Former Penguins' Prospect Signs With Oilers' Affiliate
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Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Shaikin: Home again? Why Kenley Jansen could be a good trade match for Dodgers
Kenley Jansen signed his first professional contract with the Dodgers 21 years ago. He was Clayton Kershaw's catcher in rookie ball. He has been honored as an All-Star four times. He has saved more games than all but three men in major league history, all of them Hall of Famers. He won a World Series with the Dodgers. For all that Jansen has accomplished in his two decades in pro ball, there is one thing he has not experienced: He never has been traded. That could happen in the coming days, with baseball's trade deadline next Thursday. As we talked about that possibility Friday at Angel Stadium, and about how the sport can be a cold business at times, he dropped 11 words that stood out. 'I thought,' he said, 'I would play my whole career with the Dodgers.' Maybe you can go home again. Read more: With trade deadline looming, Dodgers showcase revived offense in win over Boston The Dodgers are urgently shopping for right-handed relievers. In Anaheim, Jansen is enjoying a season that by some measures is his best since 2021, his last season with the Dodgers. First things first: Jansen did not sign with the Angels just to rack up saves. He is 36 saves shy of 500, a milestone reached only by Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman. 'I came here with one goal in mind,' Jansen said, 'and the goal was to help this team turn around, to end that playoff drought. That's what I'm here for. 'If they move me, I'd definitely feel disappointed we didn't accomplish it.' But let's be real: The longest playoff drought in the majors is likely to hit 11 years. The Angels would have to pass six teams to sneak into the last wild-card spot in the American League playoffs. The Angels demoted their fifth starter this month. They have been running bullpen games because they had no one in their farm system ready to fill the vacancy. They only have two starters you could pencil into their 2026 rotation. They need pitching depth, and it would be organizational malpractice not to get some by trading their pending free agents, Jansen included. For the Angels, the optimal outcome would be a team desperate for a closer overpaying to get Jansen. However, such a team would be more likely to overpay for the marquee names on the market, including Jhoan Duran of the Minnesota Twins, Emmanuel Clase of the Cleveland Guardians and Felix Bautista of the Baltimore Orioles, with a second tier led by David Bednar of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Ryan Helsley of the St. Louis Cardinals. The Dodgers hate to overpay. Jansen has 17 saves and one blown save, with a 1.00 earned-run average in save situations and a 3.19 ERA overall. The latter is his lowest ERA since 2021. By ERA+, a statistic that accounts for league and ballpark factors, Jansen was at 131 entering play Friday — or 31% better than league average. The only Dodgers relievers with an ERA above 131+, entering play Friday: left-handers Alex Vesia and Jack Dreyer. Dodgers relievers entered play Friday throwing 49.2% of the team's innings pitched; the highest percentage of any major league team. Vesia, Anthony Banda and the injured Tanner Scott rank among the top 20 in appearances. Ben Casparius, who earned his first major league save Friday, ranked second among major league relievers in innings pitched. In an ideal world, the Dodgers would enter the playoffs with four primary right-handed relievers: Blake Treinen, Michael Kopech, Brusdar Graterol and Evan Phillips. Phillips is out for the season. Treinen could return from the injured list next week, with Kopech possibly to follow next month and Graterol in September, but it is risky to count on injured players to return healthy and effective. In a major league career that started in 2010, Jansen never has been on the injured list because of an elbow or forearm issue, and his two stints for shoulder inflammation were brief. The Dodgers could drop Jansen into their mix of high-leverage right-handers. They would not want Jansen if he would want to be the unquestioned closer. He is getting the job done as a closer, and he is getting closer to 500 saves. But the Dodgers' analysts would probably take note of his career highs in exit velocity and hard-hit balls, and a .795 OPS against left-handers that compares unfavorably to his .601 career mark, and might want to spot him against a run of right-handers. Could be the sixth inning, could be the ninth. Read more: Beyond the bullpen, how aggressive will the Dodgers be at the MLB trade deadline? Whether it's the Dodgers or any other contending team, would Jansen consider a role outside the ninth inning? 'At that point, it's just about getting rings,' Jansen said. 'My goal is to win. You play for that, always. I understand there is a milestone I am close to. But, at the end of the day, it's what you play for. You play to win. You play to win a World Series. 'If I have to go throw the sixth, seventh, eighth, I would do it. I'm a professional. I would do what I do best, and that is pitch.' Jansen said he hasn't given up on this Angels team, or this Angels season. He would love to win in Anaheim. The Angels could help him do that: Trade him for another pitching piece that could help them next year, then sign Jansen again over the winter. Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
NHRA Funny Car Driver Okay After Massive Explosion at Sonoma
NHRA driver Dan Wilkerson, amazingly, popped from his Funny Car with a smile on his face following a massive engine explosion during the evening qualifying session for the Denso Nationals at Northern California's Sonoma Raceway on Friday alongside Chad Green (the driver for whom he used to be crew chief), Wilkerson managed to stay out of Green's path, hitting the wall in his own he and his own father/crew chief Tim Wilkerson took the spectacular blow-up in stride. 'I didn't know where Chad was. I didn't know where I was. It was right in my face,' Dan Wilkerson said. "I've never been so happy to hit the wall in my entire frickin' life. The worst part is scaring everybody. I hate to scare my friends, the fans, my guys. And now we've got a bunch of work to do – that's the second part that sucks.'Tim Wilkerson said, 'It had some type of mechanical failure. We'll figure it out. Daniel's OK – that's what matters. We can put the parts back in it. We know the risks. We talk about it all the time. This is a dangerous car – there's no doubt about it. That's part of this racing, unfortunately. You're going to get that every once in awhile.'
CBS News
12 minutes ago
- CBS News
Pirates unveil plans final bobblehead night giveaway of the season
The Pittsburgh Pirates have unveiled plans for the team's final bobblehead night of the season. The team announced that the final bobblehead night of the season in September will feature outfielder Bryan Reynolds. Pirates' bobbleheads are a hot commodity as fans have lined up hours before gates opened for the first two giveaways of the season that featured star pitcher Paul Skenes and Pittsburgh's own Mac Miller. The final bobblehead night of the season will be September 6 when the Pirates host the Milwaukee Brewers. The team says the first 20,000 fans in attendance will receive the bobblehead, which features Reynolds wearing a shirt with the sleeves cut off. "One thing's for sure, he likes sleeveless shirts… even on his bobbleheads," the team said in a video announcing the plans for the giveaway. Tickets for the game are available online. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. at PNC Park.
