On Facebook
On Flipboard
On Twitter
The Chicago Cubs made their first big splash in free agency early this week by signing left-hander Matthew Boyd to a two-year, $29 million deal. The deal comes as a surprise to most fans. Why? Well, Boyd is 33 years old, another lefty, and not the high-level pitching addition that tops most fans' wishlists. However, there may be more than meets the eye with Boyd.
How Matthew Boyd Evolved to Become More Effective
Matthew Boyd underwent a change with the Cleveland Guardians in 2024. It's not easy to see with the naked eye or in the traditional stat sheets. Rather, the changes can be seen in the underlying data provided by Baseball Savant.
Dating back to 2021, Boyd threw with a 31-degree arm angle and heavily leaned on a fastball-changeup-slider combination. Boyd rarely threw his curveball though it was a quite successful outlying breaking pitch. The southpaw doesn't feature high fastball velocity, so his heater was getting beaten up and his rarely thrown sinker was getting crushed, leading to struggles on the mound.
Fast forward to 2024, and Boyd has completely changed his arsenal. He's throwing his changeup more than ever before and using that offering, mixed with his fastball and sinker, to keep hitters off balance with deception. Furthermore, Boyd now features a 26-degree arm angle and is getting more horizontal break on his slider. In fact, his slider and curveball look similar and share a tunnel (the path the baseball takes to the plate). That tunnel is forcing batters to guess. When they do, they have to hope the slider doesn't cut hard horizontally or the curveball doesn't break sharply. Either way, those pitches are deceptive and have about a five mph difference in velocity.
The Cubs On Tap podcast offered a further breakdown of these changes:
Matt Boyd Presentation (6:46)
Signing Boyd might not be the move Cubs fans wanted, but it could be an addition that allows the Cubs to do more in other places with their remaining money. Boyd likely profiles as a fourth or fifth starter, but he should be a welcome upgrade to a rotation that was already really good in 2024.
More must-reads:
- Clayton Kershaw announces big news about his career
- MLB abandons plans for 2026 London Series
- The 'Switch-hitter single-season HR leaders' quiz
Breaking News
Trending News
TODAY'S BEST
The 'Switch-hitter single-season HR leaders' quiz
Regardless of what happens in October, the summer of 2025 will be remembered as the summer of Cal Raleigh. Raleigh has smashed record after record this season, starting in August when he became the first catcher to hit 50 home runs in one season. On Tuesday – in his MLB-leading 10th multi-home run game of the season – he passed Mickey Mantle for the most home runs by a switch-hitter in a season with his 55th before tying Ken Griffey Jr. for the most home runs by a Mariner on his 56th against the Kansas City Royals. The most recent homers also came in a 12-5 win that marked 10-straight for the surging Mariners, who have finally overtaken the Houston Astros for first place in the American League West. Which brings us to today’s quiz. A major league switch-hitter has hit at least 35 home runs on 35 occasions in MLB history. How many of the switch-hitters to reach that milestone can you name in five minutes? Good luck! Did you like this quiz? Are there any quizzes you’d like to see us make in the future? Let us know your thoughts at quizzes@yardbarker.com, and make sure to subscribe to our Quiz of the Day Newsletter for daily quizzes sent right to your email!
Bombshell report expands on culture issues within 0-2 Dolphins
A Wednesday report shared that the Miami Dolphins "did a lot of work in the offseason to try to transform their team culture" before they opened the ongoing campaign with back-to-back losses. For a lengthy piece published on Thursday, Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN expanded on alleged culture issues that have impacted the Dolphins under head coach Mike McDaniel, who has been in his role since 2022. Mike McDaniel hasn't run a tight ship with Dolphins "Multiple sources in and around the team said tardiness was an issue throughout this past season," Louis-Jacques revealed. "...One current Dolphins player said he believed some captains this past season took advantage of the role. [Cornerback Jalen Ramsey] and wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who were two of the eight players voted captains in 2024, were among repeat offenders who received numerous fines throughout the season. Players were often late to practice and meetings, with multiple team sources suggesting it reflected a lack of respect for the first-time coach McDaniel -- who was hesitant to publicly admonish players outside of posting fines." On Wednesday, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler noted that Dolphins players "believe the culture is better after the franchise moved on from several key players, many of whom did not appear happy there." Specifically, Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith were traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and a pick swap in June. Safety Jevon Holland left the Dolphins and signed with the New York Giants in free agency. As for Hill, questions about his dedication to the cause arose when he subbed himself out of Miami's regular-season finale and then told reporters that he was "out" this past January. He later publicly apologized for his actions but has remained the subject of trade rumors through September. Are McDaniel and Dolphins general manager Chris Grier on the hot seat? Whispers throughout the offseason suggested Dolphins owner Stephen Ross could part ways with McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier if the club finished this season without at least a playoff appearance. McDaniel has yet to guide the Dolphins to a single postseason win, and his team was coming off an 8-9 campaign before it dropped two straight games this month. "A source familiar with Ross' thinking told ESPN this offseason they don't believe McDaniel's and Grier's job security is as simple as 'playoffs or bust,' and reiterated that sentiment after Week 1," Louis-Jacques wrote. "...Although there is a limit to [Ross'] patience with the team's results. After a winless start to the 2025 season, and prime-time games against division opponents coming, there will be increased outside attention on how far Ross' patience will stretch." As of Thursday morning, ESPN BET had the winless Dolphins as massive 11.5-point road underdogs for Thursday night's game at the 2-0 Buffalo Bills. One can't help but wonder how Ross may react if Miami gets blown out at Buffalo's Highmark Stadium.
Kyle Shanahan has surprising Brock Purdy update — 49ers are confident in QB situation regardless
Latest comments hint Penguins will part ways with franchise cornerstone
As the Pittsburgh Penguins approach a new season with an eye on the future, their relationship with Evgeni Malkin, one of their longest-tenured legends, is already under fire. When Penguins president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas spoke to the media ahead of training camp getting underway on Friday, one of the first questions he was asked was about Malkin's contract. The upcoming 2025-26 season will mark a career milestone for the 39-year-old Russian-born superstar. Malkin is preparing to play in his 20th NHL season, but he's also well aware he's in the final year of a four-year contract he signed in July 2022. But based on the comments from both sides, it certainly sounds as if there's uncertainty about how much longer Malkin will remain in Pittsburgh. Penguins GM Kyle Dubas comments on Evgeni Malkin "He’s in a great mood every day,” Dubas said in reference to Malkin. “No change on [the contract] front. I spoke with him and [agent J.P. Barry] in the summer when stuff started percolating there. At the time in every one of their careers, I’ll sit when time permits," he added. Most of what Dubas said comes off as a typical statement from a general manager wanting to stay noncommittal while also avoiding alienating a star player. However, what Malkin said leads fans to believe he has every intention on continuing his career beyond this coming season. Evgeni Malkin speaks out ahead of contract year Malkin seems to understand the Penguins' situation, but that doesn't necessarily mean he will bow out gracefully and have his final year in Pittsburgh be his last in the NHL. "I understand it's maybe last year, maybe two more years. I need to just play fan. Because I play my whole life, why not just two more years? It’s so much better when the team wins. The last three years, we missed playoffs; it’s the worst feeling, you know?" said Malkin. The problem with that may be that he's unlikely to fit into Dubas' plans. Fully aware that it may take time to make the Penguins a contender again, Dubas spent most of last year selling off talent in hopes of rebuilding the roster. Even so, most don't expect Pittsburgh to contend unless somehow the only Penguin with a legacy greater than Malkin's in Sidney Crosby performs to a level that rivals his MVP seasons. Where does Evgeni Malkin fit into the Penguins' plan? If the Penguins are still stuck in a rebuilding mode, where does an aging and declining player fit into that equation, if anywhere at all? Of course, a lot of what happens may depend on how much production Malkin can still provide the current iteration of the team. Last season, Malkin registered only 16 goals and 50 points in 68 games, his lowest outputs in a season with at least 60 games played in both categories since 2018-19. And for the most glaring statistic, Malkin was a -24, the second worst +/- of his career. While Malkin will be enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame and likely honored with his No. 71 retired by Pittsburgh, it's very possible Dubas will be able to find a younger, and maybe cheaper, player who can match or exceed his production. Regardless of what the future holds, Malkin's legacy as is set. The three-time Stanley Cup champion has 514 goals and 1,346 points. He's also a seven-time NHL All-Star and a Conn Smythe and Hart Trophy winner as the MVP of a postseason and a regular season among his many accolades. When it comes to Malkin and the Penguins, stay tuned.
Dallas Cowboys Linked to Strange Trade Before Week 3 NFL Action
Heading into Week 3 of the 2025 NFL season, the Dallas Cowboys hold a 1-1 record. Jerry Jones has to be happy with his team’s bounce-back win against the New York Giants last week, but there are some clear issues the team could look at fixing. While there are a few issues on the roster that could use some work, there are also some areas that have been a major positive. One of those areas comes at the running back position. Javonte Williams has looked the part of a starting NFL running back through two weeks, running for 151 yards and three touchdowns on 33 carries for an average of 4.6 yards per attempt. Miles Sanders has also carried the football nine times for 68 yards and a touchdown, averaging 7.6 yards per carry. Both players have handled their roles well. However, a new strange trade idea has been suggested for the Cowboys that would see them pursue another running back addition. Dallas Cowboys Linked to Strange Trade Before Week 3 NFL Action Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report has named Dallas as one of the possible trade destinations for Cleveland Browns running back Jerome Ford. Ford is a quality player and could be a nice dual-threat running back for a team. But, the Cowboys simply do not need help at the running back position. Jones and company would be better served focusing on the defensive side of the ball. Ford would come in as the No. 3 running back on the roster and simply would not provide a ton of value for the Dallas offense. Even though Knox believes a conditional 2026 seventh-round pick could be the asking price, it just doesn’t make sense. Coming into the season, there were questions about the running game. Those questions have been answered so far. It will be interesting to see how both Williams and Sanders perform as the season moves forward. Perhaps the Cowboys could consider bringing him in for quality depth in case of an injury or one of the two backs falling off later in the year. All of that being said, this isn’t a trade idea that seems very likely. Dallas has to be happy with what it has seen from its two running backs through two weeks. Making a move to bring in a third back doesn’t seem to be a pressing need at this point in time.
Customize Your Newsletter
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
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.
