On Facebook
On Flipboard
On Twitter
The Toronto Blue Jays were wheeling and dealing this trade deadline, moving numerous players across the league to try and regather themselves for a run in the 2025 season and restock a depleted farm system. Of the players on the way out was Nate Pearson, a former top prospect who was dubbed the next ace of this squad before injuries and inconsistencies on the mound saw him move to the bullpen to limit injury risk.
Pearson being traded this past weekend was a bit of a headscratcher at first, as the right-hander still has a minor league option at his disposal next season and was under contract for at least another two seasons as well. While the Florida product has struggled to live up to expectations of being a first-round pick, he was one pitcher that the Jays could have tinkered with to move back to the rotation next season to give some additional depth in the upper levels of the minors. Instead, the club moved him to Chicago in exchange for two position player prospects – Yohendrick Pinango and Josh Rivera.
The former Blue Jay made his way to his new squad and made his Cubs debut last night, entering the game in the bottom of the seventh inning with the Cincinnati Reds leading 6 to 0.
Nate Pearson gets ejected in his Chicago Cubs debut
His first inning of work was clean against the bottom and top of the Reds lineup, with the first batter he faced being former teammate Santiago Espinal. He got Espinal to ground out before retiring Jonathan India and TJ Friedl to get out of the inning unscathed.
Pearson was brought out to start the eighth inning and after he retired Spencer Steer on six pitches, his first strikeout in a Cubs uniform, things unravelled in a hurry for the 27-year-old.
With the one out and Jeimer Candelario in the batter’s box, Pearson hung a 97 MPH fastball down the heart of the plate and the switch-hitting Candelario quickly deposited the offering over the right field wall, a 402-foot no-doubter that left the bat at 104 MPH.
Looking to bounce back, Pearson toed the rubber with Tyler Stephenson at the plate and the right-hander uncorked a 96 MPH heater that tagged Stephenson in the helmet, a scary scene that fortunately caught a lot of the helmet. While the Reds catcher took first base, agitated at being hit following the home run, the umpires converged on the infield and after a lengthy discussion, tossed Pearson from the game, prematurely ending his debut. This led to Cubs manager Craig Counsell getting ejected as well, with the skipper arguing about the call to remove his newest reliever following the hit batter.
In Nate Pearson’s Cubs debut, he gave up a home run to Jeimer Candelario and then immediately drilled Tyler Stephenson in the head on the next pitch
He was then ejected. pic.twitter.com/pDiagiuG7K
— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) July 30, 2024
While it didn’t look like the hit to the head was intentional, with the game at 7-0 and a batter getting hit in the head late, it makes sense why the umpire crew ejected Pearson given the rivalry between the two NL Central clubs and trying to prevent things from escalating further.
So after a clean inning of work, Pearson’s Cubs debut ends with a solo home run and an ejection in what will surely be remembered for some time amongst the Chicago fanbase.
More must-reads:
- Brewers' Jacob Misiorowski continues to set radar gun on fire at unprecedented rate
- Red Sox pitcher sounds off on disgruntled sports bettors
- The 'MLB All-Star Game MVPs' quiz
Breaking News
Trending News
Customize Your Newsletter
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
TODAY'S BEST
Red Sox pitcher sounds off on disgruntled sports bettors
Lucas Giolito is tired of hearing from angry sports bettors, and the Boston Red Sox pitcher says he recently spoke with MLB commissioner Rob Manfred about his concerns. During an episode of Rob Bradford's "Baseball Isn't Boring" podcast that was released on Monday, Giolito spoke about what he described as a growing problem with angry gamblers issuing threats to players. The right-hander said he has received countless messages from fans who placed wagers on him and lost, even when he pitches well. "I'm getting messages after every game," Giolito said, via Jon Paul Hoornstra of Newsweek. "Even games where I pitched well, where they're mad at me because I hit the strikeout over instead of being under; prop bets, all these crazy things. People put hundreds of dollars on it. They don't have a lot of money but they're gambling it anyway because it's a disease. They freak out." Giolito added that there is only so much players can do in terms of blocking and reporting people on social media. He said his girlfriend has even received "nasty" messages from fans and that he asked Manfred what would need to happen for MLB to take serious action. "You can go private on social media. You can block accounts. It only goes so far. One thing I said to Rob was, 'Is it gonna take a player getting assaulted in front of their apartment building by some disgruntled that lost a bet for real action to be taken?'" Giolito said. As sports betting has been legalized across more states, the number of fans wagering has rapidly grown. Giolito alluded to prop bets such as over/unders on strikeouts, which are popular among casual gamblers. Giolito certainly is not the first professional athlete to raise concerns about disgruntled bettors. Scottie Scheffler recently revealed a change he had to make because of the actions of those who placed bets on him. As for what Manfred, MLB or any other sports organization can do about it, that remains to be seen.
Hall of Famer believes this AFC QB will win Super Bowl first
Pro Football Hall of Famer Warren Moon just made headlines during a recent appearance on "Up Adams," where he gave his take on one of the NFL’s most debated questions. When asked which star quarterback will win a Super Bowl first, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen or Joe Burrow, Moon without any hesitation went with Jackson. “We have Josh Allen, MVP, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, they wrecked the league last year… Which one of those three do you think has the best shot to get one this year?” Kay Adams asked. Moon responded, “I think Lamar.” Moon’s reasoning for this take was not due to stats or accolades, because both have great numbers and awards, rather Moon was focused on the surrounding cast around Jackson. While he was complimentary of Allen and the team around him, he emphasized that the Ravens had a strong secondary, incredible running back and solid wideouts that could allow them to be a serious threat to win it all. It is easy to see why Moon made his opinion clear and without hesitation. Jackson is one of the top quarterbacks in the league, with four Pro Bowl nods, three All-Pro selections and two MVP awards. He is the best dual-threat quarterback in the world, and now with an incredible roster around him, Jackson has become much scarier. However, pressure is mounting on the superstar QB, and Moon did make the case for Allen to also potentially win first. “Josh Allen, they’ll be right there too. I think it depends on who plays who in the playoffs … You have to go through playing both Kansas City and Baltimore if you’re Buffalo, and same thing if you’re the Ravens, you gotta play both of those to get to the Super Bowl … But if you only have to play one of them, that would be great.” Allen is also regarded as one of the league’s best QBs too, and Moon's argument has a lot of merit to it. Both Buffalo and Baltimore are flooded with talented pieces that are hungry to make that Super Bowl run. It could come down to matchups come playoff time. If one squad has an easier route to the AFC Championship game, then it might be the one who ultimately comes out on top. As for Burrow, Moon did not mention him in the conversation, but clearly it was not meant to be a slight on him as a player. Rather, for obvious reasons, it seems that Moon might have Baltimore and Buffalo as overall rosters in a higher tier from Cincinnati. Ultimately however, time will tell who breaks first. But if Moon is correct, Jackson might finally be able to silence his critics, and make his mark on NFL history.
Micah Parsons gives frank comments on lack of long-term deal with Cowboys
Micah Parsons is not holding back on his feelings regarding his lack of a long-term deal with the Dallas Cowboys. One of the best pass-rushers in the league, Parsons is heading into the fifth and final year of his contract with the Cowboys. He'll be an unrestricted free agent in 2026 and, right now, he has no guarantees of a long-term contractual future with the Cowboys. After practice on Tuesday, Parsons gave a frank answer when asked about his lack of a long-term deal. The long and short of it is that he's looked around the NFL and has seen top pass-rushers getting massive contracts. The question is, why hasn't Dallas and owner Jerry Jones put that same type of investment into him just yet? "When you go around the league and you see these other teams taking care of their best guys, I seen T.J. [Watt] gotten taken care of. Maxx [Crosby] got taken care of. Myles [Garrett] got taken care of, [and] he's got two years left on his deal," Parsons said, according to Todd Archer of ESPN. "You see a lot of people around the league taken care of, and you wish you had that same type of energy." Parsons has notched 52.5 sacks over his first four seasons. For comparison's sake, Watt has 58.5 sacks in the same time period and Garrett has notched 60. Watt and Garrett are two of the best pass-rushers in recent memory, and Parsons is right there alongside them. As far as how he sees it, he, of course, believes he's the best in the world at what he does. "I feel like I'm the best at what I do," Parsons said. "You can argue whoever, but stats, numbers don't lie. The consistency is there, and the availability is there." Watt just signed a three-year, $123M contract extension with the Pittsburgh Steelers, while earlier this offseason, the Browns signed Garrett to a four-year, $160M extension with $123.5M of that guaranteed. The Cowboys and Jones have a reputation for being stingy negotiators, and they've taken many of their top players to the limit in the past before signing deals. To that point, Parsons seems to be aware that he's not in a unique situation. "This is not like I'm getting treated differently than anybody else. I don't take it personal. I just don't understand," he said. With that said, Parsons is clearly frustrated about the lack of long-term guarantees of his future in Dallas. So much so that he went as far as to say that if the Cowboys don't want him in Dallas, he's happy to move on and take care of business elsewhere. It's worth noting that Jones hasn't helped ease the tension, either. At the start of training camp on Monday, he went as far as to suggest that even if the Cowboys do sign Parsons, that doesn't mean he'll be available because of injury. Jones said that Parsons was injured for six games last season, while in reality, the star pass-rusher missed only four. "I've been pretty consistent. If they don't want me here, they don't want me here and I'll go about my business. I understand the nature of the business," Parsons said. "Like I said, as far as I'm here and under contract, I'll do what I have to perform at the highest level but at the end this is the business. Same way Jerry Jones, Stephen Jones and the other Jerry Jones take care of their family is the same way I need to take care of my family. I've got three kids of my own, so we all need to take care of our own family at the end of the day."
Chicago Blackhawks reportedly set to trade 25-year-old goaltender to Stars rival, Edmonton Oilers
Caleb Williams wants to do something no Bears QB has ever done
There is an expectation that Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is going to take a big leap forward in Year 2 of his career. He is not only looking for a big step forward, he is looking to re-write the Bears' franchise record books. Williams said on Tuesday that one of his goals for this season is to become the first 4,000-yard passer in Bears history, while also completing more than 70% of his passes. “Obviously I have self goals, and that’s being the first 4,000-yard passer in Bears history.” Williams said. “That’s a goal of mine. Seventy percent completion helps the team, keeps us on the field, puts us in better positions, and then other than that just trying to go down and score the most points that we can with each drive that we have. That’s kinda my self goal and obviously, other than that, you gotta go win. That’s success for me, that’s success for the team, and that’s all we wish for and all I wish for.” Williams arrived in Chicago with huge expectations prior to the 2024 season after being selected with the No. 1 overall pick. The hope was always that he could finally give the team a franchise quarterback that could put it on a Super Bowl contending level. His rookie season had some ups and downs, but it was easy to see the talent and potential. It was also easy to dream on him if you are a Bears fans given some of the plays he made. He ultimately threw for 3,541 yards, completed 62.5% of his passes and threw 20 touchdown passes to only five interceptions. He is not only entering Year 2 with a full season of NFL play under his belt, the Bears have also surrounded him with playmakers at every position and given him a young, innovative head coach in Ben Johnson. Johnson was one of the masterminds behind the Detroit Lions' offense, and there is an expectation that he can do the same thing with the Bears given the young quarterback and talent around him. The Bears have never had a 4,000-yard passer in franchise history, and Williams certainly seems to have a strong chance of achieving it. If not this season, then certainly at some point in his career. The single-season franchise record is 3,838 yards set by Erik Kramer during the 1995 season. If Williams can get 4,000 yards and complete of 70% of his passes — as he wants to do — there is a good chance the Bears offense would be one of the best in football. It would also probably mean they win way more than the five games they did during the 2024 season.
PRIVACY POLICY EDITORIAL POLICY CONTACT US
ABOUT YARDBARKER TERMS OF SERVICE
Use of this website (including any and all parts and
components) constitutes your acceptance of these
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
This site is for entertainment purposes only.
There is no gambling offered on this site.
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
