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The St. Louis Cardinals are riding high, having won 11 of their last 12 games and reached a season-high five games over .500 with a 10-3 win over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night.
Leading the way for St. Louis was catcher-turned designated hitter Ivan Herrera. He picked up three hits and had four RBI, with his biggest hit coming in the top of the sixth inning when he cleared the bases with a double to make it 6-2 in favor of St. Louis.
With Herrera's recent surge, it might be time for the Cardinals to give him a contract extension.
Thus far, Herrera has arguably been St. Louis' most productive player. After returning from a severe knee injury earlier this month, he hasn't missed a beat.
Prior to the injury, he had a three-homer game against the Los Angeles Angels and hit another home run at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox.
The 24-year-old is hitting .419 with five home runs, 18 RBI and a 1.387 OPS. It's clear that he is a key piece of the puzzle for the future of the Cardinals and could be vital in helping the Cardinals return to being a consistent postseason contender.
He has some power from the right side of the plate and is an all-around consistent hitter. What he lacks defensively in comparison to Pedro Pages is made up for with his bat.
The Cardinals would be wise to consider giving him a contract extension in the near future.
More must-reads:
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- Aaron Boone's ejection vs. Astros isn't a good look for manager's future
- The 'MLB active hits leaders' quiz
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Yankees have humiliating play in the field during latest loss
The New York Yankees are down horrific right now. The Yankees lost again on Sunday, falling to the Houston Astros by a 7-1 final score and also making fools of themselves in the process. During the top of the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium in New York, N.Y., the Astros had runners on second and third with one out. Houston infielder Ramon Urias came in as a pinch-hitter and proceeded to lift a shallow fly ball into left field. The ball dropped in the middle of three Yankees fielders (Cody Bellinger, Anthony Volpe, and Jazz Chisholm Jr.), allowing Jose Altuve, the runner on third, to score. The sequence got infinitely more embarrassing when Bellinger picked up the ball and attempted to fire it back into the infield … only for the ball to slip and land about 15 feet to Bellinger’s right (and still on the outfield grass). Here is the ridiculous video. That was awful communication, awful awareness, and awful execution right there. Congratulations to the Yankees for pulling off the hat trick of ineptitude on just one play. If there is any silver lining for the Yankees, the game was already out of reach at that point anyway, so the mishap only hurt their ego rather than their chances of actually winning. But nonetheless, that summed up the Yankees’ embarrassing recent downslide all too well. The Yankees were sitting at 60-49 to begin the month of August and had a comfortable 2.5 game lead as the No. 1 Wild Card spot in the AL. But they have since gone an awful 2-7, knocking them down to Wild Card spot No. 3 (and now just half a game away from falling out of the playoff picture altogether). Making matters worse is that it appears the Yankees only have themselves to blame for their recent skid. To go along with bullpen woes and inexplicable mental mistakes, the Yankees have now forgotten how to pick up a baseball as well.
'Absolutely' - Browns Are Considering Surprising Quarterback Move
It's the Browns. When the Cleveland Browns drafted Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders this April, they had a total of five quarterbacks on their roster between their incoming rookies, Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and the injured Deshaun Watson. And despite the kind of confusing nature of their stockpiling so many QBs, it sounds like the team could double-down on the the decision by the time the regular season kicks off. According to The Athletic's Zac Jackson, "the Browns absolutely might keep all four quarterbacks" heading into Cleveland's season opener. While also adding, "No, Shedeur Sanders is not going to start Week 1 for the Browns. But he's put a lot of pressure on his coaches and fellow QBs headed into this week — the biggest week of training camp as the Browns head to Philly." Fans reacted to the reporter's update on X: "At this point it's not even a QB room anymore. It's a pitching rotation now," a user said. "One as a starter, One as a backup, One to hold on field goals, And one listed as a wide receiver for tax purposes," another commented. "[Shedeur Sanders] should be developed and shouldn't be thrown out there week 1 but he should be considered to be put over Gabriel and Pickett," a fan pointed out. "While also finally getting meaningful reps with the 1's." "I'm a Shedeur fan who wants Flacco to start with Shedeur at QB2," another person replied. "Sitting behind a veteran QB can be very valuable, and you know he'd be ready if he had to come off the bench. Just my .02." "This isn't unprecedented," another user posted. "The Patriots kept 4 QBs in the 2000 season. Worked out ok for them. Not saying there's a Brady in their QB room. But if they have 4 guys who they think are NFL worthy (even if none are QB1 right now), they can make it work." The Browns have been bitten by the injury bug thus far in camp with Pickett and Gabriel both dealing with ailments this preseason — opening up a window for Shedeur Sanders to earn his way up the depth chart. Sanders played well in Friday night's debut with a 14-of-23 performance for 138 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the way to a 30-10 win over Carolina. But head coach Kevin Stefanski says the team in "evaluation mode" when it comes to their QBs.
New York Rangers Expected to Make Controversial Decision With New Captain, Per Longtime Analyst
Longtime New York Rangers analyst Larry Brooks has suggested that the team could name JT Miller, who was re-acquired this year, as their new captain and official successor to ex-Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba. The New York Rangers do not have a captain right now following the controversial trade of Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks in December. But according to Larry Brooks, they may have found one. Why Naming Miller Captain Could Signal a Culture Shift for the Rangers It followed a period of tension between Trouba and Rangers management led by GM Chris Drury, who reportedly threatened to waive him if he didn't accept a trade. Months later, the Rangers re-acquired JT Miller from the Vancouver Canucks; he was taken by the Rangers with the 15th pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. Per longtime Rangers analyst Larry Brooks of The New York Post, the Rangers should name Miller their new captain and the successor to Trouba. The captain's sweater is not just another piece of laundry. It represents the organization's ethos. The Rangers acquired J.T. Miller to change the team culture. The 32-year-old is hard-edged and can be abrasive. That is the identity the Blueshirts should adopt. Miller was traded to the Rangers after a long public feud with Canucks teammate Elias Pettersson was confirmed by executive Jim Rutherford. JT Miller Expected to Be Named Captain of the New York Rangers, Less Than a Year After Trade From Vancouver The Canucks traded Miller to the Rangers, who took him in the 1st round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, for Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini, and a 1st round pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. Miller returned to the place where he began his NHL career, and had 35 points (13G, 22A) in the 32 games he played after the trade. If Miller does become captain of the Rangers, he would be the 29th player in team history to wear the 'C' on his sweater.
Leafs’ Proposed Blockbuster Trade Could Jeopardize Future
A recent trade pitch suggesting the Toronto Maple Leafs acquire Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell from the Pittsburgh Penguins is undeniably a bold and wild idea. With that in mind, it’s not the kind of trade that makes a ton of sense for Toronto, even if both players are legitimate goal scorers — especially considering what Toronto would have to give up to acquire both players. The likelihood that the Maple Leafs are seeking a trade for both wingers is low to begin with. That they’d be willing to part with a new trade acquisition, one of their more steady defensemen, a high-ceiling winger, and the team’s top prospect is an even more fascinating suggestion. Toronto Isn’t About To Abandon Their Game Plan The suggested trade was as follows: Maple Leafs Acquire: Bryan Rust ($5,125,000) Rickard Rakell ($5,000,000) Penguins Acquire: Nick Robertson ($1,825,000) Jake McCabe ($4,491,898) Matias Maccelli ($3,425,000) Easton Cowan ($873,500) While Rust and Rakell bring impressive goal-scoring credentials — combining for 66 goals last season — the Leafs have just added Matias Maccelli, a promising winger signed to what they hope is a value contract this offseason. On top of that, they’ve invested heavily in Jake McCabe on defense and have Easton Cowan, arguably their best prospect, waiting in the wings. Nick Robertson may be on the move, so his inclusion makes sense, but there’s been no suggestion, whatsoever, that the Leafs are open to moving any of the other three. No doubt, you have to give to get. That said, trading away these useful, cost-controlled assets for veterans like Rust and Rakell seems like a shortsighted mistake. Maccelli’s acquisition signals the Leafs are looking to build with youth, speed, and skill, while McCabe provides a steady defensive presence — something the Maple Leafs desperately need to maintain. Easton Cowan, meanwhile, presents arguably the best future replacement for the offensive output lost with Mitch Marner’s departure. Is There A World In Which Toronto Would Consider This Blockbuster Trade? Never say never. There is no doubt this would be a big swing by Toronto. And, it would add goal scoring in a significant way. That said, given the current roster construction, why would Toronto create obvious holes on their blue line, in the system, and move a player they believe could be a key offensive contributor in Maccelli? This would be GM Brad Treliving mortgaging everything on two Penguins players, who reportedly don’t want to go anywhere — one of whom has an eight-team no-trade clause. This trade screams 2025-25 Cup run, and an attempt to outscore other problems in the present day. Ultimately, this proposed trade serves as an interesting talking point, but it doesn’t quite pass the smell test for a Leafs team focused on a blend of youth and experience heading into the new season.
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