LSU baseball star Daniel Dickinson officially decides to go pro, signs with Brewers
There wasn't much doubt about Dickinson's plans and a return to LSU was always unlikely, but this makes it official.
Dickinson spent one year with the Tigers after beginning his career at Utah Valley State. Dickinson posted an OPS over 1.000 in both of his seasons at Utah Valley, which made him sought-after when he entered the transfer portal ahead of the 2025 season.
Dickinson was a key cog in the LSU lineup as the Tigers won the College World Series. Dickinson hit .315 with 12 home runs and 14 doubles. He nearly walked as much as he struck out with a 40/42 ratio.
Dickinson finished his college career with a .351 batting average and 1.051 OPS.
Here's what the MLB.com scouting report had to say about Dickinson ahead of the draft:
"Dickinson excels at making contact with a simple right-handed swing and outstanding hand-eye coordination. He controls the strike zone well, uses the entire field and has no obvious weaknesses at the plate. There are questions about how much impact he'll make with wood bats, however, because he has average raw power at best (mostly to his pull side) and slashed .182/.311/.222 between Team USA and the Cape Cod League last summer."
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Fox Sports
an hour ago
- Fox Sports
Blue Jays Acquire Former Cy Young Winner Shane Bieber From Guardians
Former Cy Young winner and ace Shane Bieber is headed to the AL East-leading Toronto Blue Jays in a deal with the rebuilding Cleveland Guardians. Bieber, who is working his way back from April 2024 Tommy John surgery, has made five rehab starts. His most recent outing was Tuesday for Double-A Akron, in which he allowed one run on three hits and struck out seven in four innings. His next rehab start was scheduled for Sunday. This is a gamble by the Jays, considering that Bieber had his rehab interrupted back in May – he was originally supposed to be back in the majors in June, if all had gone to plan. Instead, his rehab shut down after a single start due to elbow soreness, and did not resume until July 15. With that in mind, this trade is more about what Bieber could potentially bring to Toronto's postseason roster than its regular season one: if Bieber returns to the majors and fully shakes the rust off by the time October rolls around, then the Jays' rotation would have a major upgrade on its hands. Bieber had spent his entire career in Cleveland, including winning the AL Cy Young Award in 2020. He has a career record of 62-32 with a 3.22 ERA and 958 strikeouts in 136 games, with 134 starts since his debut in 2018. He agreed to a one-year, $14 million contract last fall with a $16 million player option for 2026, so this trade also represents a potential rental for Toronto. Of course, if Bieber opts out of the deal, that means he's shown himself to be healthy and productive enough to gamble on himself on the open market; Toronto would likely take that trade, too. Cleveland is getting right-hander Khal Stephen from the Blue Jays in return. The 22-year old Stephen has a combined record of 9-1 with a 2.06 ERA in 18 games, with 17 starts, in the Blue Jays' farm system this season. He was a second-round selection (59th overall) by Toronto in the 2024 amateur draft. He made one start for Double-A New Hampshire following his promotion on July 20 before being placed on the injured list with right shoulder impingement. The Guardians began trade deadline day in second place in the AL Central, nine games behind the Tigers and potentially in the wild-card race, but their moves – they also traded Paul Sewald to the Tigers – signal this has become a spiraling season. Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase, a three-time All-Star, was placed on non-disciplinary paid leave as part of a Major League Baseball investigation into sports betting earlier in the week. Luis Ortiz also is on non-disciplinary leave through Aug. 31, stemming from an investigation regarding in-game prop bets on two pitches thrown by the right-hander that received higher activity than usual during his starts at Seattle on June 15 and against St. Louis on June 27. The gambling activity on the pitches was flagged by a betting integrity firm and forwarded to MLB. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience Toronto Blue Jays Cleveland Guardians Major League Baseball recommended Item 1 of 3 Get more from the Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
Eflin heads to IL, still could get traded
The 2025 MLB trade deadline arrives at 6 p.m. (ET) today. Join us for live updates and analysis on trades around the league. Getty Images Getty Images Baltimore Orioles right-hander Zach Eflin is going on the injured list, according to sources briefed on the matter. It is still 'very possible' he will be traded, one source said. Eflin's injury is not arm-related and he is expected back during the regular season. In a market already saturated with elite relievers, it seems Athletics closer Mason Miller is another name very much in play as the trade deadline approaches. Yesterday afternoon, Ken Rosenthal reported that the A's were discussing Miller in negotiations for young pitching, and that both New York teams — the Yankees and Mets — were involved. Later, Rosenthal and Dennis Lin reported that the Padres were among the teams eyeing Miller. According to that report: ✍️ Miller, who started six games as a rookie in 2023, appeals to San Diego as a pitcher who could be stretched out next season, if not before then. Another top Padres starter, Michael King, is expected to test free agency this winter. In recent years, the Padres have converted several former relievers to full-time starters, including King, Seth Lugo and Stephen Kolek. Last night, A's manager Mark Kotsay told reporters that Miller was 'unavailable' without explaining why, a situation that suggests a trade could be in the works. So, even after Jhoan Duran and Ryan Helsley have changed teams, the closer market includes Miller, Pete Fairbanks, David Bednar, Carlos Estevez, Camilo Doval, Kyle Finnegan and possibly Robert Suarez. Despite such supply, reporting suggests the prices remain high. Getty Images Tigers: D Guardians: C This is fine. Sewald has a track record, and he'd pitched well after returning from the IL in early July, only to end up right back on the IL. For a player to be named or cash, it's a low-cost addition of a pitcher who could supplement the Tigers bullpen down the stretch, when they might be grateful to have the depth. Fine. Do it. Why not? But the Tigers were, for a while, the best team in baseball this season. They fell hard this month and have since recovered. They've got a chance to do something this October, but so far they've added only a back-end starter (Chris Paddack) and a couple of used-to-be-good relievers (Sewald and Rafael Montero). On its own, this trade is a low-risk attempt to add some depth. But until the Tigers make a move to actually get better in the here and now, it's hard to see this as a worthwhile priority. Getty Images By Ken Rosenthal and Dennis Lin Baltimore Orioles right-hander Charlie Morton is one starting pitcher the San Diego Padres are pursuing as a potential backup plan if they trade right-hander Dylan Cease, according to sources briefed on the discussions. The Padres are involved in multiple talks with multiple teams. Meanwhile, as many as 10 teams are pursuing Morton. The Guardians are sending reliever Paul Sewald, who's on the injured list with a strain in the back of his shoulder, to the Detroit Tigers, in exchange for cash considerations or a player to be named later. Sewald, 35, has made only 18 appearances this season because of a pair of shoulder injuries. Since 2021, he owns a 3.28 ERA. It's the second time in three years that Sewald has been dealt at the deadline, and on both occasions, he was confident he wouldn't be traded. In 2023, the Mariners blitzed through their July schedule to climb back into the race, but they still traded Sewald to the Arizona Diamondbacks, who stormed to the World Series. Just last week, he told The Athletic he thought his injury would keep him from being dealt. Instead, he's headed to the division rival Tigers, who sit atop the AL Central. An MLB source confirms to The Athletic that the Tigers are acquiring right-handed reliever Paul Sewald from Guardians. The Detroit News first reported the deal. Getty Images Shane Bieber was set to be one of the more intriguing trade candidates at the 2023 deadline. And then he suffered an injury. The Guardians hung onto him that winter and had plans to deal him at the 2024 deadline if the season went awry. And then he needed Tommy John surgery (and the season did not, in fact, go awry). Even then, the union persisted between the unanimous 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner and the organization that aided his development from a soft-tossing, unheralded prospect. In December, Bieber signed a one-year, $10 million deal with the Guardians that included a $16 million player option for 2026 or a $4 million buyout. He liked the idea of sticking with the trainers and doctors and coaches who had guided him through his rehab process. Now that the rehab process is nearly over, he's headed to Toronto. Bieber threw 57 pitches over four sharp innings on Tuesday. He should be ready to return to a big-league mound in the next two weeks. For most of the season, the starting rotation seemed like Toronto's obvious area of improvement at the trade deadline. Max Scherzer's thumb cost him months. Eric Lauer had yet to break out. But, as of deadline week, the Jays' rotation group is healthy and seemingly stable. Acquiring Shane Bieber allows Toronto to inject more depth and upside to that group without stealing a spot from one of the current five starters. The Jays also used their financial flexibility in this deal, as Bieber has a $16 million player option for next year. If healthy and flourishing down the stretch, he'll likely opt out. Another injury could force him to take the 2026 guarantee. It's the type of creative move the Jays were looking for this deadline, adding rotation insurance and upside without upsetting the status quo that has Toronto positioned at the top of the American League East. GO FURTHER Blue Jays to bolster rotation with former Cy Young winner Shane Bieber in trade with Guardians: Source Getty Images After acquiring Shane Bieber, Toronto continues to aim high in the bullpen market. The Jays were in on the Minnesota Twins' Jhoan Duran and are also among the teams pursuing the Athletics' Mason Miller, according to sources briefed on their discussions. The San Diego Padres are believed to be mounting the most aggressive pursuit of Miller. It's unclear whether the Jays would part with the package necessary to land a closer who would come with four additional years of control. The frenzied run on relievers that began Wednesday should continue up to the deadline, considering the number of teams in need and the number of late-inning arms still available. The Detroit Tigers are perhaps the team under the most pressure to act. Ranking 28th in the majors in bullpen strikeout rate, the Tigers' acquisition of righty Rafael Montero from the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday was a modest first step, at best. In the AL East alone, the New York Yankees are seeking multiple relievers. The Toronto Blue Jays are still looking for more help after acquiring righty Seranthony Domínguez. The Boston Red Sox might not be done after adding lefty Steven Matz. The Seattle Mariners, a team reported to be heavily in the mix for Jhoan Duran before his trade to the Philadelphia Phillies, are also still looking, along with the Texas Rangers, Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers and others. Among the relievers still in play, beyond the Athletics' Miller, Twins' Coulombe and Padres' Suarez: the Tampa Bay Rays' Pete Fairbanks; Pittsburgh Pirates' David Bednar and Dennis Santana; St. Louis Cardinals' Phil Maton; Colorado Rockies' Jake Bird, Seth Halvorsen and Victor Vodnik; and Twins' Brock Stewart. GO FURTHER The 8 biggest storylines to watch for on MLB trade deadline day Getty Images The Toronto Blue Jays are in agreement with the Cleveland Guardians on a trade for right-hander Shane Bieber, pending a medical review, sources tell The Athletic . Getty Images The Marlins are a team to watch today for several reasons, including what happens with starters Sandy Alcantara (pictured) and Edward Cabrera, two of the splashiest names on the market. The interest in both Alcantara and Cabrera is very high, league sources said. Two other Miami pitchers to keep in mind: Ronny Henriquez and Calvin Faucher. Miami is fielding interest in both players, people briefed on the situation said. In particular, multiple teams are looking to acquire Faucher, league sources said. Of the two pitchers, he is more likely to get traded. Faucher, 29, has 10 saves with a 3.73 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 41 innings. Henriquez, 25, has a 2.96 ERA in 51 2/3 innings with 71 strikeouts. Both pitchers are under club control for multiple seasons. Teams are also continuing to show interest in the Marlins' outfielders Jesus Sanchez and Dane Myers, league sources said. Getty Images Kepner: Hey Chad! Maybe it's because I just got back from Cooperstown and had a fun conversation with Randy Johnson — Did you know he has Kid Nichols' autograph? Now you do! — but for favorite deals, I've got to go with the Mariners in 1997 and 1998. The first year, they were clumsy buyers. The next, to everyone's surprise, they were shrewd sellers. It turned out that 1997 was their only season with a healthy Johnson, Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez all together as full-time stars. And everyone knew they'd have no chance without upgrading their bullpen. This need crystallized on July 30, when they blew a 7-2 lead in the eighth inning and lost to the Red Sox at Fenway Park. What did they do? Panic! In separate deals, the Mariners acquired three veteran relievers – Paul Spoljaric and Mike Timlin from Toronto and Heathcliff Slocumb from Boston. That's quite a haul, but it came at quite a cost: Jose Cruz Jr. to the Blue Jays and Derek Lowe and Jason Varitek to the Red Sox. Those players would spend a collective 44 seasons in the majors, compiling 76 bWAR. Cruz became a 30-30 guy for the Jays. Lowe and Varitek became core players on the Red Sox curse-breakers of 2004. The Mariners' relief trio, meanwhile, worked 4 ⅓ innings in a 1997 division series loss to Baltimore, allowing 10 hits and 5 earned runs. And when things went sour for the M's in 1998, the team decided to trade Johnson rather than lose him in free agency. (The new team in Arizona, where Johnson lived in the off-season, was expected to make an aggressive push for him, and that's exactly what happened.) In trading Johnson at the 1998 deadline, the Mariners made a terrific deal, though few could have known at the time. Fans expected a haul of recognizable names who could help right away. Instead, the Mariners got pitchers Freddy Garcia and John Halama and infielder Carlos Guillen. The return seemed underwhelming, but all made a near-immediate impact: in 2000, Guillen's walk-off bunt lifted the Mariners to the ALCS, where Garcia and Halama started four games against the Yankees with a 2.14 ERA. All three were part of the ALCS roster again in 2001. Seattle lost both series, but in an indirect way, the Johnson trade paid off for years to come: Garcia became the favorite player of a young pitching prospect in their native Venezuelan named Felix Hernandez, who chose to sign with the Mariners in part because of that connection. Hernandez wore Garcia's No. 34 while becoming the franchise's leader in wins, innings and strikeouts while winning a Cy Young Award and tossing a perfect game. Getty Images Among the relievers the Rangers are pursuing, according to a source briefed on their discussions: The St. Louis Cardinals' Phil Maton and Kansas City Royals' Hunter Harvey. They also like the Pittsburgh Pirates' David Bednar, but believe the price will be too steep. The Colorado Rockies' Jake Bird is another possibility. One of the great things about working at The Athletic is that some of our most impactful and influential writers — Ken Rosenthal , Jayson Stark , Tyler Kepner , etc. — are also among the most generous and passionate in the industry, and those qualities really help in a moment like this. It helps, in part, because they don't mind getting a text message or an email asking a question or looking for help. So, I messaged Kepner with both a question and a request. Jennings: Hi Tyler! How was Cooperstown? Actually, don't answer that! I know how you feel about Cooperstown, and if you get started on that topic, you'll never have time to answer my actual question. What I really want to know is, do you have an all-time favorite trade deadline deal? And is there another that stands out as the best deadline deal in baseball history? Obviously, this trade deadline has been a bit slow to develop, defined largely by uncertainty and, apparently, indecision. It does not seem to be a market loaded with massive difference makers — CC Sabathia ain't walking through that door — but who knows? One of these relievers could change teams and end up getting the last three outs of the World Series. What's at the highest end of your own trade deadline measuring stick? Is there one trade that stands out as the best ever, and is there another that's a personal favorite for whatever reason? Stay tuned for Tyler's response. Getty Images Not every team has officially declared its trade deadline intentions — some haven't made a move, and others have made moves so minor they could still go either way — but here's an attempt to put each team into a bucket based on what we've seen and what we suspect. Aggressively buying Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds, Seattle Mariners The Phillies have made the biggest splash so far, and the Mets have aggressively overhauled their bullpen with three separate additions. Each team still needs a bat. The surprise here is the Reds who traded for third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes yesterday afternoon, then followed with a late-night deal for starter Zack Littell. They're going for it. So are the Mariners, who also made a late-night deal to further address their desperate need for offense. Definitely buying Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox We've seen these teams make moves to add to their roster. The Brewers might not add much — they've so far added catcher Danny Jansen — but they're clearly on the buy side. The other teams here have a chance to be aggressive buyers by the end of the day. Presumably buying Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers We're still waiting for these teams to make big moves, but all signs point to them eventually buying, and maybe buying in a meaningful way. The Astros have added a third baseman, but they could end up doing quite a bit more. Doing Padres things A.J. Preller gets his own bucket. He could trade away Dylan Cease and also trade for Steven Kwan. Anything and everything seems to be on the table, but the net result is probably going to be more buying than selling. Are they really buying? Did the Angels really trade for a couple of relievers in their late 30s? What's going on here? Are they setting up to trade away some other relievers? Hard to know what's going on out there. Maybe threading the needle The Royals have added Randal Grichuk and extended Seth Lugo, but would you really be shocked if they also sold a player or two? Regardless, they're probably not going to move aggressively either direction. Selling (but it's kind of masked as buying) Technically, the Braves have added, but it's been a bunch of unwanted pitchers for mostly salary relief. They're adding, but not really. They still have pieces to sell and should sell them. It started last night with Rafael Montero. Probably selling Tampa Bay Rays, San Francisco Giants The Rays seemed to signal their direction last night when they traded Zack Littell, but they have enough pitching depth to perhaps still think of themselves as threading the needle rather than truly selling. What they do with Pete Fairbanks and Brandon Lowe might determine just how far they go to the sell side. The Giants have traded a reliever but haven't (yet) ripped apart their bullpen. Presumably selling Miami Marlins, Cleveland Guardians, Athletics No huge moves for these teams, but the Guardians are at least considering trading Steven Kwan, and neither the Marlins or A's are in position to do anything but sell. Selling at least a little bit The Pirates traded away Ke'Bryan Hayes, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're also going to trade Mitch Keller or David Bednar. They're probably not buying, but are they fully selling? Definitely selling Colorado Rockies, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox, Washington Nationals, St. Louis Cardinals At least one of these teams — the Orioles — could be among the most aggressive sellers in the final hours. So far, though, the Orioles sold without moving nearly all of their obvious pieces. The Cardinals have been fairly aggressive, but they've only moved pending free agents out of their bullpen. Aggressively selling Minnesota Twins, Arizona Diamondbacks The Twins have been the most aggressive sellers. It started with Chris Paddack and jumped to a whole other level with Jhoan Duran, who was traded with multiple years of remaining control. The Twins are definitely selling. They have some obvious pieces still to move — Willi Castro, Harrison Bader, etc. — and could get even more aggressive if they're convinced to trade Joe Ryan. The Diamondbacks have also been fairly aggressive, but the real test will be what they do with Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly. Getty Images When mapping out the Pittsburgh Pirates' options as sellers last week, I considered it highly likely they would go into all-out sell mode with their pitchers, and quite likely they'd use this opportunity to bail on the Ke'Bryan Hayes contract as well. The arms sale still could be the path they choose. But the Buccos' first big move of the deadline was sending Hayes across the division to Cincinnati. Now focus returns to their controllable pitchers: starter Mitch Keller and relievers David Bednar and Dennis Santana. The relief market is hot, and the assumption is that the Pirates will move at least one of their leverage relievers. Despite being a hometown guy, Bednar seems to be a perfect trade candidate, as he's bounced back from a bad 2024 season and early-season 2025 demotion to Triple A to regain his trade value. With Jhoan Duran traded and Emmanuel Clase taken off the board, Bednar could be the best closer available. The Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays and Detroit Tigers would love to have him. Same for the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees. And on and on. Packaging Bednar and Santana together could get Pirates the multiple top-10 prospects that they, according to rival evaluators, had been seeking for Bednar alone in recent days. The starting pitching market is starting to move, but Keller? He may stay. Ken Rosenthal reported Wednesday night that, barring a seismic change, the Pirates will keep Keller. A rival exec told Rosenthal that the Pirates were so reluctant to seriously engage on Keller that his team didn't even bother. Keller is the fifth-best starter available on The Athletic's trade deadline Big Board (which omitted Dylan Cease, so you could consider Keller sixth). Keller is durable and dependable, a middle-of-the-rotation starter on a nice extension. The Pirates certainly could use him. But what they could use more is a couple big bats. The club's first few trades — moving Adam Frazier, Hayes and Caleb Ferguson — have done nothing to make the 2026 lineup better. Moving Keller would help with that. But if he's staying, they'll be even more likely to move Bednar and Santana. Getty Images The San Diego Padres have yet to make a big move, and their record suggests they're struck somewhere between buying and selling. But the Padres' president of baseball operations is A.J. Preller, which means they surely won't be stuck for long. Preller likes to make moves, and The Athletic has reported that he's in the market for some of the biggest fish available: Athletics closer Mason Miller, Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan, and Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran. It's possible none of those three will be traded, but if that's the case, it won't be because Preller didn't try. From Dennis Lin and Ken Rosenthal: ✍️ Considering the top-heavy state of the Padres farm system, Preller might need to part with elite shortstop prospect Leo De Vries or well-regarded catching prospect Ethan Salas to acquire any of the above players. Indications are, the executive is willing to at least discuss them. Preller could try to thread the needle by acquiring controllable talent — like any of the names previously mentioned — while trading away one or two of his own pending free agents, most notably Dylan Cease or (perhaps less likely) Robert Suarez.
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
LSU football QB Garrett Nussmeier gets candid about decision to return to LSU
LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier didn't hold back about his reasons for returning to Baton Rouge for a fifth year in an appearance on ESPN's Marty and McGee show. "I didn't want to watch anybody else be the guy that leads LSU to the national championship," Nussmeier said. "LSU means the world to me. I always wanted to win a national championship here. It wasn't about winning a Heisman or being the first overall pick. It was just about winning a championship, so having that opportunity, I just couldn't pass it up." After his first year as the starter for LSU, Nussmeier generated NFL Draft buzz with his talent. He decided to forego his professional aspirations to don the purple and gold once again. The decision sparked an active offseason for the Tigers. Head coach Brian Kelly's staff signed multiple experience power four receivers to rebuild LSU's offense around Nussmeier. Expectations are high for the 2025 season as LSU finds itself in the national championship conversation. Nussmeier passed for 4,052 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2024. A similar season would make him the program's all-time leading passer but the Lake Charles, LA native is focused on representing his home state well and bringing a national title back to LSU. "It's hard to explain," Nussmeier said. "Everybody that is from Louisiana probably can understand it. Just that stadium, that environment, you know, the passion of the fans, it's one state around one team. It's one state in one stadium.' "There's no place like Death Valley. It was just an unbelievable opportunity."
