Mets star Juan Soto leaves loss to Padres early after fouling a ball off his left foot
In the fourth inning of the loss at Petco Park, Soto hit a foul ball that bounced straight into his foot, which sent him hopping away from the plate in pain. He limped significantly afterward while trying to walk it off, and he struggled to put any weight on his back leg.
Soto finished his at-bat by grounding out to second. The Mets then quickly ruled him out due to a foot contusion. Further specifics of his injury are not yet known.
Soto was 0-for-2 on the night when he left the game. He entered the contest carrying a .249 batting average with 62 RBI and 25 home runs this season.
The Padres held a 1-0 lead when Soto left the game, thanks to an RBI single from Jackson Merrill in the first inning. While the Mets tied it up in the fifth of a sacrifice fly from Sterling Marte, the Padres broke the game open in the seventh thanks to a two-RBI double from Elias Díaz and then a three-run homer from Manny Machado.
The Mets opened their series with the Padres on the wrong side of a walk-off single Monday, which snapped a seven-game winning streak. They now sit at 62-46 with the back-to-back losses, which has them in a slight lead in the NL East standings. The Mets will wrap up their three-game series with the Padres on Wednesday night.
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Newsweek
13 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Padres' A.J. Preller Explains Breakup With No. 1 Prospect In Mason Miller Trade
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 San Diego Padres had to pay a steep price to acquire closer Mason Miller from the Athletics, but general manager A.J. Preller was happy to pay it. On a trade deadline day on which the Padres overhauled their entire roster, the blockbuster to land Miller and starting pitcher J.P. Sears was the easy headliner. That's as much about who they gave up as it is who they got. In the deal, which included four prospects heading to the A's, the Padres gave up Leo DeVries, the 18-year-old shortstop who MLB Pipeline currently rates as the No. 3 prospect in all of baseball. SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 28: President of Baseball Operations and General Manager A.J. Preller of the San Diego Padres speaks to media prior to an Opening Day game against the San Francisco Giants at... SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 28: President of Baseball Operations and General Manager A.J. Preller of the San Diego Padres speaks to media prior to an Opening Day game against the San Francisco Giants at PETCO Park on March 28, 2024 in San Diego, California. (Photo by) More Sloter/Getty Miller undoubtedly makes the Padres better, as do Sears, Ryan O'Hearn, Ramon Laureano, Nestor Cortes, and Freddy Fermin. But giving up DeVries is a huge risk, and general manager A.J. Preller knows it. "He was asked about in every deal," Preller said of De Vries, per AJ Cassavell of "He's a really good player. He's a tremendous prospect. We weren't going to do it unless we got the right fit, the right pieces." The Padres got 4 1/2 years of control over Miller and 3 1/2 over Sears. But DeVries could be a superstar for at least six years with the A's, and that's not even factoring in the other three prospects the Padres gave up, two of whom joined DeVries on MLB Pipeline's top 10 A's prospects list. But Preller was willing to justify paying that price, and much more in other trades, to give Padres fans what they've spent over five decades waiting to see. "The expectation with this group is always to go win a ring, go win a championship," Preller said, per Cassavell. "That's the goal." After another blitzkrieg at the deadline, we'll see if this if finally Preller's year. More MLB: Yankees Acquire Giants Fireballer Camilo Doval in Last-Minute Trade: Report
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
MLB trade deadline grades for all 30 teams: 5 A's, 15 B's, 7 C's and 3 D's
This year's MLB trade deadline was another seller's market, which yielded some of the best prospect returns we've seen in years. Teams like the Diamondbacks, Twins, Athletics and Orioles fared extremely well, stocking up on young talent in exchange for controllable veteran players. In terms of contending teams, let's hear it for the Mariners, who landed two big bats — Eugenio Suárez and Josh Naylor — from Arizona. And A.J. Preller's Padres, who picked up pitchers Mason Miller and JP Sears from the Athletics and hitters Ryan O'Hearn and Ramón Laureano from the Orioles. And the Phillies and Mets, who had a fascinating battle to acquire relievers, with Philadelphia landing the best available one — Jhoan Duran from the Twins — and New York getting the most bullpen depth with their trades, snagging Ryan Helsley, Tyler Rogers and Gregory Soto. Advertisement Those are just some of the teams that stood out in another wild and wonderful trade season. Now, after another trade deadline featuring plenty of twists and turns, it's time to hand out grades. These annual grades are strictly my opinion — nothing more, nothing less. I assign the grades based on how much teams have improved their situation — whether they're rebuilding, trying to make the playoffs or pushing to win the World Series. Full disclosure: I'm not a big fan of teams 'standing pat,' so rightly or wrongly, I do tend to hold that against them. I've always believed there are ways to improve your organization at the trade deadline. I take into account team needs, positional depth and the available players. I compare what teams did and what they didn't do, and consider payroll size, the standings and the organization's goals. Here are my grades for each of the 30 teams for this year's trade deadline. Grade: B+ Key takeaways: The Orioles made a lot of good trades and were one of the best overall sellers, getting strong returns — in terms of quality and quantity — for the players they traded. I especially liked the acquisitions of 17-year-old shortstop Wilfri De La Cruz from the Cubs as well as 19-year-old righty Boston Bateman and 20-year-old shortstop Cobb Hightower from the Padres. Now the Orioles should be able to focus on improving their pitching in the offseason, with more payroll flexibility and a stronger farm system from which to deal. Grade: C- Key takeaways: Let's start with the shocking blockbuster in mid-June: I didn't think the Red Sox got enough in return for Rafael Devers, and believe they should have waited until the trade deadline to make the move, but I also understand they shed his massive contract and have played much better since the trade. At the deadline, I was anticipating they'd trade for an elite starter — like Joe Ryan, MacKenzie Gore or Sandy Alcantara (when at his best) — but none of them were dealt, and Boston ultimately settled on Dustin May, who has a 4.85 ERA. (The Red Sox did attempt to acquire Ryan, as reported by The Athletic's Jen McCaffrey, but weren't willing to meet the Twins' asking price for the All-Star.) I just don't think they did enough to catch the Blue Jays or Yankees. Advertisement Grade: B+ Key takeaways: The Yankees acquired an important high-leverage reliever in David Bednar to bolster the back end of their bullpen, led by Devin Williams and Luke Weaver. They kept adding relievers on deadline day, getting Camilo Doval and Jake Bird, which gives them key bullpen depth for the rest of the year, and, crucially, beyond. (Williams and Weaver are impending free agents, but all three new relievers have at least one more year of team control.) They upgraded at third base with Ryan McMahon, an above-average defender with a left-handed swing that's meant for Yankee Stadium. They also added useful bench players in Austin Slater, an outfielder who hits left-handed pitching well (.859 OPS), and infielders Amed Rosario and José Caballero, who give them positional flexibility. They did have to pay the prospect price to get Bednar, one of the best-available relievers, but so did everyone else shopping in that aisle. Grade: B- Key takeaways: The Rays' deadline had some buying and selling and, oh yes, catching. They traded veteran catcher Danny Jansen to the Brewers and then acquired Nick Fortes, an experienced catcher, from the Marlins. Finally, they landed a player who could be their long-term future catcher, Hunter Feduccia, from the Dodgers, in a three-team deal that also involved the Reds. They decided to not trade some of their veterans such as second baseman Brandon Lowe and DH/1B Yandy Díaz, but did ship starter Zack Littell to the Reds in the three-way swap. However, they also were buyers, landing Adrian Houser to upgrade their rotation depth and Griffin Jax, who has two more years of team control, to improve the bullpen. It was a balanced approach. Grade: B Key takeaways: The Blue Jays made the best under-the-radar trade of the deadline, landing righty Shane Bieber in a deal with the Guardians. Bieber, who is working his way back from Tommy John surgery, has impressed in his rehab outings and could become a significant factor in the postseason, giving the Jays a potential ace for the rest of this year if he can regain his past form. I also thought they made fair deals with Baltimore to get Seranthony Domínguez and with the Twins to get Louis Varland, two hard-throwing righties, to fortify their bullpen. Grade: D Key takeaways: Sometime the best 'trades' are the ones you don't make — that's what the White Sox are hoping is the case with center fielder Luis Robert Jr., whom they will now not only keep for the rest of the season, but also will pick up his $20 million club option for next year with the idea of trying to trade him in the offseason or perhaps at next year's deadline. They just couldn't find anyone to meet their asking price on Robert, whose trade value has been in decline for a while. Grade: C Key takeaways: The Guardians' trade deadline ambitions took a huge blow when MLB placed their closer, Emmanuel Clase, on non-disciplinary paid leave as part of a sports betting investigation. Cleveland was planning to trade Clase, who has three more years of team control, but instead they were sidelined and missed out on an opportunity to get a significant return, like the Twins received from the Phillies in the Jhoan Duran deal. The Guardians did acquire righty Khal Stephen, a solid pitching prospect, from Toronto in the Shane Bieber trade, but they didn't do enough to improve their offense for the rest of this year, and more importantly, next year. Advertisement Grade: B Key takeaways: The Tigers added two back-of-the-rotation starters in Chris Paddack and Charlie Morton. They picked up a group of veteran relievers to improve their bullpen depth, highlighted by former Nationals closer Kyle Finnegan, along with Paul Sewald (shoulder strain), who won't be off the injured list until September, plus Rafael Montero, Codi Heuer and Randy Dobnak. However, they arguably didn't land an impact high-leverage reliever for October playoff games and failed to add the right-handed hitter they needed. The Tigers improved their pitching depth for the regular season, but I wonder if going for higher quality and less quantity would have been better. Grade: B Key takeaways: The Royals decided to buy, not sell despite having ground to make up in the wild-card race. (Entering Friday, they are 3 1/2 games out of the final AL wild-card spot.) Their best deadline move was extending Lugo, their most consistent starter over the past couple of years. In addition, I liked their decision to trade catcher Freddy Fermin, which netted two two solid pitchers from the Padres, a deal the Royals could make because they have two more top catching prospects waiting in the wings. They also added three veteran outfielders in Mike Yastrzemski, Adam Frazier and Randal Grichuk, which helps them around the edges of the roster. However, they failed to acquire an impact bat for left field and to add much power to their lineup, two key needs. I give them credit for going for it, but they needed more. Grade: B Key takeaways: The Twins did an excellent job of selling, especially with their return for Jhoan Duran. Mick Abel, 23, has a chance to develop into a top-of-the-rotation starter once his command and control improve, and Eduardo Tait, 18, is one of the best power-hitting catching prospects in the game. They were able to shed a lot of payroll while also adding significant talent to the farm system, which sets the organization up for future success and its eventual sale. (The Pohlad family, longtime owners of the club, have been exploring a sale since last year.) If you're going to sell at the deadline, you might as well go all-in, and that's basically what the Twins did, trading their entire bullpen and the face of their franchise in Carlos Correa, along with others. They ended up keeping righty Joe Ryan after listening to teams' offers. However, this was (almost) everything must go, as the Twins pushed the reset button. Grade: B+ Key takeaways: The Athletics acquired the top prospect who was traded at the deadline: Leo De Vries, whom Keith Law ranked No. 13 in baseball in his most-recent list. The 18-year-old shortstop is currently at High A but should develop into a star and be major-league ready around when the Athletics are moving into their next permanent home, in Las Vegas, in three years. In their blockbuster deal with the Padres, the A's also acquired pitching prospect Braden Nett, who should develop into a mid-rotation starter. Although they're back in last place, the A's continue to build and are going in the right direction as an organization. Grade: B- Key takeaways: The Astros' reunion with Carlos Correa is special and as long as he can stay healthy for the remainder of his contract, then this could be a shrewd pickup. However, I'm concerned about the injury risk — now and in future years. The Twins agreed to pay $30 million of the $96 million guaranteed to Correa over the next three seasons, but it's still a gamble for Houston. I liked the pickup of Jesús Sánchez, who gives the Astros the left-handed bat they were seeking, and I appreciate the depth move for Ramón Urías in case Correa gets hurt. However, I also wanted the Astros to land a No. 3-type starter to slot behind Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown in their rotation for the playoffs — no dice. Grade: D Key takeaways: The Angels once again kept the baseball world guessing, and surprised me when they opted to buy instead of sell. They added righty Luis García and lefty Andrew Chafin, two veteran relievers who improve their bullpen depth. OK, fine. But the Angels just never seem to take advantage of trade deadlines to improve their future, which is disappointing. Closer Kenley Jansen and outfielder Taylor Ward could have been dealt for solid returns. Nope! Once again, they missed an opportunity to build for the coming years. As for this season, the Angels enter Friday 4 1/2 games out of the final AL wild-card spot. I just don't see this team leapfrogging five teams in the wild card race, nor finishing ahead of the Mariners, Rangers and Astros in the division. Grade: A Key takeaways: The Mariners were huge trade deadline winners, filling their most significant team needs on the infield corners by acquiring first baseman Josh Naylor and third baseman Eugenio Suárez from the Diamondbacks in separate deals — and to land the pair, they didn't even have to give up their very best prospects. With Suárez joining Cal Raleigh, Seattle has a chance to have the first duo of hitters with 50 homers in a season apiece since 1961, when Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris did it for the Yankees. The Mariners also bolstered their bullpen with lefty Caleb Ferguson, who ranks in the 97th percentile or higher in hard-hit rate, barrel percentage and average exit velocity. Jerry Dipoto was under some pressure at this deadline, and he delivered. In my opinion, the Mariners are now the favorites to win the AL West and they have a real shot to win that elusive first World Series in franchise history. Grade: B+ Key takeaways: The Rangers managed to improve one of the best pitching staffs in baseball — they lead the majors in team ERA — in both key areas. They added Merrill Kelly, one of the game's most consistent starters in recent years, to their rotation. They also added important balance and depth to the bullpen with lefty Danny Coulombe and righty Phil Maton. The Rangers tried to acquire a higher-leverage reliever, but weren't able to in a competitive trade market. They also could have used another right-handed hitter for the bench. But all in all, they had a solid deadline. Grade: D Key takeaways: The Braves didn't make any significant trades to improve their team for 2026 and beyond. They were unable to trade DH Marcell Ozuna, who has 10-and-5 rights, and despite the strong market for relievers, they ended up retaining Raisel Iglesias. They were able to add three veteran pitchers to help them get through the regular season and avoid rushing pitching prospects to majors if their staff suffers even more injuries in August or September. However, it was disappointing that the Braves couldn't make any moves to begin to improve their 2026 team. Advertisement Grade: C- Key takeaways: The Marlins made solid trades with the Astros and Rays but weren't able to take advantage of the seller's market to get what they wanted for Sandy Alcantara or Edward Cabrera. They held onto their back-end relievers as well. However, sometimes the best trades are the ones you don't make. Since the Marlins weren't offered what they considered to be fair value for their starters, they did the right thing by keeping them. They can always trade them in the offseason or at next year's trade deadline. Alcantara has two more years of team control and Cabrera has three. Grade: A- Key takeaways: Among the contending teams, the Mets did the best job of building bullpen depth, adding three former closers in Ryan Helsley, Tyler Rogers and Gregory Soto, who collectively bring a wide variety of deliveries, arm angles and stuff. Incorporating the trio into the bullpen should allow the Mets to shorten games and better set up their closer, Edwin Díaz. The Mets weren't able to add length to their rotation, but they made up for it by emphasizing the bullpen. I also liked their decision to trade three minor-league relievers for center fielder Cedric Mullins, who despite his low batting average, is still a 20-homer, 20-steals player and a strong defender. Mullins, and his high energy, will fit nicely in the Mets' clubhouse. Grade: A- Key takeaways: The Phillies landed the best-available closer, Jhoan Duran, who is also controllable through 2027. Getting a high-leverage reliever addressed their biggest need. However, they were forced to part with two top prospects, Mick Abel and Eduardo Tait, due to the competitive market. The Phillies also improved their bullpen depth and experience by signing free-agent reliever Dave Robertson to a one-year deal that will pay him approximately $5.5 million on a pro-rated, one-year, $16 million contract. They acquired Harrison Bader, an above-average defensive outfielder who can play center and left. He has a 111 OPS+ this season. I would have liked to see the Phillies get a better right-handed bat than Bader, like Luis Robert Jr. of the White Sox, but when the prospect ask from the White Sox became too high, I understand why they settled on Bader, who will be a plus defensively and on the bases. Grade: C Key takeaways: The Nationals traded away three relievers, a starter, a utility player and a solid fourth outfielder for six pitching prospects and three position player prospects. They did what they had to do in moving several veteran players on expiring contracts. Their returns were solid but not spectacular. They listened to inquiries on MacKenzie Gore, but when they did not receive an offer to their liking, they decided to stand pat and revisit possibly trading him in the offseason. Grade: C Key takeaways: The best move the Cubs made was extending president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer to a multiyear contract, but their trade deadline activity was underwhelming. I did love the Willi Castro pickup because of his positional flexibility, but I thought they overpaid for reliever Andrew Kittredge and starter Michael Soroka. I expected the Cubs to go all-in for an impact starting pitcher, but it didn't happen. Instead, they just improved around the edges. Grade: B Key takeaways: The Reds improved their infield defense significantly with the addition of Ke'Bryan Hayes, who is in line for another Gold Glove Award, leading all third basemen with 16 Defensive Runs Saved. However, they also had to commit to his contract through 2029 at an average annual value of $7.5 million, and took on injury risk given his back issues over the years. His defense is superb, but his hitting has been brutal; he's carrying a 61 OPS+ on the season. The Reds added to their starting pitching depth, getting Zack Littell (3.58 ERA over 22 starts). They also added a power bat in outfielder Miguel Andujar, who crushes left-handed pitching and is more of a platoon-type player. Grade: C+ Key takeaways: The Brewers' trade deadline was a bit underwhelming in terms of actual moves. They acquired a solid defensive catcher in Danny Jansen, a more than solid reliever in Shelby Miller and speedy extra outfielder in Brandon Lockridge. I would have liked to see the Brewers improve the offense on the left side of their infield, but at the end of the day, they enter August in a strong position. The promotion of Jacob Misiorowski (June 12) and the reinstatement of Brandon Woodruff from the injured list (July 6) outweigh any trade they could have made at the deadline. Those righties give Milwaukee two additional aces to go with Freddy Peralta. I still believe the Brewers are the team to beat in the NL Central due to the potential dominance of the top of their rotation. Advertisement Grade: B- Key takeaways: The Pirates were able significantly reduce their future financial exposure with the trades of David Bednar, Ke'Bryan Hayes, Adam Fraizer, Taylor Rogers and Caleb Ferguson. In particular, I liked the decision to shed the Hayes contract — he is making $7 million this year and is owed an average of $7.5 million over the next four years — because his bat has just never come around. Beyond that, the Pirates got solid returns in most of the deals, highlighted by Rafael Flores, the prospect centerpiece of the Bednar trade, who should develop into their long-term answer at catcher. He has slashed .279/.351/.475 this season with 16 homers between Double A and Triple A. Grade: C+ Key takeaways: The Cardinals ended up selling, trading away closer Ryan Helsley, swingman Steven Matz and starter Erick Fedde (the latter for cash considerations). The three-player return for Hesley was solid considering he's an impending free agent who has taken a step back after a stellar 2024 season. Batters are hitting .406 and slugging .522 against his four-seamer. This was the Cardinals' last trade deadline under president of baseball operations John Mozeliak, who has worked in the club's front office for nearly three decades. Chaim Bloom will take over baseball operations after this season, and Mozeliak has set him up with flexibility and a clean slate to put his mark on the team. Grade: B Key takeaways: The Diamondbacks did a nice job in getting five solid prospects from the Mariners for Eugenio Suárez and Josh Naylor, but I was disappointed they weren't able to land any of Seattle's very best prospects with those big bats. However, I give the D-Backs credit for selling, emphasizing quantity in the trade returns, improving their farm system's depth considerably, and putting themselves in a much better position for the offseason. Because Zac Gallen's trade value had dipped due to his down year (5.60 ERA in 22 starts), they couldn't move him; instead, they can extend him the qualifying offer and, if declines, take the draft pick compensation if he signs elsewhere. (And, if he accepts the QO, they can try to get him back to his Cy Young-caliber form. Bottom line, by selling their impending free agents, the D-Backs did the right thing for their organizational future. Grade: B- Key takeaways: I gave the Rockies a 'D' last year after yet another quiet Colorado trade deadline, in a seller's market no less. This year, I thought they fared better. They had a solid deadline and took advantage of this seller's market to acquire four prospects, including three pitchers from the Yankees for Ryan McMahon and Jake Bird, whom they traded to New York in separate deals. This time, the Rockies understood the assignment and got done what they could. Grade: B+ Key takeaways: The Dodgers decided to both buy and sell at the deadline, acquiring a solid fourth outfielder in Alex Call (119 OPS+) and a veteran reliever in Brock Stewart (2.38 ERA, 1.09 WHIP) who should significantly help their bullpen down the stretch. The trade for Stewart could become one of the best under-the-radar deals of the deadline. I also really liked their pickup of Call because he's a plus defender with speed and is controllable through 2029. The Dodgers also sold in an effort to build up their farm system, and I liked those moves as well. They always seem to win three-team trades, and I thought they did it again with the acquisitions of High-A lefty Adam Serwinowski and Triple-A righty Paul Gervase, who came over from the Reds and Rays, respectively, in the three-way deal. Grade: A Key takeaways: The Padres put themselves in a strong position to not only catch the Dodgers in the NL West — they're only three games back — but also to again be legitimate candidates to reach the World Series. Pairing Mason Miller with Robert Suarez at the back of the bullpen gives the Padres the best 1-2 punch in the sport. Add in All-Stars Adrian Morejon and Jason Adam as well as Jeremiah Estrada, you have a ridiculous bullpen that could be potent in the playoffs. Ramón Laureano and Ryan O'Hearn give the Padres the two bats they were looking to acquire at the deadline, and Freddy Fermin is a big upgrade at catcher. It's official: From now on, A.J. Preller should be considered the king of the trade deadline. Grade: A- Key takeaways: The Giants landed one of the five 'A' grades (an A-minus technically) in part for landing DH Rafael Devers from the Red Sox on June 15 without giving up their top prospects. Even though they haven't played well since, it was a phenomenal, lopsided trade, which I think will help them for years to come. During the week leading into the deadline, they decided to be all-in sellers and did an excellent job — so much so, I thought they came out on top in every trade they made. The Giants have reloaded their farm system, gotten younger and put themselves in a stronger position to add in the offseason. Kudos to Buster Posey on crushing his first trade deadline as president of baseball operations. (Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; Stephen Maturen, Mark Blinch, Sam Hodde / Getty Images)
New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
Key moves from MLB's trade deadline. Plus: Farewell, NFL chain gang
The Pulse Newsletter 📣 | This is The Athletic's daily sports newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Pulse directly in your inbox. Good morning! Happy August. Chris returns Monday, but we've tabbed an elite pinch hitter today in Andy McCullough: The MLB trade deadline came and went yesterday. Here are five things you need to know: 1. Padres GM A.J. Preller did it again: His peers wonder when he sleeps. His detractors seethe that his aggressiveness will some day backfire. His fans exult in a chief executive hellbent on bringing a championship to San Diego. Advertisement Preller is the main character most years at the deadline, and he demonstrated why again yesterday. Athletics closer Mason Miller, a stud with a 101 mph fastball, looked untouchable in trade talks — until Preller agreed to give up a prospect some considered likewise untouchable, 18-year-old shortstop Leo De Vries, as part of the return package. It was the same sort of devil-may-care panache that has helped Preller land All-Stars like Juan Soto, Josh Hader and Blake Snell in the past. Almost as an afterthought, Preller added a new catcher (Royals backstop Freddy Fermin) while making a deal with Baltimore to plug holes at designated hitter (Ryan O'Hearn) and in the outfield (Ramón Laureano). Will it bring the World Series to San Diego? We'll find out in October. The Padres (60-49) are hot on the heels of the Dodgers (63-46) in the NL West. 2. A fire sale in the Twin Cities: Active rosters have 26 players. The Twins (51-57) have traded away 10 of the 26 dudes who started this week on theirs. The week acted as an effective reset for an organization that has played below expectations and disappointed fans for several years, and is on the verge of being sold. Most of the players fleeing the scene were relievers. The most shocking departure involved three-time All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa, who has dealt with injuries since signing a six-year, $200 million deal. The Twins were willing to pay $30 million to get out from under the $100 million left on it. The most amusing part? Minnesota sent him to … 3. An H-town reunion: Yup, the Astros. Correa approved a trade that reunited him with the franchise that drafted him at No. 1 in 2012. He was a crucial cog in the genesis of the Astros dynasty and a vital contributor when the franchise won its first World Series in 2017. (There was some other stuff going on that year, but who has the time to remember it all?) He left in free agency after 2021, and the Astros, 62-47 this season, kept rolling along. With Jeremy Peña now installed at shortstop, Correa has agreed to shift to third base. Chalk it up as another summertime stunner from owner Jim Crane, who authorized the acquisition of Justin Verlander in 2017 and Zack Greinke in 2019. Advertisement 4. Big swings in the East: For days leading up to the deadline, executives kvetched about the cost of acquiring relievers. Turns out, some of the best teams decided they didn't care about the price. The Phillies (61-47) ponied up for Twins reliever Jhoan Duran. The Mets (62-47) paid up for Giants reliever Tyler Rogers and Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley. The Yankees (60-49) went for the biggest haul of all, netting Pirates closer David Bednar, Rockies reliever Jake Bird and former Giants All-Star Camilo Doval. 5. Quiet times in Tinseltown and Windy City: One of the more surprising developments this week was inactivity from two contenders. The Cubs (63-45) failed to add a top-shelf starting pitcher. The Dodgers (63-46) did little to improve their beleaguered bullpen. At least the Cubs can take heart knowing the 64-44 Brewers, their chief rival in the NL Central, also stayed quiet. But the Dodgers will yet again have to vanquish a deadline-boosted Padres club. Whew. Revisit every deal here, and our staff has more on the winners, losers and snoozers of the deadline. NFL debuts virtual measurement system The 2025 NFL preseason officially got underway last night with the Hall of Fame Game, in which the Chargers — with Trey Lance at quarterback — dominated the Lions with to win 34-7. But more notably, the league debuted its new virtual measurement technology, replacing the chain gang. After Lions running back Craig Reynolds ran for 10 yards on the first play of the second quarter, officials waited for a virtual measurement. Here's a look: Parker rips WNBA All-Stars Basketball legend Candace Parker said the shirts WNBA players wore at last month's All-Star Game, which read 'Pay Us What You Owe Us,' would have resonated more if they put more effort into the contest. On the debut episode of her new podcast, in a conversation with Fever star Aliyah Boston, Parker said she thought the players missed an 'added opportunity' to make a statement. Boston defended the players' efforts in the game, where Team Collier beat Team Clark 151-131. More news 📫 Love The Pulse? Check out The Athletic's other newsletters. 📺 2025 Pop-A-Shot National Championship 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2 You read that right. Among the eight competitors: 2003 Super Bowl-winning quarterback Brad Johnson, who's been taking as many as 1,700 shots a day in preparation. 📺 Leagues Cup: Tigres vs. San Diego FC 11 p.m. ET on FS1 Also switching it up with some Friday night soccer, just for fun. Two good teams play their second match of the group stage. Get tickets to events like these here. Michael Silver has a fresh piece today on Aaron Rodgers' connection to Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, and how their relationship was the driving force behind the quarterback's return for a 21st season. Make time for this one. In a world that is arguably definitely oversaturated with soccer, Felipe Cardenas asks: Where does the Leagues Cup fit in? Advertisement Should the Lakers' 2020 NBA bubble title be looked at with skepticism, like Daryl Morey suggested to The Athletic's Joe Vardon this week? Several of our writers weigh in. Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Our MLB staff's grades for every trade deadline deal. Most-read on the website yesterday: The trade deadline live blog. Ticketing links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
