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Cardinals have prescription for Yankees' ills
The injury bug has already hammered the New York Yankees.
Staff ace Gerrit Cole will undergo Tommy John surgery, costing him the entire 2025 season and part of 2026. Defending AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil is expected to miss at least three months due to a high grade lat strain in his right shoulder.
Third base is also a concern. Infielder DJ LeMahieu is expected to begin the season on the injured list due to a strained calf. The 36-year-old LeMahieu struggled through an injury-plagued 2024 campaign, posting a .204/.269/.259 batting line in his 228 plate appearances, hitting two homers and five doubles.
One team is perfectly positioned to give the Yankees the necessary pieces to combat those injuries. The St. Louis Cardinals had attempted to trade third baseman Nolan Arenado throughout the offseason without success. Those intentions had not changed despite Arenado being on the roster when spring training began.
Likewise, the Cardinals have pitchers that could potentially be available. Starters Erick Fedde and Steven Matz had reportedly generated interest during the offseason but nothing materialized. With young pitchers such as Michael McGreevy waiting in the wings, moving a player that will not be part of the future makes sense.
The Yankees, meanwhile, are in win-now mode. While they made the World Series for the first time since 2009 last year, they came up short against the Dodgers. The lack of production at third is a concern heading into the season, while the Yankees' slew of injuries have already put a damper on their championship aspirations.
One trade could make a drastic difference for the Yankees. The Cardinals may line up as the perfect trade partner.
More must-reads:
- Father Time catches Yankees ace Gerrit Cole at career crossroads
- Latest Gerrit Cole update could mean Yankees' championship hopes are fleeting
- The 'Most recent 40-home run season by MLB team' quiz
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Cal Raleigh reaches another milestone with HR against Padres
Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh has done it again. For the 50th time, to be exact. On Monday, MLB's home run leader blasted his 50th long ball of the season, one day after hitting two home runs against the Athletics to set the single-season record for home runs by a catcher in major league history at 49. He ended an eight-pitch at-bat against San Diego Padres starting pitcher JP Sears by hitting a solo shot 419 feet to left field off a 92 mph four-seam fastball, extending his home run lead and pulling him closer to breaking other MLB and club records. Raleigh moved five home runs from surpassing New York Yankees Hall of Fame outfielder Mickey Mantle's single-season home run record for a switch-hitter, who set the mark at 54 in 1961. Raleigh is also seven home runs shy of surpassing Hall of Fame centerfielder Ken Griffey Jr.'s Mariners single-season home run record (56). With more than a month until the regular season concludes on Sept. 28, Raleigh could also topple Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge's AL single-season home run record (62), which he established three seasons ago in 2022. The more records Raleigh breaks in his phenomenal season, the likelier he is to overtake Judge in the AL MVP race. Judge, a two-time winner, was running away with the award early this season, but Raleigh's season-long power surge has made him close to a co-favorite to win the award. Per ESPN Bet, Judge currently leads in odds at -120, followed closely by Raleigh at -105. The gap between the two is shrinking. At the rate Raleigh is playing, it won't be long before it's going, going, gone.
Browns abandon four-QB approach by trading Kenny Pickett
The Cleveland Browns will not be keeping four quarterbacks on their roster heading into the 2025 regular season, after all. The Browns agreed to a deal on Monday to trade Kenny Pickett to the Las Vegas Raiders, according to multiple reports. Cleveland will receive a 2026 fifth-round draft pick in return. Pickett spent just five months in Cleveland, as the Browns acquired him in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles back in March. They gave up Dorian Thompson-Robinson and a fifth-round draft pick in that deal. There had been reports throughout the summer that Pickett was not exactly lighting it up in Browns camp. Joe Flacco has been named Cleveland's Week 1 starter, so rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders will now back the 40-year-old up. The Raiders needed a veteran quarterback after Aidan O'Connell fractured his wrist in the team's preseason finale over the weekend. O'Connell is expected to be sidelined for around two months. Pickett began his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who drafted him 20th overall in 2022. The former University of Pittsburgh QB started 12 games as a rookie and did not play well, finishing with 2,404 yards, seven touchdown passes and nine interceptions. Pickett started another 12 games for the Steelers in 2023 before being benched and later traded to Philadelphia. In total, Pickett has completed 62.4 percent of his career passes for 4,765 yards, 15 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.
Zachary Yager, Veteran NASCAR Pit Crew Member, Dies Aged 35
Zachary Yager, who had served as an over-the-wall pit crew member in the NASCAR National Series ranks since the 2014 season, has died at the age of 35. TobyChristie.com had the initial report of Yager's death. Yager, a New York native, had pit crew stints with Richard Childress Racing, Team Penske, RFK Racing, and JTG Daugherty Racing (now known as HYAK Motorsports), where he won the 2023 Daytona 500, from 2014 to 2024. Ahead of the 2025 season, Yager moved to Elite Race Services, a Mooresville, NC-based company that specializes in assembling teams of pit crews for NASCAR National Series race teams. This season, Yager had been serving as the Jack Man for the No. 39 RSS Racing team in the NASCAR Xfinity Series as well as the No. 88 ThorSport Racing team in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The loss of Yager was absolutely unexpected for Elite Race Services, which is grieving the loss of one of its own, while issuing its deepest sympathy to Yager's family. “Obviously, nobody saw this coming and we’re in total disbelief,” Cory DeMarco, owner of Elite Race Services said in a statement given to TobyChristie.com. “All of the guys send our thoughts and prayers out to his dad and family, right now.” ThorSport Racing, likewise, expressed grief over the sudden and unexpected loss of Yager. “We are deeply saddened by the unexpected passing of our friend and teammate, Zachary Yager,” said ThorSport Racing in a statement. “He was an important part of our family, and our hearts are with his loved ones and community as we grieve this loss together.” While he was serving as a Jack Man this season, Yager was well-known as a well-rounded pit crew member, who could perform at nearly every position on an over-the-wall pit crew. Yager previously served as a Tire Carrier and Fueler in addition to the Jack Man role. No details surrounding Yager's death have been released, but the veteran pit crew member had been missing since Monday, August 18, according to various social media posts from members of Yager's family.
Recent roster moves cement 2022 QB class as one of worst ever
Finding a starting quarterback in the NFL is hard work, and most players who get picked at the position will not pan out as hoped. Teams that took quarterbacks in the 2022 NFL Draft have found that out first hand, and some recent roster moves around the league have helped to cement that class as one of the worst ever for quarterbacks. Of the nine quarterbacks taken in that class, only one of them — Brock Purdy with the San Francisco 49ers — is a starter in the NFL, and he is the only one out of that group who is still with the team that selected them. Here is a quick run down of where the first eight quarterbacks in that class are right now, including some recent roster moves featuring the top-two quarterbacks — Kenny Pickett and Desmond Ridder — taken in that class. Kenny Pickett (No. 20 overall, Pittsburgh Steelers) Pickett was just traded by the Cleveland Browns to the Las Vegas Raiders and is now already on his fourth team in the NFL, having been traded three times. He has a Super Bowl ring and should have a nice career as a backup, but as the first quarterback taken in a class, this is a disappointing career path so far. Desmond Ridder (No. 74 overall, Atlanta Falcons) Like Pickett, Ridder has also already played for four teams in the NFL and will have to join a fifth to continue his career after being released by the Cincinnati Bengals on Tuesday. He was originally picked by the Atlanta Falcons and has played for the Arizona Cardinals, Raiders and Bengals. Malik Willis (No. 86 overall, Tennessee Titans) After failing to secure the starting job with the Titans, Willis is now a backup with the Green Bay Packers. Matt Corral (No. 94 overall, Carolina Panthers) Corral never threw a pass in the NFL and is no longer in the league, having most recently played for the Birmingham Stallions of the UFL. Bailey Zappe (No. 137 overall, New England Patriots) Zappe had a brief run as a starter with the Patriots, but he never solidified the job and has spent time as a backup with the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs. Sam Howell (No. 144 overall, Washington Commanders) Howell showed some potential as a starter for Washington during the 2023 season, throwing for 3,946 yards and 21 touchdowns. The downside: He also threw a league-leading 21 interceptions. After being traded to the Philadelphia Eagles this preseason, he is now on his third team. Chris Oladokun (No. 241 overall, Pittsburgh Steelers) Oladokun was the second of the Steelers' two quarterback picks in this class and never even made the roster. He was cut after the initial training camp and ended up as a depth piece in Kansas City. Skylar Thompson (No. 247 overall, Miami Dolphins) Thompson was forced into a starting role for a playoff game for the Dolphins but never really established himself as a long-term option. He was in training camp with the Steelers this season and played well, but is likely to lose out on a numbers game and be seeking a third team. Of these eight quarterbacks, four have already played for at least three teams before the end of their rookie contracts. Purdy, who was oddly enough the last quarterback taken in this class, is the only one who has found success. But even he is not good enough to salvage what has been a complete dud of a quarterback class.
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