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The Braves are seemingly big game hunting. Whether it’s through free agent channels or the trade market, reports suggest Alex Anthopoulos is leaving no stone unturned. Shohei Ohtani and Dylan Cease are the two most attractive targets that have been linked to Atlanta.
Ohtani is reportedly “intrigued” by the idea of playing for the Braves, per Jon Morosi, and Morosi doubled down yesterday by reporting that Anthopoulos is still engaged with the Japanese superstar’s camp.
As far as Cease, it was reported by MLB Network’s Jon Morosi last week that talks between the White Sox and inquiring teams on Dylan Cease have heated up and the Braves are among the finalists.
Nothing has come to fruition, and if you ask one beat writer, it won’t ever happen. Mark Bowman has put to rest both rumors in his latest beat.
“The Braves haven’t shown serious interest in free agent Shohei Ohtani, and it doesn’t feel like they should be considered favorites to land White Sox right-hander Dylan Cease via a trade.”
His choice of words is very important here — “haven’t shown serious interest” in Ohtani and “doesn’t feel like they should be considered favorites” to land Cease.
Now, I don’t think either situation is likely, but Bowman is only suggesting generalities; there’s nothing concrete. While he thinks the Braves haven’t shown serious interest, that doesn’t mean they haven’t shown some interest. And just because the Braves aren’t favorites doesn’t mean they aren’t in the running for Cease.
Alex Anthopoulos already told reporters that he explored a significant acquisition. He didn’t specify if it was of the free agent or trade variety, but he’s generally been transparent with the media. If he says they explored it, they did.
All in all, I don’t believe Morosi over Bowman or vice versa. The Braves are an organization that holds their cards close to their chest, and I think that’s where Bowman is coming from. It’s important to distinguish between reports and opinions. He likely doesn’t have any substantiated information and is just basing these opinions on his experience with the club.
Chances are both reporters don’t know any more than anyone in Braves Country.
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Red Sox Aren't Getting Standout Back Anytime Soon
The Boston Red Sox got some bad news in the infield. Rookie infielder Marcelo Mayer has gotten a lot of time at second base and third base. Since Alex Bregman returned, Mayer has gotten most of his action at second base while also filling in as the Red Sox worked Bregman back slowly. Unfortunately, he's on the Injured List, though, due to a wrist sprain. MassLive.com's Christopher Smith shared the lastest update on Mayer from Red Sox manager Alex Cora on Saturday noted that he's "not gonna play soon." "No new updates on Marcelo Mayer's wrist sprain, Red Sox manager Alex Cora said," Smith shared. "'Just waiting for results and see specialists and all that stuff,' Cora added. 'He's not gonna play soon. So have to make sure where we're at and what the course of action is going to be.'" Losing Mayer is tough. Defense has been a question mark for Boston once again this season but Mayer has helped in that area. With Mayer out, Ceddanne Rafaela is expected to get a lot of action at second base. That helps to alleviate the logjam in the outfield, but also removes arguably the best defensive center fielder in the game. Boston isn't at full strength and Cora noting he's "not gonna play soon" certainly doesn't sound positive. Before going down, Mayer was slashing .228/.272/.402 with four homers, 10 RBIs, and eight doubles. Will the Red Sox add another piece ahead of the trade deadline? It absolutely makes sense at this point.
Bears GM speaks out after superstar goes down with injury
Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson is expected to miss most of training camp due to a leg injury, per ESPN’s Courtney Cronin. Johnson was placed on the non-football injury list when veterans reported to Chicago for camp. He suffered the injury during offseason training, according to Bears general manager Ryan Poles. Johnson is coming off his second consecutive Pro Bowl and is headed into the second year of a four-year, $76M deal. He has dealt with a number of injuries over his career, playing no more than 15 games in a season over the first four years of his career. In 2024, he played a full season for the first time, starting all 17 games with a career-high 1,032 snaps. An extended absence into the regular season would force Chicago to find another starting cornerback among their veteran depth, but Poles said that the team is not “overly concerned” about a long-term injury. “We’ve got a lot of faith that he’s going to put in the time to rehab and be his full self when he comes back,” said Poles on Tuesday. 2023 fifth-rounder Terell Smith will likely step into a first-team role in Johnson’s absence. Chicago largely relied on a cornerback trio of Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson and Kyler Gordon last year; Smith is the only remaining defensive back on the roster who played at least 150 snaps on the boundary for the Bears in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus. Offseason signings Nick McCloud and Tre Flowers may also see a bump in reps over the coming weeks as Johnson rehabs his leg with his eyes on returning for the Bears’ Week 1 opener against the Vikings.
Chicago Blackhawks at Risk of Losing First Round Pick as Other Teams Pitch Big-Money Offers
Mason West is a talented prospect of the future for the Chicago Blackhawks, but it appears he may look to leave hockey for big opportunities in football. The Chicago Blackhawks landed Anton Frondell with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, but it was perhaps their second first-round pick that drew the most intrigue, as they drafted centre Mason West out of the USHL. That pick was intriguing for many reasons, with the 6-foot-6 centre having potential with his talent and his physicality, but now, the team may be in danger of losing the talented 17-year old. According to a report from The Athletic, the No. 29 overall pick has been drawing interest from several NCAA programs to join their team as a football player. Standing at 6-foot-6, the Minnesota native is a star in both hockey and football, tallying 49 points in 31 games at the high school level while also being a star Quarterback, and after putting up 9 points in 10 USHL games with the Fargo Force, the future is bright for him in both sports. Ultimately, at 17-years of age, the future is very bright whichever way West ends up going, but given that the Blackhawks used a first-round pick on him in this past seasons draft, they're clearly confident that they can not only keep him in hockey, but make a good NHLer out of him moving forward.
Cubs Targeting Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly to Fortify Starting Rotation: Report
The Chicago Cubs find themselves at a crossroads. With a top-heavy starting rotation and injuries mounting, the team is in urgent need of reinforcements if it hopes to stay competitive in the tightly contested NL Central and make a legitimate postseason run. Shota Imanaga has been outstanding for most of the year, aside from a recent hiccup, while veteran Matthew Boyd continues to deliver steady performances. Beyond them, however, the Cubs are facing real problems. Justin Steele and Jameson Taillon are currently sidelined, rookie Cade Horton has struggled outside of Wrigley Field, and Colin Rea remains inconsistent from start to start. Recognizing the need to stabilize the rotation, Chicago's president of baseball operations, Jed Hoyer, is reportedly being aggressive at the trade deadline. The Cubs were previously in discussions with the Kansas City Royals for right-hander Seth Lugo, but those talks fell apart when Lugo signed a two-year, $46 million extension to remain in Kansas City. Now, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, the Cubs are shifting their focus westward to Arizona Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly. Nightengale adds that teams view Kelly as Arizona’s best pitcher, ahead of Zac Gallen, who the Cubs also have interest in. Unlike Gallen, Kelly is a low-risk acquisition for Chicago. The 35-year-old has appeared in 22 games this season and totaled a 3.22 ERA, 121 strikeouts, and a 1.057 WHIP across 128.2 innings. While he may not possess the Cy Young potential of Gallen, Kelly has been the more consistent pitcher this season, and as an impending free agent, should not cost as much to acquire. Kelly feels like the kind of pitcher you add alongside a bigger acquisition. If Chicago can land a frontline starter and pair him with Kelly, the Cubs could instantly transform their rotation into one of the best in baseball.
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