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Perhaps no college baseball team disappointed more in 2025 than the Texas A&M Aggies.
Even after a coaching change in the offseason, with Jim Schlossnagle moving to rival Texas, the Aggies were seen as one of the most loaded teams in college baseball. Aggies were named No. 1 in many preseason polls.
Texas A&M didn’t just fail to live up to the hype. It failed to make the NCAA Tournament, making it the first preseason No. 1 to fail to make the field of 64 in decades.
But that doesn’t mean that the Aggies don’t have talent worth taking in July’s MLB draft. In fact, in a recent mock draft, MLB.com has the San Francisco Giants taking one of those players at No. 13 overall.
Why Jace LaViolette Makes Sense for Giants
Many college baseball and MLB mock draft evaluators have LaViolette, a junior, as the top outfielder in the draft class. He played left field and right field for the Aggies. He slashed .285/.432/.651 in three college baseball seasons, with a 1.083 OPS. He hit 68 home runs and drove in 202 RBI.
MLB.com, in assignment the right-handed hitting LaViolette to the Giants, noted his blend of speed, power and athleticism. It also noted that he has some swing-and-miss in his game. In three seasons he struck out 222 times.
But San Francisco could use some corner infield power, especially in right field where Mike Yastrzemski is set to be a free agent after this season. Not that LaViolette would be ready for the Majors by 2026. And that’s the other significant issue for the team that drafts him.
Whoever selects him may be waiting a bit for him to make his professional debut. During the SEC Tournament in May, he fractured a bone in his left hand when he was hit by a pitch. He left the game and later returned to the dugout with it wrapped up in a splint.
Aggies coach Michael Earley did confirm that LaViolette had a fractured hand. But LaViolette played the next game against Auburn. There were reports that he had surgery between games to have a pin inserted. Whichever team drafts him will not only have to mind his medicals but give the fracture time to heal. It’s possible he won’t make a pro debut in 2025.
But, as the Aggies’ all-time home run leader, he may be worth the way. San Francisco could add him to their stable of young, power hitting outfielders, which includes James Tibbs III, who was the Giants’ first-round pick last year. The former Florida State star is at High-A Eugene in his first full professional season.
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Yankees trade options expand with Twins fire sale
While not exactly one-stop shopping, the New York Yankees could address multiple needs ahead of the July 31 MLB trade deadline with a call to the Minnesota Twins. That's because the American League Central club is open for business and bracing for a fire sale. "As of today, the Twins are now seriously listening on their rental players, including (Danny) Coulombe, (Harrison) Bader and (Willi) Castro," the New York Post's Jon Heyman reported Tuesday. "While they will listen on All-Star starter Joe Ryan and star closer Jhoan Duran they’d have to be blown away, especially for Ryan." For the Yankees, the three biggest names there are Coulombe, Duran and Castro. Let's start with the pitchers. It's no secret general manager Brian Cashman wants to upgrade his bullpen for the stretch run. Talk of the Yankees showing interest in Coulombe have been making the rounds for a while now. The 35-year-old left-hander is 1-0 with two saves and an incredible 0.65 ERA in 36 appearances this season. Coulombe is making $3 million this year and will be a free agent following the season. Duran, 27, will have a much higher price tag. The right-hander is 5-4 with 15 saves and a career-best 1.62 ERA in 45 appearances this season. Duran is making $4.125 million this season and has two years of arbitration eligibility remaining. While the Yankees also need starting pitching, it's expected that the Twins will ask for the moon in exchange for their ace. Ryan is tied for second in the American League this season with 10 wins and seventh with a 2.63 ERA. In addition, Ryan is making $3 million this season and also has two seasons of arbitration eligibility remaining. As for Castro, the Yankees' need for an upgrade at third base is well-known. So is New York's interest in Arizona Diamondbacks All-Star slugger Eugenio Suarez. But if Cashman whiffs on the biggest bat on the market, Castro could be an interesting fallback option. "Castro has been an above-average bat for three consecutive seasons and is in the midst of his best year since the pandemic-shortened 2020 season," The Athletic's Chris Kirschner wrote Monday. "He’s played second base, third base, shortstop, left field, center field and right field this season for the Minnesota Twins. Think of Castro as a better version of Oswaldo Cabrera, whom the Yankees love for his versatility." Castro, 28, is hitting .258 this year with 10 home runs and 27 RBI in 78 games. He was an All-Star last year, when he set career highs with 12 home runs and 60 RBI. He's making $6.4 million this season and will be a free agent after the World Series.
Knicks Predicted to Part Ways With Karl-Anthony Towns in Blockbuster Three-Team Trade
The New York Knicks are looking to make more moves to upgrade their depth as they figure to be one of the teams to beat in the Eastern Conference next season. Of course, the Knicks made their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 2000 last season and with the amount of injuries to top players in the East, the Conference is wide open entering next season. Because of this, the Knicks have emerged as one of the favorites to win the East thanks to their core led by Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. Despite this, Sports Illustrated’s Jackson Caudell and Rohan Raman recently created a three-team mock trade that would see the Knicks move on from Towns. In the trade, the Knicks would add Jrue Holiday, Robert Williams III and a 2028 first-round pick via the Portland Trail Blazers while they would send Towns and Pacome Dadiet to Portland. The Trail Blazers would also send Duop Reath to the Atlanta Hawks in this proposed mock trade. While the Knicks are looking at ways to improve their depth, moving on from Towns would be a tough decision for them to make despite his struggles, especially on the defensive side, during the playoffs last season. It would also be a tough decision to swap Towns for Williams III due to his injury history, especially with Mitchell Robinson’s injury history as well and the Knicks’ lack of true center depth. While that may be the case, adding a veteran point guard in Holiday to the second unit could be a good addition to the Knicks’ bench and Williams III would also give them more size. Despite this, it is highly unlikely that the Knicks will move on from Towns this summer and likely into next season as they see their core being able to help them compete for a championship next season.
WNBA All-Star Game ratings paint a troubling picture
WNBA players sent a message to the league with T-shirts they wore ahead of the All-Star Game on Saturday night, but the ratings for the game did not exactly strengthen their stance. Prior to the All-Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., Caitlin Clark and other players warmed up in shirts that said “Pay us what you owe us” across the front. The message had to do with the current state of collective bargaining agreement negotiations between the WNBA and WNBA Player’s Association. Unfortunately for the players, the television ratings for the game were not very good. Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports reported on Tuesday that the WNBA All-Star Game drew 2.19 million viewers on ABC, which was down roughly 36% from a year ago. Last year’s game featured the WNBA All-Stars against the Team USA squad that was preparing to compete in the Summer Olympics in Paris. The dip in ratings is likely another example of the type of impact Clark has had on the WNBA. Although she was a team captain for this year’s All-Star Game, Clark did not play due to a groin injury. Clark played in last year’s game for the All-Star side, as she did not make the Team USA Olympic roster. Many fans were outraged that she was snubbed from the Olympic team, which added an element of intrigue to the All-Star Game. There is no way of knowing for certain whether more fans would have watched the All-Star Game on Saturday night had Clark played. It is a safe guess, however, especially when you look at some recent trends for the league.
Fans React to Potential 8-Year Deal for $50M Oilers Defenseman
As the Edmonton Oilers map out their long-term roster under GM Stan Bowman, a critical decision looms on the blue line: Should they sign defenseman Jake Walman to an eight-year extension? Walman, acquired earlier this offseason, is coming off a strong campaign and is currently playing on a $3.4 million deal. With free agency already a few weeks in, the defenseman eligible for a new deal, and his stock rising, now may be the Oilers’ best—and most cost-effective—window to lock him in before the bidding war begins. In a recent Oilers Nation piece, Tyler Yaremchuk highlighted the logic behind acting now. Because Edmonton holds his rights, they’re the only team that can offer Walman an eight-year deal under the current CBA. If everyone waits until the end of the season to sign an extension, a new CBA kicks in, maxing out his extension at seven years with the Oilers and six years with another team. That extra term could be key in securing a discount on average annual value. A deal in the $6-8 million range, perhaps eight years at $56 million, would give Walman financial security into his late 30s—especially appealing given his career earnings total around $12 million to date. From the Oilers’ perspective, it could be a shrewd move to secure a top-four defender at below-market value. The question about committing to an eight-year term is a valid one, however. Reaction to the Idea of a Long-Term Deal for Walman So what do fans think? Reactions to the idea have been mixed, though many see the upside. “Yup, would love for the Oilers to lock him up long-term,” one fan wrote, clearly seeing Walman as a stabilizing force on the left side of the defense. Another agreed: “This makes sense. He is probably our top 4 LD for the foreseeable future.” Others, however, voiced concern about term and age. “I’d be leary signing a 30-year D for 8 years @ $6M per year,” one commenter warned. “Yeah, other teams might be willing to do it but it still doesn’t make it a good deal. I like Walman, but in 5 years, this contract could look like an albatross.” That push and pull—between locking in a valuable piece now or risking future regret—is one Bowman and the Oilers must weigh carefully. If Walman continues to perform at a top-four level and the salary cap keeps climbing as expected, a $6 million extension could quickly look like a bargain. This, even if Walman isn’t effective for all eight seasons. But if his play declines into his early-30s, the back half of that deal could make the Oilers regret taking the gamble.
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