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The credentials of 14 participants in the Tokyo Games have reportedly been revoked due to COVID-19 rules violations, according to Rachel Axon of USA Today.
Games CEO Toshiro Muto said Sunday that of the 14 people, six had their credentials removed, while another eight had theirs suspended temporarily. An additional 10 cases of "strict warning incidents” have been reported, as well as four signed pledges on top of those warnings.
The actions come as a result of individuals not obeying the rules outlined in the Games's COVID-19 playbooks, which all participants are required to adhere to.
“These incidents will affect the reputation of the majority of Games’ stakeholders who are adhering to the rules,” Muto said. “In order for the Games to be successful, we need all the stakeholders and participants to adhere to the rules.”
Among those who have been disciplined, two judoka medalists from Georgia have been expelled.
Olympians were placed under strict COVID-19 guidelines coming into the Games. In addition to routine testing, competitors live under a "bubble" environment, which requires them to wear masks at all times. Athletes are not allowed to take public transportation and can only leave accommodations to travel to Olympic venues.
The Tokyo Games reported 18 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, per Axon. As COVID-19 rates rise throughout Tokyo, Games organizers echo the position held by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike that the spike is not connected to the Olympics.
“The Tokyo Games itself, the number of infections is suppressed. But on the other hand, outside of the Games, the number of infection cases are increasing,” Muto said. “How to analyze this, there are various different opinions. We are in line with their views. We take the same position.”
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The issue is commonly referred to as the "twisties" in gymnastics and has limited her ability to compete with confidence. She later withdrew from both the vault and uneven bars finals.
After her latest withdrawal, the only event that's left for Biles in the Tokyo Olympics is the balance beam.
When Biles first withdrew from the team gymnastics final she was asked what her goal was for these Olympics and responded candidly.
"To focus on my well-being," she said. "You know, there's more to life than just gymnastics."
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White Sox catcher Seby Zavala had one of the best coming out parties in MLB history on Saturday when he hit his first three career home runs in the same game.
He's the first player to ever accomplish this feat in either the American League or National League. His first homer was on a 91 mile-per-hour fastball from Cleveland's Triston McKenzie in the bottom of the third.
His second was yet another 91-mile-per-hour fastball from McKenzie but this time it was a grand slam to give Chicago a 6–1 edge in the fourth frame.
Zavala capped off his home run free-for-all with a 369-footer to right field off a cutter from Bryan Shaw.
Zavala made his profession debut in 2015 and has bounced around the minor league ever since. He made his majors debut back in 2019 but didn't stay long before returning to the minors and didn't appear in a single game for the White Sox in 2020.
He was called back up on July 6 when Yasmani Grandal was placed on the 10-day injured list and now stands alone with an all-time record in an all-time breakout game.
He's now 3-for-3 in winning gold in his individual events, as he also won gold in the 100m butterfly.
Florent Manaudou of France took silver with a time of 21.55, while Brazil's Bruno Fratus came in third at 21.57.
Dressel has won four gold medals in Tokyo, with a first-place finish as a member of the 4x100m freestyle team. He still has one more team event to go, giving him a chance to claim a fifth gold in the 4x100m men's medley relay.
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The Gold Cup Final between the U.S. and Mexico men's teams is expected to be a physical face-off but both team's managers started trading jabs early.
U.S manager Gregg Berhalter called out players on Mexico for their physical play and asked that the Gold Cup Finals be called "fair" by referees, per ESPN. Berhalter referenced several instances when players on Mexico grabbed opponents by the neck when speaking to reporters ahead of the Gold Cup.
He mentioned when Mexico midfielder Hector Herrera grabbed U.S. midfielder Weston McKennie by the throat in the CONCACAF Nations League final on June 6. And in Thursday's semifinal when Mexico faced Canada, Mexico's Luis Rodriguez was seen grabbing the neck of Mark-Anthony Kaye.
"We want it to be a physical game. We want it to be a tough, contested game, the same way as Mexico," Berhalter said. "They want the same thing. But we also want it to be fair, and that's the referee's role in this game, to manage the game in a fair way. You know I've seen numerous times when the players from Mexico are grabbing players' necks and facial areas, and that has no place in the game. We can't have that in the game.
"We want our guys to battle. We want both teams to battle. We want it to be physical. But that has no place in the game. When I saw the semifinal [between Canada and Mexico] I didn't think the referee did a good job of managing that at all. And they need to get ahead of that. There can't be any hands to the neck or to the face."
Mexico's manager, Gerardo "Tata" Martino, didn't care for the comments and responded when asked his thoughts. He brought up how Berhalter made an inappropriate gesture to an official during the match against Qatar, but Berhalter apologized afterward.
"The official [on Sunday] will do the best he can during the match, Martino said. Against Qatar, I don't think it was right how [Berhalter] behaved with the fourth official."
The Gold Cup Final is scheduled for Sunday at 8:30 p.m. ET.
A day after their star shortstop went down in a heap after an awkward slide at third base, the Padres announced Saturday they have placed Fernando Tatis Jr. on the injured list with left shoulder inflammation.
Starting pitcher Chris Paddack was also placed on the IL with a strained left oblique.
Tatis injured the shoulder trying to advance to third base after an error by Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon. Tatis was on first base when the play started and attempted to take an extra base when the ball got away from McMahon. His left arm appeared to get caught on the ground as he slid.
This is the second time this season Tatis has gone on the IL with a left shoulder injury. His previous stint in May lasted just 10 days, and the team is hoping for a similarly quick recovery this time around.
In 87 games this season, Tatis is batting .292/.373/.651, and leads the National League with 32 home runs and 23 stolen bases.
Paddack has struggled for much of the season but has pitched well of late, posting a 3.94 ERA in 16 innings over his last three starts. His absence leaves an already thin Padres rotation with even fewer options heading into the final two months of the season.
The Lakers are "very interested" in signing Carmelo Anthony, per ESPN's Jordan Schultz. Anthony, 37, is set to be an unrestricted free agent this month after spending the last two seasons with the Trail Blazers.
He shot a career high 40.9% from behind the arc last season—his 18th in the NBA—and averaged 13.4 points per game. His longtime relationship with LeBron James is a deal-sweetener as well. The two have never played on the same team, aside from the All-Star Game and Olympics.
Some more rumors from around the NBA, which is set to begin free agency Monday at 6 p.m.
Serge Ibaka will exercise his $9.7 million player option with the Clippers. (Shams Charania, The Athletic)
The Rockets are not picking up Avery Bradley's $5.9 million team option and he will become an unrestricted free agent Monday, (Shams Charania, The Athletic)
Bray Wyatt, one of the most prominent members of the WWE roster over the last decade, is no longer with the company.
WWE announced on Saturday that Wyatt (real name Windham Rotunda) has been released from his contract. “WWE has come to terms on the release of Bray Wyatt,” WWE wrote in a statement on its website. “We wish him the best in all his future endeavors.”
The 34-year-old Wyatt hadn’t appeared on WWE programming since the Raw after WrestleMania 37 this April. Wyatt lost to Randy Orton at WrestleMania the previous night. The finish of that match involved Alexa Bliss, who had been aligned with Wyatt on WWE television, turning against him.
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer reported that Wyatt was told that budget cuts were the reason for his release. Meltzer added that, prior to his release, Wyatt was preparing to return to WWE shows this August.
Wyatt, the son of Mike Rotunda and the grandson of Blackjack Mulligan, made his in-ring debut in 2009 after signing a WWE developmental contract. After briefly debuting on the main roster as Husky Harris in 2010, Wyatt arrived on Raw as the leader of The Wyatt Family in 2013. The group also included Erick Rowan, Braun Strowman and the late Luke Harper.
Strowman was released by WWE during a round of roster cuts this June. Rowan was released in April 2020.
Wyatt introduced a new character in 2019, a split personality between his “Firefly Fun House” host and supernatural “The Fiend” personas. Wyatt's first match as The Fiend was against Finn Bálor at SummerSlam 2019.
During his time with WWE, Wyatt held the WWE championship once, the universal championship twice, and the Raw and SmackDown tag team titles one time each. He had WrestleMania matches against John Cena, The Undertaker and Orton.
"It means the world," Portis said after winning the NBA title. "For 10 months straight, I was at home just working out, really depressed, just real down on myself on not being invited to the bubble with my team. Coming here was the best thing to ever happen to me, man."
Portis averaged 11.4 points, 7.1 rebounds per game while shooting a career-high 52.3% from the floor and 47.1% beyond the arc in the 2020-21 season.
The most that Milwaukee can offer Portis is $5.9 million. Per ESPN's Bobby Marks, Portis has non-bird rights with the Bucks.
Portis played for the Knicks during the 2019–20 season but was later released in Nov. 2020 before signing with the Bucks just days later.
Portis scored 16 points in Game 6 of the NBA Finals and had some memorable moments down the stretch. One critical interaction happened with Chris Paul that seemingly foreshadowed the game's outcome with Portis laughing at Paul after the point guard was arguing with an official.
The Celtics are trading Moses Brown to the Mavericks in the Josh Richardson trade, The Athletic's Shams Charania reports.
Brown, who spent one month with the Celtics, averaged 8.6 points and 8.9 rebounds in 43 games for the Thunder last season. He was part of the Thunder trade on June 18 that sent him, Al Horford and a 2025 second-round pick to Boston in exchange for Kemba Walker and the 16th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.
Richardson averaged 12.1 points, 2.6 assists and 3.3 rebounds as one of five Mavericks players who averaged double digits in the regular season, playing alongside Mavs star Luka Dončić. He shot 42.7% from the floor and 33 percent from beyond the arc.
In the postseason, however, Richardson's production fell off. He averaged just 4.9 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 0.7 assists in 13.4 minutes per game.
The Celtics will take Richardson's $11 million salary for the 2021-22 season into the rest of Gordon Hayward's traded player exception, according to Brian Robb of MassLive. Brown has three seasons remaining on his deal and is currently making $1.7 million next season.
However, Richardson's contract is non-guaranteed, something that favors the Mavericks as Dallas looks to get max salary cap space in free agency to secure top-tier free agents to play with Dončić.
Sacramento is acquiring Celtics big man Tristan Thompson as part of an expanded three-way deal, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports.
The Kings will send guard Delon Wright to the Hawks in the trade. Sacramento will also get insurance at center with Thompson and the addition of center Richaun Holmes during free agency.
The Celtics will receive Kris Kris Dunn, Bruno Fernando and a 2023 second-round pick, perWojnarowski.
Wright averaged 10.2 points, 4.4 assists and 4.3 rebounds in 63 games in the 2020-21 season. Thompson played in 54 games in the 2020-21 season, averaging 7.6 points, 8.1 rebounds while shooting nearly 52 percent from the floor.
The 10-year veteran had one year remaining on his two-year, $18 million deal that he signed with Boston last season. Thompson will play behind Clint Capela while Hawks' Onyeka Okwongu recovers from shoulder surgery.
Boston added only Juhann Begarin to its roster from last night's NBA draft after acquiring Al Horford and Moses Brown from Oklahoma City in June. With Thompson departing, the Celtics could potentially re-sign Evan Fournier and make some other moves, per ESPN's Tim Bontemps.
Dunn, a defensive-minded guard who was drafted fifth overall by the Timberwolves in the 2016 NBA draft, was traded to the Bulls in 2017 and joined the Hawks in 2020. He played in four games for the Hawks last season.
According to The Boston Globe, Dunn will make $5 million next season and Fernando has a $1.8 million salary that will save the Celtics about $3 million.
An inside look at draft night's broader storylines and surprise picks, as well as a few back-room rumors and nuggets of insight from SI's draft expert.
Well, the 2021 draft is over. This writer is in dire need of a vacation. But let’s take a final moment here to dive into some of the night’s bigger storylines, surprise picks, things I liked and didn’t like, and much more. This post-draft info-dump column has become an annualtradition. And I’m out of gas on clever introductions.
If you’ve followed along with our draft coverage all season, know that it’s much appreciated. Here’s the inside scoop on some of what went down Thursday night.
1. After scanning back through all of Thursday’s events, there are a couple broad takeaways worth mentioning. First, this draft stands as a reminder of how little consensus there often is around the NBA when it comes to talent evaluation. There were a number of first-round picks where teams simply went to their boards and made selections that didn’t necessarily align with public perceptions of what that player’s range was. But stuff that seems weird on the surface can still be normal procedure behind the scenes. People generally bash picks for two reasons: because they don’t like the player relative to their draft slot, or at all in general (which is fair), or because they have no idea what the reasoning was behind the scenes (which, to be completely fair, is much more oblique and harder to understand without inside context.)
The other thing is you can kind of see where the NBA is going. Teams generally placed a ton of value on players with size and skill. It’s increasingly less about running and jumping and more about versatility, feel, and in most cases, the ability to accentuate better talent. (It also really helps if you can shoot). Some of the first-rounders who benefitted from that: Cade Cunningham (who was not the No. 1 prospect for everyone, but fits that mold perfectly), Scottie Barnes (more on him in a second), Josh Giddey (ditto), Franz Wagner, Ziaire Williams, Chris Duarte, Tre Mann, Jalen Johnson, Quentin Grimes and surprise No. 30 pick Santi Aldama.
There were only a handful of true bigs taken in the first round, and most of those ones drafted in the second came after No. 50. The value spectrum shifted in a real way, although to be fair, there was also a very thin group of centers available. But the “find a bunch of 6'8" guys who fit real roles and figure it out later” strategy has become much more popular for good reason. The success of teams like the Suns and Bucks who are constructed in that way doesn’t hurt.
2. Toronto’s selection of Scottie Barnes over Jalen Suggs was not what was widely projected, but it shouldn’t have been a total stunner given the way things were trending going into Thursday. Nobody was exactly sure what the Raptors were doing, but the level of certainty around the NBA that Barnes would end up on the Magic likely contributed to the lack of dialogue surrounding the fact that Toronto had to make a legitimate choice at No. 4.
This, of course, is a highly defensible pick for the Raptors (although I prefer Suggs to Barnes in a vacuum). Barnes’s toughness, length, and feel are right in line with what Toronto has historically coveted in their draft picks. What his arrival means for Pascal Siakam, who’s frequently come up in trade chatter, is up for interpretation. But he’s a legitimate future piece for them, and if he starts to shoot it better, his upside is pretty real. He just isn’t going to score a ton.
As for why they may have passed on Suggs: as I reported earlier in the week, word circulated around the NBA that his workout with Toronto didn’t go well. Obviously, the Raptors didn’t base their decision entirely off of that. It may not have mattered at all. Their front office is one of the trickier to get a read on around the league, but this pick was always viewed as between Barnes and Suggs. It was somewhat unexpected, but certainly not weird.
As a side note, Toronto’s decision still led to a nice coup for Orlando, who walked away with him and Franz Wagner, who was a favored option at No. 8. The Magic have a fascinating, defensive-minded foundation, particularly if Suggs taps into his potential as a lead playmaker. The idea of three-man frontcourts featuring Wagner, Chuma Okeke and a (hopefully) healthy Jonathan Isaac is pretty enticing.
3. As for the thing nearly everyone was surprised by: the Thunder went bold at No. 6 and grabbed Josh Giddey. As I understand things, that decision came after Oklahoma City made very serious attempts to package a number of their future picks to move up in the draft, and were engaged with Cleveland at No. 3. Those talks ultimately fell apart. After deciding to stay put, the player Sam Presti ultimately landed on was Giddey.
The Australian guard held a secret workout for the Thunder last week in Los Angeles, attended by Presti and other high-ranking members of the front office, and run by OKC head coach Mark Daigneault, according to a source with knowledge of the circumstances. They met with him afterward and showed real interest, but never tipped their hand. Giddey himself had no idea they were taking him until the call came during the draft. If Oklahoma City had passed, I’m told the Warriors were likely to select him at No. 7.
Giddey gives the Thunder a unique piece to build around moving forward, with terrific size and a knack for creative passing. He was excellent as an 18-year-old playing in the NBL this season, with a mature, low-maintenance approach to the game. He enjoys making teammates better and has plenty of experience playing alongside older guys. In my various opportunities to watch the NBA’s Global Academy team over the years, Giddey frequently stood out as the top player at those events. So while the pick was unexpected, there was no mystery about Giddey at all. A number of lottery teams were deeply intrigued, and a huge cohort of league executives traveled to Las Vegas earlier this month to watch him train with the Australian national team. Giddey didn’t make the final Olympic roster, but is viewed as a star-in-waiting for the Boomers. OKC will hope for the same.
Presti kept his intentions under lock and key as usual, and a large chunk of the league had grown somewhat convinced in recent days that OKC preferred James Bouknight at No. 6. Moral of the story: it’s probably best to take anything you hear about whom the Thunder are drafting with a grain of salt.
4. The Grizzlies had one of the more fascinating drafts, making two outside-the-box first-round selections in Ziaire Williams (No. 10) and Santi Aldama (No. 30). Memphis has drafted well in recent years and gets the benefit of the doubt—they’re certainly willing to be bold and buck perceived consensus—but their moves did raise some eyebrows among rival teams.
By the time Memphis acquired No. 10 from New Orleans over the weekend leading up to draft night, it had become a common belief around the league that the Grizzlies had their eyes on two players: Franz Wagner and Josh Giddey. Sources said Memphis made efforts to move up the board again in the days that followed, targeting the Warriors’ pick at No. 7 and the Cavs at No. 3. As I understand it, those talks never got particularly far, and the Grizzlies came to realize they were staying put.
Giddey and Wagner came off the board at No. 6 and No. 8, and the top player on their board at that point was Williams—who was not the desired target when they made the trade, sources said. The Grizzlies stuck to their rankings and made the pick anyway. There was some sense before the draft that he was a player Memphis genuinely liked, and that he may not have made it to No. 17 had they stayed put. His upside could certainly justify the risk, but teams were all over the board on him, and his history of inconsistency dating back to high school was too significant for some to buy all the way in. Williams also had serious interest from the Magic, and was in the mix for their pick at No. 8. I’m told he was the only player to work out for Orlando twice.
Memphis then moved to grab No. 30 from the Jazz and picked Aldama, who was rumored to have a guarantee from Oklahoma City in the second round, and shocked a vast majority of the NBA when he snuck into the first. He was excellent last season at Loyola-Maryland, and his production and age made him a favorite of analytical models, but played a brief slate of games at an extremely low college level in the Patriot League. Still, the 20-year-old Spaniard became a deep-cut sleeper, and multiple teams were in the market for him, per a source with knowledge of the situation. His decision not to attend the NBA’s G League Elite Camp was a strategic shutdown, I’m told, designed to steer him specifically to teams that had shown the most interest. The Grizzlies were high on Aldama, obviously, and were thought to have been concerned about the Thunder selecting him in the 30s. Memphis wanted him badly enough to make a move and grab him.
5. Perhaps the most surprising lottery pick (and certainly the sneakiest one) was San Antonio’s selection of Josh Primo at No. 12. I think the key thing to remember here is that how public discourse rates a prospect in the draft cycle often differs drastically from how teams value the players. The Spurs’ decision here is a great example of that.
For context, I had Primo going at No. 20 to Atlanta in my final mock. Per sources, Primo was believed to be one of the players the Hawks were targeting in trade-up scenarios. I viewed him as a first-round lock, but the interest in him was much hotter than it seemed based on public mock drafts and whatever information had trickled out on the matter. Per sources, the Hornets (who opted for James Bouknight, after he slid) and Thunder (who could have taken Primo at No. 16 or 18) were also quite interested. The Spurs also loved Primo and were intent on landing him.
The market for Primo was so silent that many rival teams even had no idea he was in play that high. But as I understand it, San Antonio felt there wasn’t a clear opportunity to trade back and completely ensure Primo was still available. When in doubt, you just take the guy you like the most on the board. Like many around the league, the Spurs felt there was a good deal of untapped upside hidden by his role at Alabama. He’s was the youngest player drafted (he turns 19 in December) and in the past couple years has grown to 6'6” while maintaining his coordination and guard skills.
If you’re willing to overlook the lack of college production and project out, he’s clearly a top 20 prospect. With a larger role at Alabama next season, Primo could have been a consensus lottery pick in 2022. The Spurs have the runway to be patient with him. It may have seemed weird in the moment, but situations like this are also why the draft is always fascinating.
6. Personal aside: I’m weirdly intrigued by whatever it is the Hornets are building right now. Charlotte made two of my favorite picks in the first round, grabbing James Bouknight after he slipped, and trading back in to select Kai Jones at No. 19. Jones worked out for Charlotte twice, sources said, and they were likely to select Jones at No. 11 had Bouknight not been there. They’re building a potentially exciting, uptempo team around LaMelo Ball, and the pieces actually do seem to fit well in concept. Bouknight will provide scoring punch, and could emerge as a second star next to Ball. Jones is a nice fit next to P.J. Washington and Miles Bridges in the frontcourt. Charlotte is skyrocketing up next season’s League Pass rankings.
7. The Rockets had a genuinely interesting draft, ultimately picking four players in the first round as their youth movement continues. Houston took Jalen Green (as expected), dealt future protected firsts (originally belonging to Washington and Detroit) to Oklahoma City to draft Alperen Sengün, then made a surprising choice to use both their picks in the 20s and took Usman Garuba and Josh Christopher.
Houston now boasts one of the weirder, most experimental-looking young rosters in the league. It appears Houston has little intention of being a playoff team in the short term, and will use next season to develop the rookies, along with talented returners Kevin Porter Jr. and Jae’Sean Tate. John Wall and Christian Wood are still on the roster, which doesn’t necessarily fit the timeline (read: they may not necessarily be pleased if the Rockets are as bad as they could potentially be). But this is kind of fascinating, objectively.
Excluding Wall from this conversation, the Rockets now have an interesting mishmash of young bucket-getters (Porter, Green and Christopher), a budding post-centric big (Sengün), two tough, defensive-oriented forwards (Garuba and Tate) and a versatile rim protector (Wood). Green, the No. 2 pick, is the most promising piece of the puzzle. It’s entirely unclear if the team will shoot well enough or share the ball well, but Houston really just needs a couple of these guys to hit in a major way.
It can be tough to develop so many players at once, particularly when so many of them need the ball, but the Rockets aren’t really at a point where they can worry about that. Another high lottery pick is likely in store next year. This might take a while, but there’s time to experiment now: they don’t owe any firsts to the Thunder until 2024.
8. The Kings’ selection of Davion Mitchell at No. 9 was viewed as a bit confusing by other teams, given the fact Sacramento is building around two young guards already. Mitchell was more of a win-now pick, which affirms that the Kings are pushing for increased relevance. He’ll enhance one of the worst defensive teams in the league right away, but also may not step into that valuable of a role unless Sacramento opts for smaller, three-guard lineups with De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton. Mitchell has a great story and worked for every inch of his status as a lottery pick, but there was still a degree of skepticism over where his upside lies, given he’s an older prospect who bloomed late. We’ll see how this turns out for the Kings, whose heavily rumored interest in Sengün was evidently overcooked.
9. Teams dealt with COVID-related limitations on live scouting throughout this draft cycle. Naturally, this became an especially important year to participate in the draft combine. Teams really took the scrimmages seriously as an eval setting. The five best players at the combine all reaped massive benefits from showing up. Josh Primo, Josh Christopher, Quentin Grimes and Bones Hyland were all stellar in Chicago, and played their way into the first round. Another standout, Jason Preston (one of my personal favorites), was thought to be strongly in the mix for the Clippers at No. 25, before they moved up to grab a slipping Keon Johnson instead. It turned out L.A. loved Preston enough to trade back in and take him at No. 33.
Conversely, some of the players teams were hoping to see play in combine scrimmages fell into the late first, the second round, or out of the draft entirely. Cam Thomas and Day’Ron Sharpe skipped the combine completely and went at No. 27 and No. 29 to the Nets. The 76ers’ pick at No. 28, Jaden Springer, didn’t play at the combine and was leapfrogged by shooting guards Primo, Christopher, Grimes and Hyland. Herbert Jones went at No. 35 to New Orleans, Miles McBride at No. 36 to New York, J.T. Thor at No. 37 to Charlotte and Ayo Dosunmu at No. 38 to Chicago. All four players could have snuck into the late first, conceivably, with strong showings.
Sharife Cooper (whose chances at ever landing in the first round were widely overblown) fell all the way to Atlanta at No. 48. B.J. Boston dropped to No. 51, where the Clippers moved in to grab him. And Joel Ayayi, who some scouts (myself included) viewed as a late first-round talent, went undrafted after skipping the combine entirely. Ayayi fell to the point where he opted to go undrafted, and took a two-way with the Lakers. He took a conservative approach to scheduling team workouts, sources said, which backfired as the 25-45 range unfolded. Access to players mattered even more than usual this time around. We’ll see what the next year holds in terms of COVID-related hurdles, but this could be a trend, not a blip.
10. More picks and team fits I liked: Trey Murphy to the Pelicans at No. 17, Grimes to the Knicks (25), Hyland to the Nuggets (26), Sharpe to the Nets (29), Preston to the Clippers (33), Joe Wieskamp to the Spurs (41), Kessler Edwards to Brooklyn (44), and Dalano Banton to the Raptors (46, making him the first Canadian ever drafted by Toronto). Many of those guys might help their teams sooner rather than later.
As reality set in that the Giants reportedly acquired Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant in a trade deadline deal on Friday, video emerged of Bryant sharing a heartfelt moment in the dugout of Wrigley Field when he found out about the trade.
Wearing a shirt with his No. 17 on it, the four-time All-Star got off the phone and immediately gave an emotional hug to Cubs hitting coach Anthony Lapoce.
The two shared an emotional moment as they appeared to wipe away tears.
With Bryant's exit, it is the end of an era for the Cubs, who won their first World Series after a 108-year drought in 2016. Bryant spent seven seasons with the Cubs where he earned National League Rookie of the Year honors in 2015 and NL Most Valuable Player in 2016.
During the 2016 postseason, Bryant recorded a batting average of .308 with three home runs and eight RBIs. The Cubs came back from a 3–1 deficit in the World Series to defeat Cleveland in one of the best Fall Classics of all time.
This season, Bryant sports an .861 OPS in 2021 with 18 homers and 51 RBI.
The main event of this weekend’s UFC card has major implications for two of the hottest fighters in the middleweight division.
UFC’s next Fight Night event Saturday will be headlined by a middleweight bout pitting Uriah Hall against Sean Strickland.
Both fighters are riding four-fight winning streaks, and each has a title fight against middleweight champion Israel Adesanya in mind as the ultimate goal. A victory on Saturday would allow each to take one step closer, with the eighth-ranked Hall looking to move toward the top five and the 11th-ranked Strickland seeking to break into the top 10.
“Izzy is the person I want to get to,” says Hall (17–9). “He is a true champion, and my style matches up perfectly with his. I’m not looking past Sean, but Izzy is my motivator. He’s my target.”
Hall defeated Chris Weidman in his most recent fight, which was a gruesome encounter that ended after Weidman broke his leg throwing a kick at the beginning of the opening round.
“It’s an old way of blocking,” Hall says. “He threw everything into that kick, and I just checked it perfectly.”
The 36-year-old Hall still possesses incredible power. Though his UFC career looked like it was in jeopardy in July 2018 after he dropped four of five fights, he has won four in a row since to reestablish himself in the division.
“If I can be bluntly honest, I was at a place where I was not motivated,” Hall says. “If I don’t get challenged, I get bored. When I look back at those losses, my mind wasn’t in it. I didn’t want to make excuses. Those guys were the better men those nights.
“After I lost those fights, all these opinions were formed—‘he’s a head case,’ ‘he’s this,’ ‘he’s that.’ But when people don’t know you personally, you shouldn’t take it personally. For those who know me personally, they know what I’m going through. Like when I fought Bevon Lewis, afterwards I was crying. People thought I was crying because I won. No, my sister almost committed suicide, and I was battling that. You never know what people are going through.”
Strickland (23–3) has also endured his share of adversity. He suffered a gruesome knee injury in December 2018 after getting hit by a vehicle while riding his motorcycle, yet returned to the cage two years later to win his next three fights.
“I don’t know if it’s that remarkable,” Strickland says. “What else was I going to f------ do in life? At the end of the day, I had a choice. I could be injured and go f------ be a plumber. Nothing against plumbers, that job is hard as s---. I’ve done it, it sucks. Or I could f------ man up and attempt to fight.”
Hall and Strickland have known each other for years, and both know what to expect Saturday.
“I used to train with Sean, and I feel I know exactly what he’s going to do,” Hall says. “If he chooses to stand with me, he’s going to have to walk forward. I see him standing a certain distance and countering, still pressuring me to break me. And I welcome that. I’ve been training with some of the best people, and I’m ready.”
Fully aware of Hall’s power, Strickland knows that this is a matchup that is not likely to go the distance.
“I’m fighting one of the best strikers in the world,” Strickland says. “I’ve accepted he can knock me out. Uriah’s a f------ killer.
“Uriah has that power. It doesn’t matter if you’re the better fighter. If you f--- up, you’re done. He’s one of the best strikers in the division. Beating Uriah puts me in a whole other class.”
Those familiar with Hall’s body of work should expect a banger. Strickland is also dangerously powerful, perhaps even more so than Hall. This bout is a must-win for both fighters, and whatever it may lack in length, it should more than make up for in action.
“I’ve heard Sean say he doesn’t care about ranking and doesn’t care about the belt,” Hall says. “I’m like, get the f---- out of here. I guess he doesn’t want it as bad as I do.”
Strickland has accepted that he could very well become the next opponent in Hall’s highlight reel, yet he is eager to show the fight world that he is the real deal in the cage.
“Uriah Hall could highlight-knockout me, or this could end with him laying on the canvas and me hitting him in the face 30 times,” Strickland says. “Who f------ knows, but we’re going to find out.”
Justin Barrasso can be reached atJBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.
The Giants acquired third baseman and outfielder Kris Bryant in a deal with the Cubs on Friday, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.
Chicago will receive pitcher Caleb Killian and outfielder Alexander Camargo in the deal, per USA Today's Bob Nightengale.
Bryant, 29, sports an .861 OPS in 2021 with 18 homers and 51 RBI. He is a four-time All-Star and the 2016 National League MVP, which the same year he won the World Series with Chicago.
A middleweight bout featuring Uriah Hall vs. Sean Strickland headlines this UFC event's main card
UFC Fight Night: Hall vs. Strickland
#UFCVegas33 MMA Betting Preview
EVENT DETAILS
DATE: SATURDAY 07/31/21
BROADCAST: ESPN
VENUE: UFC APEX
LOCATION: Las Vegas, Nevada
# of MATCHES: 13
MAIN CARD TAKES, PREDICTIONS & BETS
MIDDLEWEIGHT (185 LBS): #8 URIAH HALL (17-9) VS. #11 SEAN STRICKLAND (23-3)
Sean Strickland gets the call for his first main event and will face #8 Uriah Hall, who has a four-fight win streak. Hall is fresh off of a TKO victory over Anderson Silva and followed that up with a 17-second TKO win over Chris Weidman.
Strickland is much deserving of this spot and could cause some waves with a win. The majority of this matchup will take place on the feet. I expect both to go for the finish early for a statement win.
Hall is more of a wildcard, and while he has finishing power, there are times where he will fold fairly fast when he’s hurt. In this matchup, I expect Strickland to push the pace and walk forward into the exchanges more than Hall. Strickland will look to keep the pace up by looking to overwhelm Hall with combos and a mix of leg kicks. Hall will counter less often but with more intent. Although Strickland will take a punch to land his own, you have to consider across 26 fights that he's only been finished once.
This fight could bring some surprises. Both fighters are hittable and bring finishing power. When looking at paths to victory, you have to give Strickland the edge with wrestling, though both have decent takedown defense. I don't see them looking to grapple much. On the feet, it will be about Strickland’s volume and pace versus the power via elusive strikes from Hall. Neither guy has much head movement, so somebody will land a fight-changing shot. Hall will have a 3.5-inch reach advantage in his favor, though historically gets hit more than he lands. I give Strickland the slight edge in this one if I have to pick sides, based on the sheer inconsistency from Hall over the years. It's tough to go all-in on a fighter who has gone 4-4 in his last eight fights, not including the Weidman accident. In those fights, he’s been finished in three of four of the losses and has won via finish in three of the four wins along the stretch. He's a kill or be killed type of fighter. Now Strickland has had more success over the same timeframe (since 2015) and has gone 8-2 over his last ten, with four of those fights ending inside the distance. I do like the chances of this one ending under 3.5 rounds, and as I said, I lean Strickland, but Hall always has that puncher’s chance.
Weigh-ins: Uriah Hall (185.5) vs. Sean Strickland (185) Prediction: Sean Strickland
BANTAMWEIGHT (135 LBS): KYUNG HO KANG (17-8) VS. RANI YAHYA (27-10-1)
Kang is making his return after a two-year absence due to a broken orbital and messed up back after his last fight with Pingyuan Liu. "Mr. Perfect" is riding a three-fight win streak, though his last two fights were close split decisions, fortunately going in his favor. Kang is an exceptional submission fighter, though standing across from him will be Rani Yahya, who one-ups him as it relates to a submission resume. Yahya continues to amaze, as he now has 21 of his 27 wins coming by way of submission, including his last four wins, most recently back in March when he submitted Ray Rodriguez inside of two rounds. Both of these guys are low volume with the striking, though the striking is a big component of Kang’s typical gameplan. He should have some issues here as Yahya will tighten up the distance, looking to tie up and scramble non-stop. With the small cage and Yahya's pressure, I could see Kang having some issues.
Weigh-ins: Kyung Ho Kang (136) vs. Rani Yahya (136) Prediction: Rani Yahya
WOMEN’S STRAWWEIGHT (115 LBS): CHEYANNE BUYS (5-2) VS. GLORIA DE PAULA (5-3)
Big fight for these two. Both had caught some eyes from their DWCS performances but fell flat in their UFC debuts. Buys was heavily frustrated by Montserrat Ruiz, who held her down the entire fight while peppering shots while keeping her in a headlock the majority of the fight. De Paula, who's a great striker, had Jinh Yu Frey catch her off guard a bit and do some unexpected grappling, which led to her controlling the better half of their fight as well. For Buy's debut, I felt like the UFC played several packages, building her up a bit, which tells me they had more investment in her potential to be a fan favorite in a sense. I expect both of these two to stand and attempt to get the better of the two, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Buys looks to take this one down to the mat due to the striking ability from De Paula. This one probably comes down to who controls where this fight goes most of the time, and I see Buys making adjustments in her favor, which ends up with her getting at least two rounds on the cards.
Weigh-ins: Cheyanne Buys (116) vs. Gloria de Paula (115.5) Prediction: Cheyanne Buys
WELTERWEIGHT (170 LBS): NIKLAS STOLZE (12-4) VS. JARED GOODEN (17-6)
Stolze now takes on Jared Gooden in a short notice matchup after Mounir Lazzez had visa issues. Stolze is well-rounded, durable, and can finish his opponent at any moment, favoring the chokes. Props to Gooden for stepping up in the replacement spot, as he looks to secure his first UFC win after dropping his first two opportunities. Gooden is tough to put away and has great cardio himself. In this matchup, I see Stolze mixing up the offense and staying a step ahead. Gooden made weight on three days' notice.
Weigh-ins: Jared Gooden (171) vs. Niklas Stolze (170.5) Prediction: Niklas Stolze
FLYWEIGHT (125 LBS): RYAN BENOIT (10-7) VS. ZARRUKH ADASHEV (3-3)
This is a rebooked fight from May after Benoit had a horrible weight cut and could barely stand at the weigh-in. Benoit is on a tough skid, as he’s lost three of his last four. Adashev has his back against the wall as well, and after losing his first two UFC fights, he has one more shot here, or it could lead to a pink slip. Adashev has solid striking, and it could frustrate Benoit. That said, if he can get Adashev’s timing down early, Benoit could catch him as he has with knockdowns of Sergio Pettis and current champ Brandon Moreno.
Weigh-ins: Zarrukh Adashev (125.5) vs. Ryan Benoit (126) Prediction: Ryan Benoit
WELTERWEIGHT (170 LBS): BRYAN BARBERENA (15-7) VS. JASON WITT (18-7)
You have to love Bryan Barberena fights. It looks like they have this one slated to kick off the main card, and I wouldn't be surprised if we see a finish. Neither guy is a big decision grinder, and both look to get in there and out as quickly as possible. The problem with Witt is he has a suspect chin. Five of his seven losses have come via knockout, including his previous fight, which lasted all of 16 seconds. Now Witt has some submission skills, but Barberena has only one loss via sub on his resume, which occurred 11 years ago, early on in his career.
Weigh-ins: Bryan Barberena (170.5) vs. Jason Witt (170.5) Prediction: Bryan Barberena
We've never seen a run from a fighter after winning a belt in the UFC as we've seen from Montano. This looks to be the second chapter, or whatever we want to call it at this point, of her promising UFC career as she looks to get back on track after a rough go. After winning the strap, she was stripped shortly after due to weight cut issues. In the time since, she has had seven fights canceled, and one that took place, which resulted in a decision loss over Julianna Pena, though in that fight, she had her moments. If we see Montano with the skillset for which she is known, she should have minimal issues knocking off Wu Yanan, who’s now lost three of four, including her last two coming into this fight. I expect Yanan to get taken down in this one eventually, and Montano will go to work on the mat, leading to her first win since 2017.
Note: Montano was eight pounds over the limit. The fight is canceled.
FEATHERWEIGHT (145 LBS): COLLIN ANGLIN (8-1) VS. MELSIK BAGHDASARYAN (5-1)
Two guys are making their UFC debut after time in the Contender Series. Although this is a big spot for some of these newcomers, Melsik shouldn't be phased as he has some boxing and kickboxing experience before moving to MMA. Melsik has a 9-2 kickboxing resume and fought in the bright lights of the K-1 World GP three years ago. Anglin has a chin, and if he can avoid the early big shots from Melsik, he can make this a fight, as we saw Melsik kinda “melt” as his fight went into the over rounds in his decision win over Dennis Buzukja last September. I’m still going to side with the guy with more combat experience, and after catching his media obligations this week, he looks more than ready to go, paired with some uber confidence in this matchup.
LIGHTWEIGHT (155 LBS): CHRIS GRUETZEMACHER (14-4) VS. RAFA GARCIA (12-1)
Garcia is back after suffering the first loss of his career in a short-notice fight against a tough Nasrat Haqparast, and you have to believe Garcia is hungry and looking to get his first UFC. I think he will too. It sounds like Garcia has been training with Trevor Whitman and also spent some time with last week’s winner TJ Dillashaw in prep, while Gruetzemacher has been a mystery as far as what work he is putting in at this point. Gruetzemacher came back after a two-year layoff and was finished in less than two minutes versus another motivated fighter, Alexander Hernandez. Gruetzemacher is 35 now and hasn't won a fight since April of 2018, and this could be the tail end of his career while the 26-year-old Garcia is ramping up into his prime. Expect a close fight early on, with Garcia taking control and working his way to the win.
Weigh-ins: Rafa Garcia (154) vs. Chris Gruetzemacher (156) Prediction: Rafa Garcia
FEATHERWEIGHT (145 LBS): DANNY CHAVEZ (11-4) VS. KAI KAMAKA (8-4)
This should be an awesome matchup. Both guys will trade with the best of them on the feet, and while Kamaka will be the more technical of the two on the feet, Chavez will always attempt to match the volume, with less accuracy. Overall, this should be Kamaka’s fight to win, but if Chavez executes takedowns as he did against TJ Brown, I think he could steal this one. Not invested in this one from a betting perspective, but I'll side with the dog in a close one.
Weigh-ins: Danny Chavez (145.5) vs. Kai Kamaka (144.5) Prediction: Danny Chavez
Nothing to be ashamed of, Frey lost her first two UFC bouts, but against Kay Hansen and Loma Lookboonmee. She then got back on track and edged out a decision over the debuting Gloria de Paula back in March. Her path to victory in that spot was all about takedowns and control. Although being outstruck on the feet, she had over nine minutes of control time, which gave the judges enough to award her the 29-28 scorecards across the board. Unfortunately for her this go around, she’ll be staring across at Ashley Yoder, and Yoder’s bread and butter is the grappling and submission game. Don't let Yoder's record fool you. She's always in the fight and has fought some higher-tier fighters than the former Invicta champ. Yoder will have a noticeable size advantage which should support giving her the edge with the grappling and statistically pumps out more volume on the feet, while Frey has a negative striking differential also not helping her cause. That said, I’ll side with Yoder straight up and won't be boxing myself in on any props in what oddsmakers see as a competitive fight.
BANTAMWEIGHT (135 LBS): RONNIE LAWRENCE (7-1) VS. TREVIN JONES (13-6)
This battle features a striker vs. a grappler who can strike. Jones goes for the kill while Lawrence closes and mauls you with the takedowns. Lawrence had 12 takedowns in his DWCS match and followed that up in his UFC debut with eight more takedowns against Vince Cachero in a fight he owned. Jones can scramble and can get up from takedowns and will be heavy if he ends up on top. Lawrence hasn’t given me any reasons to fade him quite yet, even against a game opponent in Jones. I like Lawrence to grind this one out.
Weigh-ins: Trevin Jones (135) vs. Ronnie Lawrence Prediction: Ronnie Lawrence Note: Fight canceled due to medical issues
WELTERWEIGHT (170 LBS): ORION COSCE (7-0) VS. PHILIP ROWE (7-3)
Cosce arrives undefeated and earns the contract after a rout of Matt Dixon on the DWCS. His official first bout was against Nicolas Dalby, though it was canceled due to an injury. The fact that the UFC booked the newcomer against a guy ranked in the top 30 says something. Cosce has amazing cardo and pushes the pace in his fights, and I see more of the same here against Rowe. Rowe dropped his debut back in February against Gabe Green via a clear decision and followed that up by losing two grappling bouts over the last few months. I see Cosce with more ways to win in this matchup, as he should have a clear edge on the mat and will trade for 15 minutes better than most. Rowe's path will be keeping control of the distance, keeping the fight upright. It appears money is coming in on the dog, but I don’t see it.
Weigh-ins: Orion Cosce (170.5) vs. Phil Rowe (173.5) Prediction: Orion Cosce Note: Rowe is over the limit, forfeits 20% of the purse.
BET RECAP
Strickland/Hall UNDER 3.5 rds -115
Barberena via TKO/KO +130
Garcia vis SUB +250
Yoder -136
Cosce -150
PARLAY
Barberena/Garcia -125
FULL CARD PREDICTIONS
SEAN STRICKLAND defeats URIAH HALL
RANI YAHYA defeats KYUNG HO KANG
CHEYANNE BUYS defeats GLORIA DE PAULA
NIKLAS STOLZE defeats JARED GOODEN
RYAN BENOIT defeats ZARRUKH ADASHEV
BRYAN BARBERENA defeats JASON WITT
NICCO MONTANO defeats WU YANAN
MELSIK BAGHDASARYAN defeats COLLIN ANGLIN
RAFA GARCIA defeats CHRIS GRUETZEMACHER
DANNY CHAVEZ defeats KAI KAMAKA
ASHLEY YODER defeats JINH YU FREY
RONNIE LAWRENCE defeats TREVIN JONES
ORION COSCE defeats PHILIP ROWE
UFC PREDICTION BET SUMMARY
2021 predictions: 160-113-5 (59%)
2021 wagers: 83-74-2 (53%)
Overall record
Predictions: 541-312-16 (63%)
Wagers: 293-161-8 (65%)
DFS PLAYS & STRATEGIES
Choose active fighters. Coupling an active fighter on their way to a unanimous decision will give you key points for your team. You want the active, offensive player that scores. Key metrics here are SLpM and TD AVG/15min.
Play the heavyweights. The approximate overall finish rate in the UFC is 54%. Most weight divisions range from 40%-60%, while the heavyweights push a 75% finish rate. You will receive bonus points for finishes inside the distance.
Try always to include the main event or title fights. Five-round fights mean more time to rack up points if you pick the right fighter. In some cases, even if you have the loser, the points can be more than a three-round winner.
Don't get excited and rush a pick based on stats; consider sample size. Some fighters have limited fights compared to their opponents when looking at metrics. Stats could be exaggerated. Do your research. Watch for spots with debuting fighters as well. Always check the records of the opponents they faced on their way to the UFC. Always pull fight tape as well. You’d be surprised at what you will find.
Review methods of victory. I supply the finish rates within this article, and as you dive in, you can compare method of victory to method of loss for the matchups. For example, you can find matchups where Fighter A has a high % of submission victories matched up with Fighter B, with a high % of submission losses.
As mentioned in the tip sheet above, here’s my MMA DFS Heat Chart for UFC Vegas 33. As you can see, the chart is ranked based on fight finish odds. Fight finishes are where the points are in MMA DFS. Take a glance at the stack, and we will break down the individual matchups below.
Two key offensive metrics are strikes and takedowns. They get off on their opponents; watch your points rack up quickly. Here's my Offensive Output Meter for the card. With this chart, you can compare historical fighter averages in these two key metrics as I rank all fighters participating Saturday.
Below is the differential for strikes landed vs. strikes absorbed per minute.
Here is the takedown average per 15 minutes and the opponent’s takedown defense percent.
UFC DFS RECOMMENDATIONS
Fighters that press the action, land takedowns, and/or high finish rates matched up against those that get finished, roster. (see my charts above)
Fights projected to NOT go to a decision
Strickland/Hall -168
Kang/Yahya -108
Barberena/Witt -215
Anglin/Baghdasaryan -110
Gruetzemacher/Garcia -115
Lawrence/Jones -125
Cosce/Rowe -175
For the main event, I like Strickland though he will have to have an outstanding performance over Hall to hit value with a $9300 price tag. With five rounds of work, Hall can cover $6900 in a win.
Top-tier fighters to build around include: Barberena, Garcia, Montano
Mid-tier fighter considerations are: Cosce, Lawrence
The Jets rookie was uneven in his first practice. Which might mean something, but probably doesn’t.
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — In one of his first training camp periods as a professional quarterback, Zach Wilson absorbed a flying shoulder bump from a 300-pounder. Guard Greg Van Roten had sprinted over from position drills to officially welcome the team’s first-round pick before some run-concept work that involved a portion of the offense.
It would seem to be the one moment of undesigned, gentle light heartedness amid an afternoon that tends to take on a familiar, unsatisfying rhythm for highly drafted, expected-to-start quarterbacks who are just now seeing the machinations of a regular season. Wilson’s first official day as an NFL quarterback entailed being followed around by quarterbacks coach Rob Calabrese as if he’d been assigned to Secret Service detail. The two would initiate small meetings after each banal action. Calabrese would stare at Wilson’s feet while he was stepping back to hand the football off, perhaps in an effort to make up for the two practices Wilson missed while the details of his rookie contract were ironed out.
QBs coach Rob Calabrese and Wilson.
Wilson was being evaluated after three-quarters-speed checkdowns. He was watched and filmed during innocent soft tosses to tight ends. And, he was momentarily applauded for his first throw in a team session, which went nearly 50 yards down the middle of the field to fellow rookie Elijah Moore. Moore was blanketed in tight coverage and was falling away from the defender to gain separation. Wilson put the ball right on Moore’s hands as he was hitting the ground (he said afterward that he wished he threw it even sooner).
After that moment, he would be sacked on one play, blitzed and nearly forced into an interception on the next. On the third play of the following period, he skied the ball over new teammate Corey Davis’s head. He and his receivers were struggling to stay on the same page, cutting inward while Wilson would fire a pass to the vacant sideline. In the fourth team period, he pumped a ball directly into the stomach of safety Marcus Maye.
Head coach Robert Saleh was unfazed, noting that defenses always perform better in the early days of training camp throughout the “history of time.”
So goes the strangeness of a rookie quarterback’s first training camp practice; a spectacle that can sometimes, rarely, be a predictor of performance down the road (there were legendary tales of E.J. Manuel hurling footballs into the hospitality tent in Buffalo, or Jets practices of long ago where Mark Sanchez was unable to find a vacant receiver against Rex Ryan’s pressure defense) but is almost always just a showcase for the emotional and physical complications of breaking in a young passer in the first place. Here were 89 other people holding their breath; a group of coaches, players and administrators all practicing collective patience, hoping that somewhere down the line the struggles become less and less recognizable. They all will become experts in discovering the positive, in searching for the silver lining in every errant pass.
At some point, there will come a workout, a moment, a drill, a pass that will, in the minds of his coaching staff, solidify Wilson’s status as either a franchise quarterback or cut-our-losses trade bait. It will take hundreds of these days in order to form the evaluation, which heightens the importance of not placing too much importance on one day. But it has to begin somewhere.
On Friday, Wilson looked in command one moment and overwhelmed the next, frequently taking longer than the assigned number of drop back steps to release the football. The offense was, before practice, saddled with a heavy portion of their installation while the defense had been fed a smaller, more digestible playbook in increments. They could play fast (and, most of the time likely had an idea of what plays were being run) while Wilson had to progress his way through each concept and throw to receivers who may have been just as confused as he was. The clash led to the immediate assumption that Wilson had a poor day of practice and not the more accurate takeaway, which is that we have no idea what the hell it was given how disparate the offense and defense looked. Had Wilson breezed through his first practice and carved up the defense, it may have been a far more concerning indictment of the defense’s ability, or the lack of the offense’s complexity.
The Jets’ offense, steeped in the principles of the back-to-back Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos of the late 1990s, asks the entire team to move as a collective ballet company. One day, each play will resemble the next at its outset, disallowing the defense from creeping up and pawing the kind of low-hanging fruit interceptions that populated Wilson’s first day of camp.
At least that is the hope. That day is a long way from here. Wilson’s ultimate evaluation is a long way from here. And so, the Jets broke camp on Friday to the sound of three elongated air horn blasts content in dismissing the bad and pocketing the good (Saleh noted his processing ability, confidence and command). Does the first practice ever really mean anything, or is it simply a test of everyone’s belief?
The Mets are finalizing a trade to acquire Cubs shortstop Javier Báez, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.
New York will also be receiving right-handed relief pitcher Trevor Williams as part of the agreement. Per multiple reports, Mets center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong—the organization's fifth-best prospect according to MLB.com—will be going to the Cubs.
"I loved playing with him in the World [Baseball] Classic," Báez added, referring to the time they spent together on the Puerto Rican national team. "It is the only option I would take to play second base if it is to play with him, otherwise I stay playing at shortstop."
Báez, 28, is another player from the 2016 Cubs World Series team to be traded before MLB's trade deadline. Earlier this week, Chicago sent first baseman Anthony Rizzo to the Yankees. On Friday, they dealt closer Craig Kimbrel to the White Sox.
Báez struggled last season, hitting just .203 and recording just eight home runs and 24 RBIs. This season, he's seen an uptick in his production, batting .248 while recording 22 home runs and 65 RBIs. However, he leads the National League in strikeouts with 131.
The Mets (54—47) currently sit atop the National League East and are looking to make their first postseason appearance since 2016, when they lost to the Royals in the World Series. The Cubs (50—54) sit fourth in the National League Central.
The White Sox are finalizing a deal to acquire closer Craig Kimbrel from the Cubs, the teams announced Friday.
The White Sox are sending second baseman Nick Madrigal and pitcher Codi Heuer to the Cubs as part of the crosstown deal Kimbrel.
The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal tweeted that the White Sox have the "option to retain Kimbrel next season for $16M."
Kimbrel currently has the most saves of any active reliever with 371 for his career. This season, he has a 0.49 ERA and 23 saves. In joining the White Sox, he boosts a bullpen that already features Liam Hendriks, who made the All-Star team this season and leads MLB in saves, with 25. Hendriks, the team's current closer, also has a 2.58 ERA in his first year with the franchise.
Ahead of Friday's trade deadline, the White Sox lead the AL Central with a 60—43 record, but they have the fourth best record in the league behind the Red Sox, Astros and Rays.
The Cubs are currently 50—54 on the season and 11 1/2 games back in the NL Central.
