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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Red Sox starter not ready to say ‘I'm back' after great outing, but pushing to keep spot ahead of trade deadline
PHILADELPHIA — With next week's trade deadline approaching — and the Red Sox expected to upgrade their roster — it's fair to assume some players on the current roster could find themselves in different roles by the time the calendar flips to August. On Monday, Walker Buehler took a step toward staking his case that he should remain in Boston's rotation no matter who Craig Breslow brings in to fortify it. The Red Sox are confident in a top three of Garrett Crochet, Lucas Giolito and Brayan Bello but are looking for a rotation addition to fortify a group that will be without Hunter Dobbins and, most likely, Tanner Houck, for the stretch run. Right now, Buehler and rookie Richard Fitts have the final two spots. And Buehler, who posted his best outing in months Monday with seven strong innings against the Phillies, intends on putting up a fight to keep his turn every five days. 'I keep seeing all this stuff about guys starting playoff games. At this point, I'm not a guy that can do that,' said Buehler, who entered the outing with a 6.12 ERA in 16 starts. 'My whole career, that's what I've done and done really well. I think that's the goal, to stay in that conversation to start playoff games when we get there.' After a horrific June in which Buehler posted an 11.07 ERA and recorded an out in the fifth inning just once, the Red Sox decided to keep him in the rotation and hope the between-starts work he was doing would manifest on the mound. It did, first in a five-inning outing against the Nationals on July 5, then with six strong inning against Tampa Bay on July 10. Buehler's biggest step forward, though, came Monday at Citizens Bank Park after an 11-day layoff that included a visit to the Maven Baseball Lab, a biomechanics center in Atlanta. 'I've been talking to some biomechanic people, a couple different ones,' Buehler said. 'Went to a place that specializes that in Atlanta. To be honest with you, just having different conversations with different people will spark things. I found a couple new cues that make everything feel a little bit more normal. Now it's just honing that in with a little more violence. Facing a potent Phillies team — and lined up against ace Zack Wheeler — Buehler didn't cower, needing an efficient 89 pitches to get through seven innings for the first time since April. He allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits while striking out four and walking one. Buehler threw 61 of his 89 pitches (68.5%) for strikes. 'The stuff was really good,' said manager Alex Cora. 'He was throwing strikes, he was ahead of hitters and he was able to put them away. That was a good performance. 'We talked about it before the All-Star break that he was getting close. He did a lot of good things on the All-Star break to continue to keep momentum and today, that was a great outing against a good offensive club.' Handed a 1-0 lead when Jarren Duran led off the game with a solo homer off Wheeler, Buehler carved his way through consistent Phillies traffic. He got inning-ending double plays in the second and third before Philadelphia put together three hits and took the lead in the fourth. The righty then retired 11 of the final 12 batters he faced and left with a no-decision in a game the Sox lost, 3-2, on a catcher's interference call in the 10th inning. Being able to keep things from spiraling was key for Buehler, who said his arm isn't where it usually is at this point in the season because his struggles — and an injured list stint in late April and early May — have put him behind. 'My last three have been a big improvement on the six or eight before that. I feel like I'm on the right track,' he said. 'This one in particular, I felt a lot more normal. When I threw the ball, it was in the zone, regardless of what I was trying to do with it. 'The way I was brought up in in this game and how I learned growing up was that if you don't have your best stuff, you try to get the ball on the ground and eat innings and get through games. I felt like tonight was as good as my delivery has been but my arm's a little bit behind that. It's not like I went and punched 10.' The Red Sox have been pleased with Buehler's pitch mix all season and the ex-Dodger used all seven of his offerings to keep the Phillies off balance Monday. His fastball averaged 94.1 mph and he threw his slider 30 times. 'The stuff, even before the last three, we always thought the stuff was good,' said Cora. 'It was just a matter of making adjustments and he's getting closer to the strike zone now. His pitches are all competitive.' Buehler feels like he's still going through a bit of an adjustment period after making drastic changes to his delivery and mechanics in an attempt to get out of his rut. But he is able to take some solace in the fact he's getting results — including a 3.00 ERA in 19 July innings — while the work is still ongoing. 'Definitely positive, but I don't think this was the best game of my career or anything like that,' he said. 'A positive step forward, but not the end all and be all. 'Definitely, it's one of those teams where if you threw the ball well, you knew you threw the ball well. It's a big thing for me, internal, but at the end of the day, I had 16 or 17 that weren't what I want. I'm not gonna lay everything down and say, 'I'm back' after one. But it definitely feels good for me personally.' Buehler, of course, isn't happy with the fact he owns a 5.72 ERA through 17 outings this season. But the Red Sox, as a club, have weathered those struggles to be in contention with two months to go. A solid second half — and potentially some playoff contributions — would go a long way toward salvaging the one-year, $21.05 million deal the Red Sox handed Buehler in December. 'We're gonna need this guy,' said catcher Carlos Narváez. BETTING: The Red Sox +1.5 runline is listed at -108 on DraftKings for Tuesday's game versus Philadelphia. If you're curious about how to bet on sports, visit our Massachusetts sports betting guide for beginners. More Red Sox coverage With strike looming, Fenway concession workers have Red Sox players' support Red Sox question MLB rule after becoming second team since 1920 to lose in 'really weird' way Red Sox reactions: Walker Buehler's solid night spoiled as Boston loses on bizarre walk-off Red Sox sign first-round pick for $5 million, plus a few other top draft picks Alex Cora explains why Red Sox shut down Tanner Houck (and gives other injury updates) Read the original article on MassLive.
New York Times
22-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Mets trade deadline overview: Where and how can New York upgrade?
NEW YORK — Now with fewer than 10 days before the trade deadline, David Stearns and the Mets have provided some clarity about their potential direction. There are four main areas the Mets could address between now and July 31: the bullpen, the rotation, center field and third base. Stearns addressed all of those areas Monday. So let's run through how Stearns views his roster publicly and the potential options on the trade market for improvement. Advertisement We'll break the positions down into big splashes, smaller splashes, likelier targets and under-the-radar names, even though Stearns was against that metaphor Monday. 'I try not to look at it as the size of the splash. That can get a little dangerous this time of year,' he said. 'We try to look at how good the player coming back is and how that particular player fits the team needs.' One didn't need to read between the lines with Stearns on Monday. He made it abundantly clear the Mets will be adding to their relief corps. 'We will be active (in the bullpen),' Stearns said, alluding to the series of injuries the Mets have suffered there. 'Providing our group reinforcements there would be great.' Note the plural. Barring injury, the Mets have six quality candidates for a postseason bullpen: Edwin Díaz, Reed Garrett, Huascar Brazobán, Brooks Raley, Ryne Stanek and José Buttó. That group could conceivably be supplemented by anyone who falls out of the starting rotation or, as The Athletic reported earlier Monday, by Triple-A starters converted into relievers. But there should be room for two additions, one of whom is adept at handling left-handed hitters. The big splash: Emmanuel Clase, Cleveland The lights-out closer would be the best reliever moved at the deadline since at least 2016, when Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller were both dealt. Clase comes with three years of additional inexpensive team control (at $26 million total), and the Mets could acquire him as insurance in case Díaz opts out and seeks a bigger payday elsewhere. Still a splash: Griffin Jax, Minnesota A less familiar name from the AL Central, Jax has quietly been one of the game's best relievers since breaking out as a 27-year-old in 2022. Like Clase, he's under longer team control (through 2027). Since the start of last season, Jax is tied with Josh Hader for the fifth-best strikeout rate in baseball (37.9 percent), just ahead of Díaz. Jax does that without walking many batters; his walk rate is less than half that of the Mets' bullpen. Jax primarily uses a high-80s slider and low-90s changeup that each generate a ton of chase. Pairing him with Díaz would shorten games considerably. Worth mentioning: Danny Coulombe, Minnesota Another Twin, Coulombe is likely the best lefty reliever who will be moved by July 31. His ERA is below 1.00, his FIP below 2.00 and his strikeout and walk rates are both better than the league average. Since the start of 2023, only 12 relievers have held lefties to a lower OPS than Coulombe's .509. Advertisement An under-the-radar target: Shelby Miller, Arizona One of those relievers is the righty Miller, who has held lefties to a .465 OPS since he added a splitter to his arsenal in 2023. Although on the IL with a right forearm strain, Miller is slated to return this week for the Diamondbacks, where he's served as the closer since injuries to A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez earlier in the season. One thing has become clear: The Mets are not going to add depth to their starting rotation. Now that they've gotten some pitchers back, with others on the way from either the IL (injured list) or the IL (International League), New York isn't looking to add an arm just to add an arm. If the Mets are going to add a starter, it would be one they'd want to start a playoff game, likely alongside a postseason rotation of Sean Manaea, Kodai Senga and David Peterson. 'I still think (a No. 1 starter) is really valuable,' Stearns said. 'You'd always like to have the horse at the front of the rotation. But it's not the only way to build a rotation, it's not the only way to win a playoff series, it's not the only way to win a World Series. 'I think we have multiple pitchers on our staff right now who can lead a staff into a playoff series. I'm confident with that, I'm comfortable with that.' In other words, this is not a top priority for the Mets. The big splash: Joe Ryan, Minnesota In a weak market for top-of-the-rotation arms, Ryan stands out as the type of pitcher you can push out there in Game 1 of a postseason series — and he's controlled through 2027. That makes Minnesota understandably loath to trade him, and the return would have to be significant. For the Mets, that would likely mean consolidating multiple arms in the majors or high-minors for Ryan. A familiar target: Seth Lugo, Kansas City Advertisement After years pining for the opportunity to start, Lugo left the Mets following the 2022 season and has been one of the game's better starters in San Diego and Kansas City since, finishing second in the AL Cy Young balloting a season ago. While Lugo's ERA remains excellent this year, his peripheral numbers are not as strong. His home run rate has doubled from last year, and he's benefited from a lower batting average on balls in play and a very good strand rate — things that tend to regress over time. Nevertheless, Lugo would likely represent an upgrade over Clay Holmes or Frankie Montas in the back of the rotation. Worth mentioning: Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly, Arizona Gallen and Kelly were the driving forces behind Arizona's surprising push to the World Series in 2023. If the Diamondbacks, who entered Monday at 50-50, decided to sell either of the impending free agents, they'd qualify as postseason starters for most any team. While the bigger name, Gallen has had a rougher season, with an ERA over five and peripheral numbers that suggest that's about right. Kelly is older and with less of a standout track record, but he's been a solid second or third starter for several years. The righty generates a lot of swing-and-miss with his outstanding changeup. Stearns explicitly acknowledged center field as 'the one position where we haven't gotten the level of production we anticipated coming into the year.' But that doesn't mean he's hell-bent on finding an external solution. 'For me, the bar to improve center field has probably risen over the past two weeks,' Stearns said, 'because of Jeff (McNeil)'s comfort level and the secondary skills that Tyrone (Taylor) can provide. 'I'm certain we're going to be engaged, but we've got to clear the bar.' The big splash: Jarren Duran, Boston Advertisement Duran doesn't even play center, and he's on a team likely to buy at the deadline. So why's he on this list? Because the Red Sox have a surplus of outfielders — one only exacerbated by Ceddanne Rafaela's recent offensive explosion — and because Duran is miscast in left field. His defensive numbers were far better in center last season, and he brings a high ceiling, as shown by his top-10 MVP finish last season. His offensive numbers have taken an unsurprising step back, but Duran is still solidly above league average at a position with very few two-way contributors. He's under team control through 2028, so it would take a fair amount to get him — probably including a major-league piece. First things first… JARREN. — Red Sox (@RedSox) July 21, 2025 Still a splash: Luis Robert, Chicago White Sox Since returning from the injured list in early July, Robert has helped reestablish some semblance of trade value, posting an OPS north of 1.000 in nine games. Look, when you have the kind of season Robert did as a 25-year-old in 2023 — an .857 OPS and 38 homers while playing a solid center — teams will look for any reason to give you another shot. Robert's defense in center is average to slightly above, and so he owns a reasonable floor as an everyday player, with the chance to be much more. Worth mentioning: Cedric Mullins, Baltimore Following a scorching start to the season, Mullins has been in an extended slump. Since the end of April, his average is under .200 and his OPS under .600. Furthermore, his typically stout center-field defense has been dinged by advanced metrics all season. At the moment, he looks less like an upgrade than he had for much of the year. Stearns explicitly said he expects the Mets' answer at third base this season to come from within. New York has been cycling through Mark Vientos, Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio pretty regularly at the position of late, and each offers a compelling reason for more of an everyday opportunity. Vientos was an integral part of last season's turnaround. Baty stayed hot Monday with a two-run homer, and he's raised his OPS above .700 (and above the league average) with consistently improving glovework. Mauricio has looked comfortable at third and provided some pop, especially against right-handed pitching. Advertisement So unless that's all posturing or something changes significantly in the next 10 days, the list here is more of a thought exercise. The big splash: Eugenio Suárez, Arizona Suárez is likely to be the best bat moved between now and the deadline. He's smashed 36 home runs already this season — his most since 2019 — and has been red-hot basically since the middle of last season. He can hold his own at third base, and he'd provide clarity at a position of flux and another middle-of-the-order masher. Put Suárez in the lineup, and the Mets' top five hitters might all hit 30-plus homers. The Mets have never had even three 30-homer hitters. A likelier target: Willi Castro, Minnesota An All-Star last year, the do-everything Castro is having his best season this year, hitting about 20 percent better than the league average while playing every position on the field except catcher. Acquiring Castro would only further Carlos Mendoza's day-to-day flexibility. The switch hitter has been platoon-neutral across his career but is mashing lefties this season — a particular benefit if he joins a mix with Baty and Mauricio, who are better versus right-handed pitching. Castro can start at second on days McNeil is in center. He can play the corner outfield if you want to give a DH day to Juan Soto or Brandon Nimmo. He can play third on a more regular basis if he's the best option there. (The downside is that third base has been arguably Castro's worst defensive position this year.) An under-the-radar target: Yoán Moncada, Los Angeles Angels Moncada represents much more of a boom-or-bust option. When healthy, he's been a solid, above-average hitter capable of a double-digit walk rate and legitimate power. The problem is how rarely Moncada has been healthy. Since the start of 2023, he's played just 142 games. (Top photo of Emmanuel Clase: Griffin Quinn / Getty Images)
Washington Post
11-07-2025
- Science
- Washington Post
For a few days this summer, your days will be just a smidge shorter
You're not running late — Earth is just moving faster, at least for a few days this summer. On July 22, Earth will spin about 1.38 milliseconds faster than its typical 86,400 seconds in a day. If that's not quick enough, Earth will rotate 1.51 milliseconds faster on August 5. Those numbers are calculated by the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service, according to The IERS tracks Earth's orientation in space and schedules leap seconds, which are added to help keep our clocks synchronized with astronomical time (when Earth moves a bit more sluggish).
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mets proposed blockbuster brings $13.5 million rental ace to Queens
Help is assuredly on the way for the New York Mets' rotation, but how much help? With Kodai Senga and Sean Manaea nearly ready to return to the fold, the Mets will finally have some rotation stability after a rash of injuries within the past month. Those two can form a formidable top-of-the-rotation trio with Clay Holmes. Advertisement However, in a stacked National League, the Mets' rotation still doesn't look as promising as some of their fellow contenders, at least on paper. One baseball insider thinks the Mets should rectify that by swinging a blockbuster trade for a slumping former All-Star. On Thursday, ESPN's Jeff Passan wrote that the "best match" for the Mets at the trade deadline is Arizona Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen, who has had a rough year after back-to-back excellent seasons in 2023 and 2024. "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," Passan wrote. Advertisement Follow The Sporting News On WhatsApp "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." With a salary of $13.5 million and free agency impending, Gallen is something of a high-risk, high-reward trade target. Nothing he's done in Arizona this season would matter if he came to Queens and shoved for three months. But it wouldn't be like the Mets under president of baseball operations David Stearns to pay a premium for a veteran starting pitcher. We'll have to see if Stearns is willing to buck his normal trend to make a move he feels is essential. More MLB: Dodgers urged to acquire Twins $4.1 million flamethrower by ESPN insider
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
PSG Get Good News as Bayern Munich Make €12M-per-Year Offer to Barcelona Target
PSG are just one win away from completing a treble, largely thanks to the depth Luis Enrique has built across the squad. The Spanish manager has relied heavily on rotation this season, a strategy that's helped secure back-to-back Ligue 1 titles and a Coupe de France triumph. But while the approach has paid off, it hasn't satisfied everyone. Some players believe they're ready for a bigger role—and Bradley Barcola might be one of them. The young forward is now attracting interest from Bayern Munich, raising questions about his future in Paris. Advertisement According to Sky Sport Germany's Florian Plettenberg, Bayern board member for sport Max Eberl recently left the club's training camp in Florida to focus on squad planning. He's holding talks with agents and other decision-makers as the club shapes its summer strategy. Bayern remain interested in adding a winger, with their top priority still believed to be Athletic Club's Nico Williams—though that deal depends on how things play out with Barcelona. Barcola is also high on Bayern's radar, while AC Milan's Rafael Leão has come up in internal discussions as well. Are Bayern Munich ditching interest in PSG standout? OSCAR DEL POZO/AFP via Getty Images Advertisement Plettenberg's latest report reveals that Bayern Munich haven't given up on Nico Williams and have put a €12 million per season offer on the table. Bayern are hoping Barcelona run into financial or registration issues that could prevent them from closing the deal. In his recent column, Bayern Munich insider Christian Falk revealed that Bayern Munich still see Barcola as a Plan B option if they are unable to secure Athletic Club's Nico Williams, who is linked to Barcelona. 'FC Bayern still can't agree on which player is best for the club. Nico Williams is still the ideal number one signing,' Falk wrote. 'They think Leão doesn't contribute as effectively with his defensive work. Barcola is hard to get; PSG don't want to sell him. Advertisement 'Interestingly, though, Bradley Barcola has changed agents. He is no longer being advised by star agent Jorge Mendes, Cristiano Ronaldo's old representative. 'He has switched to Moussa Sissoko and Marco Lichtsteiner. They are also Jamie Gittens' agents. The agency is also very well connected with FC Bayern. If there is a chance of a transfer, FC Bayern will be attentive to the opportunity.' Despite this rumor, Foot Mercato's Josué Cassé recently reported that Barcola isn't leaving PSG, as he remains a key part of the club's project and has no intention of moving on.
