Latest news with #Kerman
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Cubs-Cardinals Trade Idea Sends $275 Million Slugger to Chicago
The Chicago Cubs started the season with Matt Shaw at third base, but the top prospect was optioned to Triple-A Iowa after hitting .172 with a .535 OPS in his first 18 Major League Baseball games. Since then, multiple infielders have taken their turn at third, with Jon Berti, Vidal Brujan, Justin Turner, Gage Workman, and Nicky Lopez all receiving an opportunity. Advertisement Despite the Cubs' offense being just one run behind the Los Angeles Dodgers (257) for most runs scored in the league, there's potential for the front office to look for an offensive upgrade at the hot corner while Shaw improves his game in the minors. Garret Kerman of Clutch Points believes the Cubs' options for players they could target in a trade may be limited. One candidate Kerman does not rule out is St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado. "For the Cubs, the fit is obvious. Their infield defense and offensive production at third base have lagged behind the rest of the roster, and adding Arenado would instantly transform a weakness into a strength," Kerman wrote about how a Cubs trade for Arenado could benefit the team. "Pairing Arenado with Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner would give Chicago arguably the best defensive infield in baseball, while his bat would lengthen a lineup already featuring Kyle Tucker and Seiya Suzuki." St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) fields a ground ball against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the sixth inning at Busch Curry-Imagn Images In the trade idea, the Cardinals receive three prospects: Second baseman James Triantos, right-handed pitcher Cade Horton, and right fielder Kevin Alcantara. The package of players the Cubs trade in this hypothetical deal is steep, but that may be the price point to acquire a future Hall of Fame player like Arenado. Advertisement "For the Cardinals, the return is exactly what they need. Triantos can step in as the third baseman of the future, Horton gives them a potential frontline starter, and Alcántara brings star potential to the outfield," wrote Kerman. "The salary relief allows St. Louis to reallocate resources and address other areas of need, all while restocking a system that's been thinned by years of contention." A trade between the NL Central division rivals is rare, but the Cubs may become desperate to improve at third base. Related: Cubs Outfielder Putting up Historic Team Numbers
Newsweek
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
Yankees 4-Player Trade Idea Lands Rival's Star Shortstop In New York
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 New York Yankees have good reason to push toward another World Series appearance. After making some significant roster changes, the Yankees are leading the American League East division with a few weeks to go until the trade deadline. As a result, it seems likely the team will look to reinforce itself toward a championship. And the biggest need is clear. After opening the season without a clear-cut third base option, the Yankees' hot corner woes have only grown worse. They have lost versatile infielder Jazz Chilsholm Jr. to an injury and Oswaldo Cabrera seems unlikely to return this season after a gruesome ankle turn. As a result, another infielder seems to be at the top of the needs list. And the team could look to a division rival for a solution, as ClutchPoint's Garrett Kerman proposed a four-player deal to land Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette. TORONTO, ON - MAY 2: Bo Bichette #11 of Toronto Blue Jays jogs back to the dugout in the middle of the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians in their MLB game at the Rogers... TORONTO, ON - MAY 2: Bo Bichette #11 of Toronto Blue Jays jogs back to the dugout in the middle of the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians in their MLB game at the Rogers Centre on May 2, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by) More Blinch/Getty "The Yankees are contending, have a glaring need on the infield, and boast the prospect capital to make a deal happen," Kerman wrote. "For the Yankees, Bichette fills a critical need at either shortstop or third base, depending on how they configure their infield. He immediately upgrades their lineup and provides a potent right-handed bat for the postseason push." But such a deal could come at a steep cost for the Yankees. Kerman proposed the Bronx Bombers trade away top prospects George Lombard Jr., Spencer Jones and Ben Hess in a package to pull it off. "This package gives Toronto a franchise shortstop in Lombard Jr., a potential middle-of-the-order bat in Jones, and a high-upside arm in Hess," Kerman added. Lombard could be the Yankees' long-term infield solution and is likely deemed untouchable by the front office in any trade negotiations, and Jones could be in the same boat. With Bichette a potential single-year rental as he prepares for free agency, that would make this proposal a non-starter for New York. But the idea of upgrading to Bichette as the Yankees surge toward the playoffs and the Blue Jays fall out of the race makes sense if the two sides can agree on a package. More MLB: Orioles Predicted to Trade Tomoyuko Sugano as Season Spirals Toward 'Fire Sale'
CBC
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
'Any old fool can do it': Max Kerman is pulling back the curtain on the music industry
Arkells frontman Max Kerman thinks that people make the music industry seem more complicated and out of reach than it actually is. That's why he's just published his first book, Try Hard: Creative Work in Progress, which is a compilation of his best advice on how to survive and thrive as a musician. He hopes it'll help dispel the common myths and misconceptions about what it takes to do what he does. "People ask me in just daily conversations … 'How did you start writing songs in the first place?'" Kerman says in an interview with Q 's Tom Power. "They think there's this mystical thing that happens because, you know, that's what people think of artists in some cases. But when I pull back the curtain, people immediately go, 'Oh, OK.' And I really love this idea that any old fool can do it." Since forming in 2006, the band has released platinum-selling singles and albums. They've also picked up multiple Junos — in fact, they hold the record for the most wins in the group of the year category. But Kerman says their success is more about tenacity than pure talent. He thinks being a "try hard" can be creatively rewarding. "I don't think Arkells are better songwriters than some of our peers that aren't in bands anymore," Kerman says. "I don't think we're better performers. I really don't. I think we've just found a way to keep the energy alive. "I can imagine there's a lot of bands out there that have so many good songs that are on their phone.… But the challenge of going, 'OK, how are we going to pay for this? Do I really want to get together with the guys? OK, even when we do record it, we're going to have to make some stupid TikToks.' … I think there's so many reasons to slow down." Kerman doesn't want to be negative or lose motivation. He just wants to learn more and move forward. That's why he decided to write Try Hard as a guide, not a memoir — a format that he says often features "a lot of complaining." "That's not interesting to me," Kerman says. "What's interesting to me is like, oh, what can I take from those experiences? How could I do better next time? How can I be a better listener? How can keep momentum alive within the band? So, I wanted to write a book that was reflecting on just things I picked up along the way, like little lessons."
Winnipeg Free Press
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Max effort
Every day before getting to work, Max Kerman sits down with a cup of coffee and a physical newspaper, goes for a morning 'thinking walk' and then dives into the tasks at hand. Kerman's job doesn't involve a cubicle, punching a time card or working on a factory floor, but it's work all the same: managing the business and creative components of a multi-platinum rock band. For the better part of two decades, the 38-year-old Kerman has fronted Arkells, a road warrior Hamilton quintet that has risen from playing small clubs to belting out hits such as Knocking at the Door, Leather Jacket and Years in the Making in arenas thanks to a bit of luck and a whole lot of hard work from the charismatic singer and his bandmates. Nathan Nash photo Max Kerman, lead singer of The Arkells. In his new (and first) book Try Hard: Creative Work in Progress, published by Viking on April 22, Kerman chronicles the band's trajectory, his creative process and some of the highlights of his work with Arkells. Kerman launches Try Hard in Winnipeg tonight at McNally Robinson Booksellers' Grant Park at 6 p.m., signing copies of the book. Arkells manager Ash Poitevin was pivotal in getting Kerman to write the book, which he hopes answers questions he hears frequently from fans. 'The book is meant to be a conversation that I've had many times with people wondering what I do all day,' Kerman says from his Toronto home prior to the book tour. 'That's what I hope people feel like when they're reading — like, 'Oh, this is just an opportunity to ask a guy in a band questions about how things get done.'' For Kerman, explaining his creative process and the business of the band proved easier than parsing out the themes of a song or album. 'I think in music culture and music writing, there's this tendency to want to look at the narrative around a record, but sometimes I find that harder to talk about — you just want the music to speak for itself. This kind of book, which is about process, it's very easy to talk about because it's really just a matter of pulling back the curtain and talking about exactly what you do,' he says. Over four months, Kerman managed to write his book between his work with Arkells — which, in addition to the songwriting, involves quarterbacking the band's social media and other day-to-day tasks. 'I really enjoyed the process of writing. I didn't know if I would. I went in with some hesitation — like, let's see if I like the first 1,500 words. If it felt like a real chore, I probably would have stopped. But then I fell into this routine that I fell in love with. You're trying to do the thing that you do in any creative pursuit: what feels honest, what feels true, what feels like the best version of myself?' he says. Inspiration for Try Hard came to Kerman through the work of other artists who have written about the process — including David Byrne in How Music Works and Rick Rubin in The Creative Act — as well as long-form writing in magazines such as the New Yorker, which he's read since he was a kid. But if his book has one kindred spirit, it's perhaps prolific horror writer Stephen King's how-to, On Writing. 'I think we have this tendency to make the arts into this mystical thing, when really it's just sometimes about getting into 2,000 words in a day and then doing that the next day and the next day — and if you do that for a few months, you have a book. (King) talks about it in this very matter-of-fact, everyday worker kind of way, which I really identify with,' Kerman says. Once the ball is rolling, says Kerman in Try Hard, the key is to keep it going. 'One of the underlying themes is how important this creative momentum is, and finding ways to keep that momentum up. And I don't mean just like going a mile a minute — I mean feeling good about the work,' he explains. 'If you feel good about the work and the people you're working with, and there's that sort of beautiful, generous give and take, you just do more because you don't even realize you're working. The second you start thinking, 'Do I want to call this guy? Maybe I'll put it off till tomorrow,' that's when things begin to grind to a halt.' Kerman still finds great joy in working with his bandmates on all things Arkells, in part because each has been able to focus on the parts of being in a band that they enjoy. 'Nothing about what I do is inherently enjoyable — there's lots of people in bands that hate it, lots of people who hate the idea of marketing, who hate dealing with the money. Nothing about a creative life is promised to be fun — but I really am trying to make it fun,' he says. Kerman hopes readers can find some sort of creative spark in Try Hard, whether or not they have aspirations of fronting a band. Nathan Denette / The Canadian Press The Arkells perform during the Juno Awards in Toronto in 2022. During Elections Get campaign news, insight, analysis and commentary delivered to your inbox during Canada's 2025 election. 'Even if they don't see themselves in me, they might see themselves in somebody in my orbit who's very, incredibly valuable. They might see themselves as a guitarist, they might see themselves as a business manager,' he says. And while it's his name on the book, Kerman says Try Hard, like being in Arkells, was very much a team effort. 'Sometimes I wonder if people look at me and go, 'Oh, there's like, a lot of energy there' or 'This guy's too bold' or something,' he says, laughing. 'But there are so many other people I rely on that happen to be interested in another part of the operation, which I could never do. Everything I do is a group effort.' Ben SigurdsonLiterary editor, drinks writer Ben Sigurdson is the Free Press's literary editor and drinks writer. He graduated with a master of arts degree in English from the University of Manitoba in 2005, the same year he began writing Uncorked, the weekly Free Press drinks column. He joined the Free Press full time in 2013 as a copy editor before being appointed literary editor in 2014. Read more about Ben. In addition to providing opinions and analysis on wine and drinks, Ben oversees a team of freelance book reviewers and produces content for the arts and life section, all of which is reviewed by the Free Press's editing team before being posted online or published in print. It's part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Globe and Mail
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Globe and Mail
A walk with Arkells front man Max Kerman, who wants you to find your creative inspiration
Try Hard has the contours of a music memoir only in the sense that Kerman employs personal examples to show how he managed to make a career making songs Josh O'Kane The Globe and Mail Arkells front man Max Kerman's new memoir, Try Hard, will be released April 22 Laura Proctor/The Globe and Mail to view this content.
