Kyle Manzardo opened the ninth inning with a walk-off home run as the Cleveland Guardians snapped a three-game skid with a 2-1 victory over the visiting Minnesota Twins on Tuesday.
After a weather delay of more than three hours before first pitch, Manzardo, who had two of Cleveland's six hits for the game, ended the long night. His drive off Louis Varland (1-2) went well over the right field wall to help the Guardians even the four-game set at one win apiece.
Cleveland starter Tanner Bibee allowed only Ty France's fifth-inning home run and four other hits in seven innings. He struck out five without yielding a walk.
Chris Paddack was nearly as solid for the Twins, permitting just Bo Naylor's solo homer and three other hits in five innings. He fanned two and walked one, but the Twins fell to 0-6 with him on the mound this season. Minnesota, who had won four in a row and rapped out a season-high 17 hits during an 11-1 series-opening victory on Monday, managed just seven hits on Tuesday.
Naylor entered the game 1-for-17 over his previous five contests, but he capped a nine-pitch at-bat in the third inning with a shot into the right field seats for a 1-0 Cleveland lead.
After the Guardians put runners on first and second with no outs in the fourth and didn't score, the Twins leveled the contest in the fifth. France sent a Bibee fastball the opposite way, over the right-center-field wall.
France had three hits for the Twins, whose offense sputtered after totaling 32 runs during the four-game winning streak.
Cleveland's Emmanuel Clase (4-0), who has struggled to find his All-Star form from the past three seasons, picked up the win after pitching a scoreless ninth inning.
The Guardians improved to 4-4 on a 10-game homestand that started by them taking two of three from the New York Yankees. They subsequently dropped the final two of a three-game set against the Boston Red Sox before welcoming the Twins to town.
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The Mets have been tied to White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. in trade rumors for months. Talks between New York and Chicago are ongoing, and MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand writes that the Mets remain one of the more aggressive suitors. According to Feinsand, Mets infielder Luisangel Acuña is among the players whom the teams have discussed. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale wrote over the weekend that the White Sox wanted Mark Vientos included in a Robert return. Even with Vientos amidst a down year, that’s a significant ask given Robert’s offensive inconsistency. The 23-year-old Acuña has not shown anywhere close to the same upside as Vientos did a season ago, when he batted .266/.322/.516 with 27 home runs. Acuña is a much better defensive player than Vientos, but he has a more limited offensive profile. The righty-hitting Acuña has a career .253/.300/.354 line with a trio of homers in 91 games. He has a similar .260/.303/.356 slash in 640 Triple-A plate appearances. Acuña is a decent contact hitter but has minimal power. With Francisco Lindor locked in at shortstop, Acuña has mostly played second base in Queens. Prospect evaluators credit him with the athleticism and arm strength to play shortstop. That could make him more valuable to another team than the Mets. The White Sox are using Colson Montgomery more often at third base. Fellow rookie Chase Meidroth is playing more shortstop. Meidroth has a good approach but only has managed three homers in his first 82 MLB games. Most scouting reports while he was in the minors projected him as a long-term second baseman. It’s not clear how likely the Mets are to land Robert, nor is it a guarantee that Acuña would be in the return. He’s presumably one of many players whom the teams have discussed as they kick around potential frameworks. The Sox have at least floated the idea of holding their center fielder beyond the deadline if they don’t get a strong prospect package. Robert is technically controllable for two more seasons via successive $20M club options. It’d seem more likely that he’ll be bought out for $2M next offseason, but the White Sox have pushed the idea that they could exercise the first option rather than accept a suboptimal trade return. Their actions over the next 36 hours will reveal whether that’s a genuine consideration or a mere negotiating stance. In addition to New York, the Padres and Phillies have shown recent interest in Robert.
The 2024 offseason expanded the $30M-per-year wide receiver club to six members. D.K. Metcalf, Ja’Marr Chase and Garrett Wilson have taken it to nine this year. Terry McLaurin is undoubtedly pushing to bump that number to 10, after seeing 2019 Day 2 classmates Metcalf and A.J. Brown land among that contingent. McLaurin reported to training camp Sunday and landed on the active/PUP list. As our Rory Parks explained, skepticism exists about how injured the Commanders’ top wide receiver really is. An ankle injury has keyed the PUP stay, but it can be safely assumed McLaurin would be ready to practice if an extension comes to pass. Nevertheless, the Commanders have been surprised by the difficulty of these talks. Using an injury to avoid practicing while negotiating — developments the Jonathan Taylor and Micah Parsons sagas brought — represents a third tactic, joining the holdout and the increasingly utilized hold-in amid extension talks. McLaurin shifted from a holdout to the injury route; no matter how he is accomplishing not practicing, the seventh-year veteran is aiming to land a lucrative third contract. His age provides a complication for Washington. McLaurin is going into an age-30 season, separating him from Brown and Metcalf. Both Ole Miss products were drafted just before McLaurin, a 2019 third-round pick, but they are each two years younger. This strengthened their cases for big-ticket third contracts. McLaurin went first to ignite the second-tier boom on the receiver market in 2022, agreeing to a three-year, $69.6M extension. That shaped the Metcalf and Deebo Samuel extensions, both of which coming in higher than McLaurin’s despite the latter’s consistency with suboptimal quarterback situations. McLaurin’s AAV has dropped to 17th at wide receiver. The Commanders are prepared to extend their top wideout, but Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline indicates the "holdup" is regarding the $30M-AAV number. Some around the league point to the team not wanting to go into that neighborhood for McLaurin, despite his five 1,000-yard seasons. Courtland Sutton and McLaurin are nearly the same age, and the Broncos’ top target signed a four-year, $92M extension. That matches where the Titans went for Calvin Ridley (now 30) in 2024. McLaurin, though, has a better resume than both and should be aiming higher. The Commanders have a Jayden Daniels rookie contract to structure another McLaurin extension around as well. Adam Peters was around for the 49ers’ 2022 Samuel extension but not Brandon Aiyuk‘s $30M-per-year deal. (The Samuel extension also did not work out for the 49ers, who proceeded with a salary dump of sorts by trading him to the Commanders.) The second-year GM taking a hardline stance with McLaurin would be an interesting route given the WR’s importance to a sudden contender. Peters confirmed talks are ongoing, with that comment coming after McLaurin expressed frustration about the negotiations. A potential gap between the pack of 20-somethings (and Tyreek Hill) north of $30M AAV and the Tee Higgins–Jaylen Waddle–D.J. Moore tier could be relevant here, and it will be interesting to see if McLaurin settles for something just south of that $30MM benchmark. Guarantees and contract structure, of course, will be important to determining the value as well. A short-term extension should be reached soon, per Pauline, but if the Commanders hold the line at or around $30M, the McLaurin matter could drag on for a while longer.
As Trey Hendrickson prepares to end his holdout, it's time for the Cincinnati Bengals to meet their star edge-rusher halfway. On Tuesday, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that Hendrickson plans to end his holdout amid a prolonged contract dispute by reporting to Bengals camp on Wednesday despite still seeking an extension. "Reporting to camp stops the $50,000 per day fines and also serves as a good-faith gesture to try to jumpstart negotiations," Schefter wrote. Hendrickson is owed $18.7M in 2025. Last season, Hendrickson led the NFL in sacks (17.5). He originally signed a four-year, $60M contract with the Bengals during 2021 free agency and later signed a one-year extension in July 2023 to keep him Cincinnati through 2025. With no guarantees beyond this upcoming season and the edge-rusher market exploding recently, Hendrickson certainly has a valid argument to demand an extension. Meanwhile, Cincinnati has few (if any) good reasons not to reward their best defensive player. Hendrickson, 30, has been one of the league's most prolific pass-rushers since joining the Bengals. Former agent Joel Corry, writing for CBS Sports, brushed aside concerns about a potential drop-off in production while pointing to Pittsburgh Steelers edge T.J. Watt's recent contract extension. As Corry noted, Watt, who became the league's highest-paid non-quarterback when he agreed to a three-year, $123M extension earlier this offseason, is roughly two months older than Hendrickson. "Hendrickson also accounted for 48.6% of Cincinnati's sacks last season while Watt was responsible for 28.8% of Pittburgh's," Corry wrote. On Monday, Schefter shared that the main sticking point in Hendrickson's contract dispute is guaranteed money, with the Bengals hesitant to provide any guarantees beyond 2025 on a potential three-year deal. As productive as Hendrickson has been for the Bengals — his 57 sacks since 2021 only trail Watt and Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett — the front office should be doing everything in its power to ensure he finishes his career in Cincy. Hendrickson ending his holdout is the first step to the sides reaching a resolution. The next is the Bengals giving him an extension commensurate to his production.
Despite surpassing $400 million in summer spending following the blockbuster signing of French forward Hugo Ekitike, Liverpool has been placed on high alert amid reports that Newcastle striker Alexander Isak is open to exploring a move away from St. James’ Park. While Isak’s intentions may partly reflect a bid for an improved contract, Newcastle appear increasingly resigned to the possibility of losing their star forward. Arne Slot’s side is reportedly leading the race for the 25-year-old, who is attracting interest from top clubs across Europe. A potential move for Isak would hinge on departures at Anfield, and Liverpool has already begun reshaping its front line. Luis Diaz is expected to join Bayern Munich in a deal worth approximately $87 million, with just two years remaining on his contract. Reports suggest talks over an extension broke down before the club granted the Colombian's request to leave. Darwin Nunez could also depart this summer. The striker is said to be on the radar of AC Milan and Juventus, while Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal is also monitoring his situation, according to Sky Sports. Midfielder Harvey Elliott could also be sold to generate further funds, with the 22-year-old likely to command a substantial fee. Offloading these players would significantly boost Liverpool’s transfer budget as it prepares a bid for Isak, with Newcastle reportedly seeking up to $200 million for the Swedish international, particularly given the likelihood of selling to a Premier League rival. According to the Daily Mail, Newcastle is “braced” for a formal offer from Liverpool, and the same report claims Isak is keen on the move to Anfield. Liverpool, fresh off securing a record 20th Premier League title last season, appears poised for a period of sustained dominance. Ekitike and Florian Wirtz, signed from Bayer Leverkusen in a deal worth over $150 million, have bolstered the club’s attacking options. The Reds have also strengthened defensively. Jeremie Frimpong arrives from Leverkusen as a direct replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold, who joined Real Madrid, while Milos Kerkez has been brought in from Bournemouth to add depth to the back line.
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