Latest news with #JeffPassan
NBC Sports
21 hours ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
MLB places Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase on paid leave as part of gambling investigation
Another Cleveland Guardians pitcher has landed on paid leave as part of a gambling probe. Via Jeff Passan of the MLB has placed closer Emmanuel Clase on 'non-disciplinary paid leave.' Via Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal, Clase will be out through at least August 31. Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz previously was placed on non-disciplinary paid leave, also through at least August 31. In a statement, the team said it has been informed that no other players or team personnel are expected to be affected by the ongoing situation. It's just the latest sports controversy involving gambling, which has become widespread in recent years via the legalization of sports betting in most American state. The NFL has had a handful of players suspended for betting violations. There has yet to be a pro football scandal involving any attempt to engineer the outcomes of games or prop bets. It feels like it's just a matter of time. There is plenty of inside information that can be easily misused by players, coaches, and other personnel. A problem seems inevitable. Which is the premise of Big Shield, a work of fiction that explores the connection between gambling, the mob, and professional sports. Primarily football, but baseball and basketball are involved as well. And while the purpose of this post wasn't to advertise the book, when in Rome. At Amazon, you can pre-order the ebook for the idiotically low price of 99 cents. it arrives on August 19.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
As the MLB trade deadline nears Thursday, here's a rundown of Milwaukee Brewers trade rumors
As we get closer to the Major League Baseball trade deadline, at 5 p.m. CT July 31, teams are no doubt frantically working the phones to improve their roster. Will the Milwaukee Brewers make a big splash, improve around the edges or perhaps let the current roster carry forward into the final two months of the season? Here's a rundown of the rumors and speculation we're finding on the web: Brewers make their first move, reportedly acquiring Wisconsin native Danny Jansen ESPN's Jeff Passan was the first to report July 28 that the Brewers had acquired catcher Danny Jansen, an Appleton native who had been with the Tampa Bay Rays. Jansen, 30, has a .703 OPS this year and .204 batting average while serving as the Rays primary catcher, though he does have 11 homers. Jansen signed with the Rays this offseason as a free agent on a one-year deal through the 2025 season. He's a controversial evaluation as a defender, with Defensive Runs Saved seeing him as above average and Statcast feeling he's below average. reporter Mark Feinsand reported that the Brewers were sending minor-league infielder Jadher Areinamo to the Rays, and Tampa Bay was sending some money to Milwaukee in the deal. Areinamo, 21, has been strong with the Advanced Class A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers this year, to the tune of an .818 OPS, and he was ranked No. 24 by MLB Pipeline among Brewers prospects. But the multi-positional infielder, who also played the 2024 season in Wisconsin, shared an organization with a bevy of infield prospects more highly regarded, including top-five prospects Cooper Pratt, Jesús Made and Luis Peña. William Contreras has played through a finger injury and seen his offense struggle, with a .682 OPS that represents a dramatic fall from his .831 mark last year. Eric Haase, who has been the backup all season, has a .647 OPS in a mere 77 plate appearances, with 31 strikeouts. What's the latest on third baseman Eugenio Suárez? The biggest name on the trade market is Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suárez, and he seems to fit what the Brewers would need by introducing a power bat into a lineup that lacks slug. The Brewers could conceivably move either Caleb Durbin or Brice Turang to shortstop — and they've been experimenting with those players at the position -- with the other at second base while moving Joey Ortiz to a utility role. Suarez already has 36 home runs and is a free agent after the season. The Brewers would have to win a bidding war for his services, making it seem unlikely that they get involved. Thomas Harrigan of ranked the Brewers second (behind the Philadelphia Phillies) among teams that could most use Suarez. The Houston Astros, who just lost third baseman Isaac Paredes to significant injury, might also be a team to watch. Patrick Mooney of The Athletic wrote that the Chicago Cubs are expected to be a player for Suarez, even though rookie third baseman Matt Shaw has caught fire. MLB reporter Héctor Gómez wrote on Twitter that the Brewers had emerged "now as a top suitor" for Suarez, but the names he mentioned as a possible return lined up perfectly with our Journal Sentinel story proposing mock trades (with reaction and analysis from Curt Hogg), which seems fishy. Would the Brewers try to make a move at shortstop? ESPN's Jeff Passan wrote that the Brewers aren't actively seeking a replacement for Ortiz, who's been mired in a season-long offensive struggle. He notes that the Brewers are in good enough shape to have a quiet deadline. The idea of standing pat at shortstop tracks for another reason: You won't find many shortstops on the list of "available" players at the trade deadline. Milwaukee might be pushed into a move with its surplus of starters There's an obvious problem looming on the horizon for the Brewers: They have too many pitchers for rotation spots. With the imminent return of Nestor Cortes from injury, Milwaukee will need to find a spot for him — likely the one currently occupied by Jose Quintana — or make a move that involves trading either player. The logjam isn't lost on national writers like Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic or Joel Sherman of the New York Post. What are the Brewers looking for at the trade deadline? Robert Murray of FanSided stopped by the Journal Sentinel's own Microbrew Podcast and spoke about what he was hearing about the Brewers' trade-deadline shopping list. "They're looking at three things," Murray said. "They're looking at upgrading the backup catcher position. They are looking for an optionable reliever, which is something they love in that organization. And they are also looking for first-base depth, or just reinforcements there. What exactly that could look like, I don't know. (Baltimore's Ryan) O'Hearn could definitely fit the bill at first base." Murray was proven right on the backup-catching instinct when the Brewers reportedly acquired Danny Jansen on July 28. Murray said he didn't foresee a substantive first-base upgrade as long as Rhys Hoskins was on the roster. Hoskins, on the injured list with a thumb injury, should be back by September. Andrew Vaughn has been a revelation in his short stint with Milwaukee during Hoskins' absence. Which relievers might be available for the Brewers (or any team) at the trade deadline? The Brewers seem to make a relief-pitching acquisition every season at the deadline. Here's a look at the top relief candidates available on the trade market, at least as sites like CBS Sports and The Athletic see it, not counting three St. Louis Cardinals pitchers — Phil Maton, Ryan Helsley and Steven Matz — since we won't hold our breath that the Cardinals and Brewers will be making any deals. David Bednar, right-hander, Pittsburgh Pirates Jake Bird, right-hander, Colorado Rockies Danny Coulombe, left-hander, Minnesota Twins Reid Detmers, left-hander, Los Angeles Angels Jhoan Duran, right-hander, Minnesota Twins Carlos Estévez, right-hander, Kansas City Royals Pete Fairbanks, right-hander, Tampa Bay Rays Griffin Jax, right-hander, Minnesota Twins Dennis Santana, right-hander, Pittsburgh Pirates (This story was updated to add new information.) This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Brewers trade rumors as trade deadline nears include Eugenio Suárez
Newsweek
a day ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
Brewers Make Trade, Acquire Veteran Catcher From AL East Contender
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The National League's best team turned to the trade market for help Monday fortifying one of the most sought-after positions in baseball: catcher. The Milwaukee Brewers are acquiring catcher Danny Jansen from the Tampa Bay Rays, according to multiple reports Monday. Jeff Passan of ESPN was first to report the trade. The Milwaukee Brewers are working to finalize a deal to acquire catcher Danny Jansen from the Tampa Bay Rays, sources tell ESPN. — Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 28, 2025 Jansen has played for three different American League East teams in his career: the Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays, who are 53-53 and three games behind the Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers for the third and final AL Wild Card berth. The trade deadline is 6 p.m. ET Thursday. Danny Jansen #28 of the Boston Red Sox looks on during the second inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park on September 28, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. Danny Jansen #28 of the Boston Red Sox looks on during the second inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park on September 28, 2024 in Boston, to come on this story from Newsweek Sports.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
MLB trade deadline: Pitcher Seth Lugo reportedly reaches contract extension with Royals
Seth Lugo, one of baseball's most underrated pitchers, is sticking around Kansas City after all. The Royals reached a multi-year contract extension with Lugo on Sunday night, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. Further specifics on his new deal are not yet known. Though Lugo was widely considered one of the top trade candidates ahead of the deadline this summer, he'll now be in Kansas City for years to come. Lugo was under contract until the end of this season with a salary of $15 million. Between his success and the Royals' struggles, Lugo loomed as one of the trade deadline's biggest prizes as long as the club was willing to deal him. His career has flourished since joining Kansas City, where he finished as the runner-up for the AL Cy Young Award last season behind Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal. As a soft-throwing right-hander who doesn't strike out many batters and sees most of his balls in play go in the air, Lugo is hardly anyone's vision of an ace. However, his seemingly bottomless arsenal of pitches keeps batters off balance enough to post quality starts on a regular basis. The Royals hold a 52-54 record heading into Monday's matchup with the Atlanta Braves, which has them sitting in third in the AL Central race. Lugo is set to take the mound next on Tuesday night for the second game of that three-game series. Baseball Savant identifies an incredible 10 pitches Lugo has used this season: four-seam fastball, curveball, sinker, cutter, changeup, slurve, slider, slow curve, sweeper and splitter. Pitch identification isn't an exact science, but all that goes to show how many looks Lugo can present on any given pitch. And he's a Gold Glover to boot. The results speak for themselves. No pitcher faced more batters in the AL last season than Lugo and he's on pace to post a similarly strong season this year with the Royals. A lot of advanced stats don't love the 35-year-old's chances at continuing this success, but there are always players who routinely overperform on their peripherals. A player with Lugo's approach could easily be one of them.
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
Cubs Pitching Target Seth Lugo Signs Multi-Year Extension With Royals
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. It's back to the drawing board for the Chicago Cubs for their starting pitcher acquisition at the trade deadline. In a shocking update, MLB insider Jeff Passan reported Sunday night that the Kansas City Royals have signed Seth Lugo to a multi-year extension. BREAKING: Right-hander Seth Lugo and the Kansas City Royals are finalizing a multiyear contract extension, sources tell ESPN. One of the best potential trade candidates this deadline season -- and top free agent arms this winter -- instead will remain in Kansas City. — Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 28, 2025 The details of the extension are unknown at this time, but the Cubs now have to figure out where to pivot next. Pitchers such as Sandy Alcántara, Edward Cabrera, Mitch Keller, Zac Gallen or Merrill Kelly come to mind as the new targets for the Cubs. Heading into Thursday's deadline, Lugo was one of the most highly sought after pitchers. Teams were drawn to him based on the fact that he would be a rental and require less of a return to go back to Kansas City. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JULY 23: Seth Lugo #67 of the Kansas City Royals delivers a pitch against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at Wrigley Field on July 23, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JULY 23: Seth Lugo #67 of the Kansas City Royals delivers a pitch against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at Wrigley Field on July 23, 2025 in Chicago, starting pitching market was already thin, and eliminating Lugo from the market makes it even thinner. Teams like the Arizona Diamondbacks, Pittsburgh Pirates and Miami Marlins now know they can ask for even more in this sellers' market. Adding to the rotation has been a major need for the Cubs since the season began, and Chicago knew it was going to have to overpay for a starter at the deadline. The race in the National League Central is tight with the Milwaukee Brewers winning 15 of their last 21 games. The Brew Crew have made things tight heading into the final two months of the season. Pressure is now on Jed Hoyer and his staff to pivot as they know the Cubs need to add at least one quality starter or else it will be a very short postseason run, if one even happens at all. More MLB: Mets Reportedly Must Part Ways with Mark Vientos to Add Luis Robert Jr.
