could do their offense wonders. Nobody will mistake the soon-to-be-32-year-old O’Hearn for Aaron Judge, but he punishes right-handed pitching, and in a lineup without any boppers, O’Hearn also could serve as the strong side of a first-base platoon and pick up outfield and DH at-bats.

Milwaukee’s options are fascinating. Jacob Misiorowski‘s arrival has been an unmitigated success and only added to the Brewers’ starting pitching depth. They could easily move a starting pitcher and tap into their deep prospect well for O’Hearn. The add-and-subtract maneuver is risky, sure, but the Brewers have steeled themselves to weather it. The Brewers, as currently constituted, are solid. Better second halves from Jackson Chourio and Joey Ortiz, continued solid pitching and the proper sort of deadline aggressiveness could make them even more.


51-43, second place, NL West (third wild card)

Weakness: Starting pitching

Best match: Merrill Kelly, Arizona Diamondbacks

The Giants made their big move already, getting the best player who will move this season — designated hitter Rafael Devers — to shore up their offense. Intradivision trades can be trying, but if Buster Posey has shown anything in his first season as president of baseball operations, it’s a willingness to stomach the sorts of deals that would scare off his peers.

Kelly represents a significant upgrade over the Giants’ backend rotation options, as Justin Verlander and Hayden Birdsong are sporting ERAs of 6.27 and 5.73, respectively, since June 1. Whether the Giants are real or simply a function of a bullpen whose core of Camilo Doval, Randy Rodriguez, Tyler Rogers, Erik Miller, Spencer Bivens and Ryan Walker has given up only 11 home runs in 232⅔ innings remains to be seen. For an organization seeking its first postseason series win in nearly a decade, though, there is never a time as urgent as now.


49-43, third place, NL West (one game behind third wild card)

Weakness: Left field

Best match: Jarren Duran, Boston Red Sox

No player and team have been linked as strongly as Duran and the Padres — and that’s without any knowledge of how the Red Sox intend to handle the deadline. Roman Anthony’s emergence has put Boston in a position to float Duran and Wilyer Abreu in trade discussions, and whether it’s now or over the winter, Boston wants to use its surplus of bats to fill voids elsewhere.

Left field in San Diego is among the biggest voids in the game. The Padres have tried eight players in left this season, and collectively they’re barely have an OPS of over .600. A Duran-Jackson MerrillFernando Tatis Jr. outfield would be a factory of dynamism that would be under team control through the end of the 2028 season. The Padres might need to get creative — beyond shortstop Leo De Vries (who’s believed to be off-limits) and catcher Ethan Salas, their farm system is middling — but nobody does creativity like GM A.J. Preller. And whether that means facilitating a deal through a third team or including one of their high-leverage relievers like closer Robert Suárez, San Diego is willing to go places most other organizations would never consider.


49-44, third place, NL Central (1½ games behind third wild card)

Weakness: Starting pitching

Best match: Taj Bradley, Tampa Bay Rays

Certainly there’s a world in which John Mozeliak’s final deadline as St. Louis’ president of baseball operations is uneventful. The NL is stacked, and for all of the Cardinals’ improvement this season, they remain a flawed team. And yet there’s also a world in which Mozeliak can make this year’s team better and simultaneously set up his successor, Chaim Bloom, with a rotation option for the future.

The Rays don’t have a strong desire to move the 24-year-old Bradley, but with Drew Rasmussen, Ryan Pepiot, Shane Baz and Joe Boyle all pitching well, and ace Shane McClanahan out on a rehabilitation assignment, Tampa Bay is at least entertaining the idea. Bradley’s stuff has exceeded his performance over his three major league seasons, but the controllable-starting-pitching market is practically empty, and St. Louis’ farm system is replete with high-end catchers, which would fill a vacuum for the Rays


47-46, fourth place, NL Central (3½ games behind third wild card)

Weakness: Bullpen and big bat

Best match: Steven Kwan, Cleveland Guardians

With a sneaky-deep farm system, the Reds could put together the sort of package to convince Cleveland to move Kwan, a two-time All-Star who in his four seasons ranks fifth in wins above replacement among all outfielders, behind only Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, Kyle Tucker and Julio Rodríguez. Kwan’s bat-to-ball and defensive skills in left field are elite, and with free agency not beckoning until after the 2027 season, sandwiching him between TJ Friedl and Elly De La Cruz strengthens a Reds lineup that could use an offensive infusion.

If the cost to acquire Kwan is too high, other good options exist, chief among them Marcell Ozuna, the Atlanta slugger whose swing was built for Great American Ball Park. With a rotation that includes All-Star Andrew Abbott, Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo and Chase Burns, the Reds are a terrifying postseason opponent. Another bat would buttress the rotation and give Cincinnati an opportunity to turn potential into its first postseason series win in three decades.

Continue Reading

Sports

Godfather offers for Skenes, Acuña and Buxton: Trade proposals their teams might not reject

Published

on

By

Godfather offers for Skenes, Acuña and Buxton: Trade proposals their teams might not reject

Comparing MLB to the NBA is kind of like comparing apples to pomegranates, but the NBA, with its rapid-fire spate of blockbuster trades and signings, certainly has us wishing major league front office executives operated as daringly as their basketball counterparts.

The conservative nature in baseball is understandable. Nobody wants to end up as the general manager who trades Pete Crow-Armstrong for two months of Javier Baez and a failed playoff bid.

But every now and then we get a shocking deal. At the MLB trade deadline in 2022, the San Diego Padres gave up five highly rated young players to acquire Juan Soto, who still had two-plus seasons left of team control. Three of those young players — James Wood, MacKenzie Gore and CJ Abrams — now form the core of the Washington Nationals. And just a few weeks ago came the surprise mid-June trade of Rafael Devers, in only the second year of a 10-year contract, from the Boston Red Sox to the San Francisco Giants.

Might another similarly entertaining megadeal occur this month ahead of the deadline on July 31? Probably not, but we can dream.

Let’s consider three players who almost certainly won’t be made available for trade this year, but whose names have been kicked around in (quite unlikely) fan trade scenarios. If the right offer did arrive, the player’s organization would have to at least consider making the deal … right?

Call them Godfather offers. Let’s see what it would take to land three star players in 2025.

(All prospect rankings are from Kiley McDaniel’s top 50 update from late May.)


Why they’ll probably keep him: He’s arguably the best starter in baseball, perhaps on his way to a Cy Young Award in his first full season. He’s one of the biggest names in the sport — despite playing for the lowly Pirates — and a player you can build not only a pitching staff around but a championship contender. He’s under team control through 2029 and doesn’t even become arbitration-eligible until 2027, so the Pirates are still years away from paying him a fair salary.

But Skenes is a pitcher — and pitchers get hurt. So, if the Pirates are open to listening …

Offer No. 1: New York Mets offer SS/CF Jett Williams (No. 20), RHP Jonah Tong (No. 50), RHP Nolan McLean, IF Ronny Mauricio, OF Carson Benge

Offer No. 2: Los Angeles Dodgers offer C/OF Dalton Rushing (No. 14), OF Josue De Paula (No. 17), IF Alex Freeland, RHP Emmet Sheehan, LHP Jackson Ferris

Offer No. 3: Detroit Tigers offer OF Max Clark (No. 8), SS Kevin McGonigle (No. 11), RHP Jackson Jobe, IF Colt Keith, RHP Sawyer Gipson-Long

The one that could get it done: Tigers

A playoff rotation with Skenes and Tarik Skubal? Thank you very much. Reminder: The Tigers haven’t won the World Series since 1984.

It will take one of the best farm systems in the sport to acquire Skenes, and Detroit is incredibly well positioned to make this kind of deal, with depth at both the major league and minor league levels, not to mention a payroll with only one expensive long-term commitment in Javier Baez. Two of the top prospects in the sport in Clark and McGonigle headline this trade, with both currently excelling in High-A ball. Clark, a speedy center fielder, has a .429 OBP with more walks than strikeouts, and McGonigle is hitting .373 with a high contact rate and OPS over 1.100. Former top pitching prospect Jobe underwent Tommy John surgery in June and would be a nice inclusion for the Pirates to gamble on.

For the Tigers, the deal wouldn’t even decimate their farm system. They would still have shortstop Bryce Rainer (No. 22), first baseman/catcher Josue Briceno and a slew of solid pitching prospects. For the Pirates, Clark and McGonigle project as solutions at two problem areas in center field (where Oneil Cruz has struggled defensively) and shortstop (stopgap Isiah Kiner-Falefa is the current starter) plus they get a solid major leaguer in Keith and a back-end rotation-type in Gipson-Long.

As much as the Mets could use a staff ace, their system is deeper in pitching prospects, which doesn’t best align with the Pirates’ needs. As the Dodgers’ pitching injuries have piled up again, Skenes could be a match. Rushing is blocked at catcher by Will Smith, and he and De Paula probably have more power upside (De Paula has drawn Yordan Alvarez comparisons) than Clark and McGonigle. The Pirates might, understandably, ask for Roki Sasaki, and that could be the deal-breaker for the Dodgers.


Why they’ll probably keep him: Acuña has been one of the best hitters in the majors since returning in late May from his second ACL surgery and has been the best hitter on a Braves team that is near the bottom of the National League in runs scored. He is signed through 2028 on an incredibly team-friendly deal that pays him just $17 million per season — making it one of the best contracts in the sport for a team. At just 27 years old, he remains in the middle of his prime and is one of the sport’s most dynamic talents.

But Acuña’s knees are a long-term concern, Atlanta lacks depth in both the lineup and pitching staff, and this looks like a lost season.

So, if the Braves are open to listening …

Offer No. 1: Milwaukee Brewers offer SS Jesus Made (No. 5), SS Luis Pena, OF Sal Frelick, RHP Logan Henderson, RHP Abner Uribe

Offer No. 2: Seattle Mariners offer SS Colt Emerson (No. 10), RHP Bryce Miller, C Harry Ford, OF Lazaro Montes, LHP Brandyn Garcia

Offer No. 3: Tampa Bay Rays offer SS Carson Willliams (No. 27), RHP Shane Baz, OF Theo Gillen, RHP Yoniel Curet, RHP Brody Hopkins

The one that could get it done: Mariners

The Mariners have never played in a World Series. Their right-field production is among the worst in the majors. Oh, and they have a loaded farm system with nine prospects on MLB.com’s recently updated top 100, more than any other team. On that list, Emerson came in at No. 18, Montes at No. 29 and Ford at No. 56. Miller’s value is temporarily down since he’s out because of right elbow inflammation, but he had a 2.94 ERA for the Mariners in 2024 and could give the Braves a front-line starter if healthy.

Ford might not be a perfect fit for Atlanta with Drake Baldwin (plus Sean Murphy) at catcher, but Cal Raleigh blocks Ford in Seattle. The Braves could trade Murphy in the offseason, and Ford does have the athleticism to play some outfield — although he has played exclusively behind the plate at Triple-A, where he’s hitting over .300 with an OBP over .400. Emerson is a favorite of scouts with his hard contact and ability to play shortstop, although he’s still learning to lift the ball more, while Montes recently earned a promotion to Double-A after slugging .572 in High-A at age 20.

For the Mariners, Acuña would fit nicely at the top of the order or hitting second in front of Raleigh, allowing them to slide Julio Rodriguez lower in the lineup — and maybe Acuña’s presence would also help take some pressure off Rodriguez. Most importantly: Acuña’s salary is a realistic fit even for the Mariners, who don’t like to spend. And despite giving up three excellent prospects and a young starting pitcher, their farm system would remain strong. Plus, they have the No. 3 pick in this year’s draft.

Milwaukee’s offer is enticing with two premium hitting prospects in Made and Pena, but it’s a riskier package as the 18-year-olds are a long way from the majors and neither is a lock to stick at shortstop, a big offensive hole in the Braves’ lineup. Williams would be the key to the Tampa Bay trade, but his sky-high strikeout rate at Triple-A has caused him to drop in the rankings and limits his offensive upside.


Why they’ll probably keep him: The Twins are under .500, but that doesn’t mean they’re out of the playoff race. Buxton has been their best player and best hitter as he’s on pace for a career high in WAR. Though he hasn’t reached the heights of Acuña at Acuña’s best, Buxton’s contract is also team friendly, as he’s signed through 2028 and making $15.1 million per season. He’s 31 years old but is still one of the better defensive center fielders in the game.

But Buxton, while healthy in 2025, is frequently sidelined by injuries. So, if the Twins are open to listening …

Offer No. 1: Philadelphia Phillies offer RHP Andrew Painter (No. 23) and OF Justin Crawford

Offer No. 2: Cincinnati Reds offer RHP Rhett Lowder (No. 48), RHP Chase Petty (No. 49) and 3B Sal Stewart

Offer No. 3: Kansas City Royals offer LHP Cole Ragans and LHP David Shields

The one that could get it done: Phillies

The Phillies, Reds and Royals all could use an outfielder to add some punch to their lineups, although in Cincinnati’s case, its biggest hole is at third base. Philadelphia has a lot riding on 2025 given the age of its lineup, and executive Dave Dombrowski knows how to go all-in. In this case, that would mean parting with one of the top pitching prospects in the game in Painter, plus a promising young outfielder hitting well at Triple-A.

Trading Painter would be painful, but the Phillies remain deep in the rotation with Zack Wheeler (signed through 2027), Cristopher Sanchez (signed through 2030), Aaron Nola (signed through 2030) and Jesus Luzardo (under team control through 2026). Ranger Suarez, who’s having an excellent season, is heading into free agency, so he’s the one arm they might lose. But center field has been a soft spot in recent seasons, with the Phillies in the bottom third in the majors in OPS this year, and the team’s overall power output has been below average, even with Kyle Schwarber. Adding Buxton adds more pop to the middle of the order.

Painter gives the Twins a potential ace, and they have top prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez ready to take over in center field anyway. The 21-year-old Crawford is a divisive prospect (he’s No. 49 in the MLB.com rankings) because while he’s hitting for a high average at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, he hits the ball on the ground too much and has only two home runs. Still, there’s a chance he produces a good OBP and plus defense with his speed.

The Royals’ challenge trade with Ragans is intriguing but risky for Minnesota, given he’s on the injured list right now because of a rotator cuff strain. Plus, intradivision trades are hard to pull off. The Twins would want Chase Burns from the Reds, but that’s probably a nonstarter for Cincinnati.

Will we get some surprise spicy deals this trade deadline? Will it just be the usual list of free-agents-to-be and relief pitchers? In a season that remains so wide open, the time might be right for some outside-the-box movement.

Continue Reading

Trending