Despite snapping a 30-inning scoreless streak against the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday, the New York Yankees are in the midst of their longest losing streak this season at six games.
The club's offense has hit a proverbial wall, and with the July 31 trade deadline still well over a month away, they're going to have to improve from within for the immediate future.
As New York searches for answers and looks to break out of its rut, ESPN's Buster Olney believes the most straightforward solution is removing DJ LeMahieu from the lineup.
“Look, if you’re thinking about possible change with this lineup, the guy to watch, no question, is DJ LeMahieu,” Olney said on the 'Baseball Tonight' podcast. “He’s 36 years old. He turns 37 next month ... I think part of the reason the Yankees put Jazz Chisholm at third base when he came off the injured list was they want to maintain flexibility in case they decide to make a change. LeMahieu would be the obvious guy to be dealt if they decide to do that.”
Dealing LeMahieu away, like Olney suggested, isn't an overly realistic outcome unless the Yankees are willing to eat nearly all of the remaining money on his contract while also receiving nothing of substance in return.
The 36-year-old second baseman is making $15 million this campaign and will earn the same amount in 2026 before a six-year, $90 million contract that he signed with the team in January 2021 expires.
The three-time All-Star and two-time batting champion received MVP votes in 2019 and 2020, which covered the entirety of his original two-year, $24 million deal with the Yankees, but he's fallen off over the past few seasons.
LeMahieu posted a .527 OPS over 67 games in 2024 while battling a foot injury, and his slash line this year sits at .244/.333/.341 heading into New York's series finale vs. the Angels on Thursday afternoon.
The Yankees moved Jazz Chisholm Jr. over to third base on a full-time basis in order to accommodate LeMahieu, and while he's excelled defensively at second, he may find himself without a role on the team unless he heats up at the plate.
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The Philadelphia Phillies are in first place in the National League East, with a 4.5-game lead over the second-place New York Mets with under 50 games to play in the 2025 campaign. Their chance to repeat as NL East champions looks promising, but nothing is guaranteed, especially in baseball. Luckily, multiple players are on their way back to the major league squad. First, righty reliever David Robertson, whom the Phillies signed as a free agent on July 21, was activated by the team on Sunday. This is the 40-year-old's third stint with the Phillies, where he hopes to aid them in a postseason push again, just as he did in 2022. Robertson appeared in 68 games for the Texas Rangers in 2024, but remained unsigned until the Phillies inked him to a deal. He completed a rehab assignment in Triple-A to ramp up, striking out six and walking one in 5.1 innings. The Phillies hope he can be a key contributor out of the bullpen down the stretch. Also in Triple-A are third baseman Alec Bohm, right-hander Aaron Nola and lefty Jose Alvarado. Bohm landed on the injured list on July 19 with a left rib fracture and began his rehab assignment on Sunday. He went 0-for-4 with three groundouts and a flyout, but is expected to return by mid-August. It sounds like he could use more time to shake off the rust, though. Meanwhile, Nola has made two promising starts in the minors, pitching to a 1.35 ERA, striking out six and walking three in 6.2 innings. The 32-year-old, who has been sidelined since May 16 with an ankle sprain and stress fracture in his rib, will pitch again on Tuesday in Triple-A. It's believed he could be reinstated by Aug. 17. Finally, Alvarado, the hard-throwing southpaw, will have his 80-game PED suspension lifted on Aug. 19. He's made two appearances in Triple-A since arriving on Aug. 7, striking out three in two innings. Alvarado will be ineligible for the postseason due to the nature of his suspension, but perhaps he can help the Phillies secure the NL East crown. The return of each of these players should play a significant role for the Phillies as the season winds down.
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.
The Red Wings have announced that they are bringing back their iconic 'Hockeytown' logo to center ice at Little Caesars Arena for their 100th year in the NHL. A somewhat familiar look is coming back to center ice at Little Caesars Arena, which has been the home of the Detroit Red Wings since 2017. A special fan polling has resulted in the announcement that the iconic former 'Hockeytown' logo from Joe Louis Arena, their former home, is coming back as part of a new special logo for the team's 100th year. Asia Gholston, Senior Vice President of Brand Marketing for Ilitch Sports + Entertainment, released the following statement. The center ice fan vote, launched in partnership with Meijer, was a great way to get fans involved in Red Wings Centennial right from the start. Through an incredible response to this vote, fans have made it clear they're fired up for what's to come in celebrating 100 years of Hockeytown, which is only possible due to their unwavering support for the Winged Wheel. The Red Wings featured the 'Hockeytown' logo at Joe Louis Arena in 1996, which remained until the building's closure in 2017. The Red Wings then used the same logo in their 1st year at Little Caesars Arena, but since then have just utilized a large team logo. The Red Wings celebrate their 100th year in the NHL The Red Wings were founded in 1926, but are in the midst of the longest drought of postseason hockey in their history. Considering that they've now been around for 100 years, that postseason absence is a surprising statistic. Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman has started to feel some heat for having not been able to get the team to the postseason in each of his first 6 years on the job.
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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