The Sho Goes On

July 25, 2023

By: Carlos Alvarez

Good Morning,

MLB trade deadline week is officially underway. Could baseball\’s biggest superstar be on the move? The first hat trick of the World Cup has been claimed, and NFL teams are already dealing with training camp injuries and holdouts. Plus, there’s another Messi sighting tonight in Miami. All that and more in today\’s Tuesday edition of trades, tricks, and training camps.

Letter Rip!

MLB

Trade Deadline: The Sho Goes On?

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Image via Giphy

MLB Trade Deadline Buyers, Sellers, And Potential Targets… Will the Angels Really Deal Shohei Ohtani?

The MLB season is past the 100-game mark, and the trade deadline is now one week away. It’s crunch time for team management with one last play toward roster improvements. Buyers and sellers are somewhat distinct, but a few teams are in limbo. Five clubs sit around .500 and could go either way, and those franchises hold a lot of weight in star players at the trade deadline. One player, in particular, is the talk of the coming week — Shohei Ohtani. So who are the five teams teetering between buyers and sellers? And why would the Angels trade the best player in baseball? Let’s examine.

5 Clubs in Limbo (Buy or Sell?)

One could argue there should be more or less on this list, but we have five teams in the spotlight this coming week. The division leaders will be buyers as they aim for the World Series. Those with lost seasons will be sellers of expiring talent. But these five teams could go either way.

Angels (51-49) — 4 Games Back of the AL Wild Card

Guardians (49-51) — 5.5 Games Back of AL Wild Card

Cubs (48-51) — 5.5 Games Back of NL Wild Card

Padres (48-53) — 6 Games Back of the NL Wild Card

Mets (46-53) — 7.5 Games Back of the NL Wild Card

Why Would the Angels Trade Ohtani?

Despite being a generational two-way star and the current home run leader, Ohtani is already 29 years old. It’s his fifth year in the majors, and that late start at the age of 24 means his career clock is already ticking. At 29, he’s absolutely in his prime, but the Angels have botched the duo of Ohtani and Mike Trout, failing to capitalize on their star power in the past three years of Ohtani’s rise. Trout signed a 12-year, $426.5 million contract in 2019. He’s a Halo for the long run. But Ohtani’s contract expires at the end of this season. If the Angels don’t trade him, he’ll have options this winter. It will either cost the Angels another mega contract to keep him, or let him hit free agency for nothing in return. Getting something back might be the play.

High-Profile Trade Candidates

Pitchers

RHP Lucas Giolito (White Sox)

RHP Max Scherzer (Mets)

RHP Marcus Stroman (Cubs)

LHP Blake Snell (Padres)

LHP Josh Hader (Padres)

RHP Kyle Hendricks (Cubs)

RHP Scott Barlow (Royals)

LHP Jordan Montgomery (Cardinals)

RHP Michael Lorenzen (Tigers)

RHP Aaron Civale (Guardians)

RHP Lance Lynn (White Sox)

RHP David Robertson (Mets)

Field

SS Paul DeJong (Cardinals)

OF Cody Bellinger (Cubs)

C Elias Diaz (Rockies)

OF Randal Grichuk (Rockies)

3B Jeimer Candelario (Nationals)

OF Tommy Pham (Mets)

OF Mark Canha (Mets)

OF Teoscar Hernandez (Mariners)

C Yan Gomes (Cubs)

*Players listed are a collection of rumors, expert opinions, and teams that are likely sellers.

MLB Trade Deadline: Tuesday, Aug. 1

Read More

CBS Sports: Trade Deadline Tracker: Braves Add Pair of Relievers From Rangers & Rockies

B/R: Shohei Ohtani Trade Rumors: Orioles & Diamondbacks Asking About Angels Star

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MLB Quick-Hitters

Central Fireworks: The Reds and Brewers are clashing this week with the NL Central lead on the line. In last night’s matchup, Reds’ rookie Elly De La Cruz hit a towering 456-foot home run, but Christian Yelich slapped a walk-off RBI for a 3-2 Crew win. Milwaukee leads Cincy by just one game in the divisional race.

Texas-Sized Walk-Off: The Astros and Rangers had a slugfest at Minute Maid Park that saw 19 combined runs before the Stros won a nail-biter. Tied 9-9 in the bottom of the 9th, Yainer Diaz hit an RBI single that brought Kyle Tucker home from second in a play at the plate for the Astros\’ win (10-9).

O’s Keep Winning: The Orioles and Phillies started this week’s East Coast series on Monday night with a wild finish. Baltimore’s Colton Cowser hit a go-ahead RBI double in the top of the 9th (3-2) before Cionel Perez completed the save. The O’s are back atop the AL with 62 wins.

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WORLD CUP

World Cup Scoreboard

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Photo: VCG / Getty Images

Germany & Brazil Open 2023 World Cup Bids With Blowouts as Matchday 1 Concludes

Another day on the World Cup scene and another pair of blowouts by two of the favorites. Germany and Brazil rocked their opponents in lopsided World Cup debuts. Brazil’s Ary Borges netted the first hat trick of the World Cup in a Central-South America showdown with Panama. Alexandra Popp kickstarted things for Germany with two early goals before the Germans ran roughshod over Morocco (6-0). Italy’s narrow win over Argentina was a different story with Cristian Girelli (87’) finding a late tiebreaker. More action overnight last night and tonight means every team has logged their first match of the Group Stage. The U.S. Women’s National Team gets a crack at the Netherlands in a World Cup Final (2019) rematch on Wednesday night. Let\’s keep kicking!

Latest Scores & Highlights

Italy def. Argentina (1-0)

Germany def. Morocco (6-0)

Brazil def. Panama (4-0)

Colombia def. South Korea (2-0)

Upcoming Schedule

New Zealand vs. Philippines (Tues. 1:30 am ET)*

Switzerland vs. Norway (Tues. 4:00 am ET)*

Japan vs. Costa Rica (Wed. 1:00 am ET)

Spain vs. Zambia (Wed. 3:30 am ET)

*Overnight Matches (Live Updates)

USWNT Schedule

USA vs. Netherlands (Wed. 9:00 pm ET)

Read More

FOX Sports: USWNT’s Edge Against Netherlands? Instilling Fear

Yahoo! Sports: Sam Kerr’s Injury Confusion Looms Over World Cup That Could Have Been Hers

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NFL

Training Camp Clipboard

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Photo: Alex Beirens de Haan / Getty Images

NFL Training Camp Storylines, Injuries, Holdouts & More

The 2023 NFL season is just six weeks away. All 32 teams have reported to camp as of today, and that means we’re in for a month-long reality show of camp news around almost 3,000 players. Roster cuts by August’s end will leave each team with a 53-man roster. There’s injuries, holdouts and moving pieces in each camp, so we’ll curate a list of headlines most days in the month ahead. Monday victimized two teams on opposite ends of Lake Erie — the Bills and Lions. Josh Jacobs dipped out of Las Vegas, and Saquon Barkley isn’t expected to show in New York. Here’s the latest:

Injury Report

Rookie Contracts

Holdouts to Watch

Other NFL Headlines

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SPORTSLETTER SERIES

Sports Gambling: Part II

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Photo: spxChrome / Getty Images

Sports Gambling, Part II: Industry Size and Projected Growth (By Marissa Kasch)

There are two types of people when it comes to sports gambling. There’s the guy on FanDuel who places 10 bets on the NFL per weekend. And then there’s the guy who wouldn’t put a dollar down on the game even if the other team forfeit. Both are valid decisions. But no matter which of these philosophies you subscribe to, there’s no denying that sports gambling is a large (and growing) industry with a rich history.

Despite its deep roots, sports betting has had a long, arduous journey to get to where it is now. In fact, the last five years have changed the game entirely. These years have shaped its value, reputation, accessibility, and popularity. If you recall from the first edition of our sports gambling series, legalization was a considerable obstacle to the industry’s growth. Since the 2018 Supreme Court ruling, many states have either legalized or moved to legalize sports betting, which accounts for the five-year surge we’ve seen. However, it is still in legislation in some states and completely illegal in others. If you think sports betting is a big industry now, wait until legislation is complete in more states.

Read Full Article — Sports Gambling: Part II (By Marissa Kasch)

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STORYLINES

s Training Camp Roster Projections

We asked each of our NFL reporters what was the top question entering training camp for each team. They also provided their projections for every team\’s 53-man roster. (ESPN)

 Trade for Every 1st-Place Team

There are good odds that none of the first-place teams in Major League Baseball will get exactly what they want at the trade deadline. That doesn’t mean they can’t dream. (B/R)

 Who Makes the Ryder Cup?

The Open Championship broadcast crew discusses which 12 golfers will make up the U.S. Ryder Cup team this fall in Rome. (NBC Sports: Video)

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NEWS

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TODAY\’S SCHEDULE

The Must-Watch List

FIFA Women’s World Cup

New Zealand vs. Philippines (Tues. 1:30 am ET)*

Switzerland vs. Norway (Tues. 4:00 am ET)*

Japan vs. Costa Rica (Wed. 1:00 am ET)

Spain vs. Zambia (Wed. 3:30 am ET)

*Overnight Matches (Live Updates)

Messi Watch

Inter Miami CF vs. Atlanta United FC (7:30 pm ET)

MLB

Mets at Yankees (7:05 pm ET)

Braves at Red Sox (7:10 pm ET)

Cubs at White Sox (8:10 pm ET)

Reds at Brewers (8:10 pm ET)

Rangers at Astros (8:10 pm ET)

Athletics at Giants (9:45 pm ET)

Blue Jays at Dodgers (10:10 pm ET)

WNBA

Aces at Sky (7:00 pm ET)

Sun at Wings (8:00 pm ET)

Download The Sportsletter\’s Must-Watch Calendar