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Roma will have revolving doors up front this summer and are pondering some cost-effective purchases such as Rafa Silva, Jamie Leweling, and Michy Batshuayi. The Giallorossi are unlikely to keep Romelu Lukaku and have a few uncertain situations behind him as well.
Per La Gazzetta dello Sport (via Calciomercato), the Fenerbahce and Benfica veterans could leave their respective teams on a free. The Portuguese is seriously considering trying a new experience. He has posted 20 goals and 14 assists in 50 matches in 2023/2024. He can feature in multiple roles.
While Roma might scoop up Batshuayi and Rafa Silva gratis, they’d have to pay a fee for Leweling. The 30-year-old has hit his stride in Turkey after a few lackadaisical and injury-ravaged seasons in the Premier League. He has bagged 37 goals in 76 Super Lig fixtures.
According to Bild (via Sussidiario), the Giallorossi have shown interest in the Union Berlin winger, who has played on loan at Stuttgart this season. They have €6M option to buy but might not pick it up. He has logged four goals and seven assists.
Our Take on Roma, Rafa Silva, Batshuayi, and Leweling
They’ll need a lot of additions as, on top of Lukaku, Sardar Azmoun joined temporarily, and they’ll have to bring in some wingers due to their schematic change. There’s a chance Andrea Belotti stays as a deputy. It’ll be interesting to see whether they’ll patch things together through Bosman moves and loans or look to build something more stable under a new director.
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Bears GM speaks out after superstar goes down with injury
Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson is expected to miss most of training camp due to a leg injury, per ESPN’s Courtney Cronin. Johnson was placed on the non-football injury list when veterans reported to Chicago for camp. He suffered the injury during offseason training, according to Bears general manager Ryan Poles. Johnson is coming off his second consecutive Pro Bowl and is headed into the second year of a four-year, $76 million deal. He has dealt with a number of injuries over his career, playing no more than 15 games in a season over the first four years of his career. In 2024, he played a full season for the first time, starting all 17 games with a career-high 1,032 snaps. An extended absence into the regular season would force Chicago to find another starting cornerback among their veteran depth, but Poles said that the team is not “overly concerned” about a long-term injury. “We’ve got a lot of faith that he’s going to put in the time to rehab and be his full self when he comes back,” said Poles on Tuesday. 2023 fifth-rounder Terell Smith will likely step into a first-team role in Johnson’s absence. Chicago largely relied on a cornerback trio of Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson and Kyler Gordon last year; Smith is the only remaining defensive back on the roster who played at least 150 snaps on the boundary for the Bears in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus. Offseason signings Nick McCloud and Tre Flowers may also see a bump in reps over the coming weeks as Johnson rehabs his leg with his eyes on returning for the Bears’ Week 1 opener against the Vikings.
Royals acquire outfield help in perplexing trade with Diamondbacks
The Kansas City Royals were hoping to bolster their outfield ahead of the July 31 trade deadline. They were able to do just that in a trade on Saturday. Steve Gilbert from MLB.com reported that the Royals have acquired outfielder Randal Grichuk from the Arizona Diamondbacks. Mark Feinsand from MLB.com reported that relief pitcher Andrew Hoffman will head to Arizona in exchange for Grichuk. The Royals desperately needed help in their outfield. Royals outfielders had been the worst in the majors, posting an atrocious .219/.273/.328 batting line with just 19 home runs entering Saturday's action. Although Grichuk is in the midst of a disappointing season himself, he is an immediate upgrade over whatever the Royals have sent into the outfield. Grichuk had posted a .243/.280/.462 batting line in 186 plate appearances entering Saturday, hitting seven homers and 15 doubles. In exchange, the Diamondbacks receive Hoffman, who FanGraphs ranked as the Royals' 22nd-best prospect entering the season. His upper-90s fastball and new kick change are both considered plus offerings, although his ability to command his arsenal is questionable at best. Hoffman's potential and flaws were evident this season. He made his major league debut for the Royals, allowing six runs, two earned, on seven hits and four walks over 4.2 innings, striking out five. However, Hoffman had dominated at Triple-A, posting a 3.60 ERA and a 1.125 WHiP over his 40 innings, striking out 55 batters with just 10 walks. He is another intriguing addition for a Diamondbacks team that has prioritized pitching in their two trades thus far. The same upside does not exist for the Royals. Kansas City had the same record as the Diamondbacks entering the second game of their doubleheader against the Guardians. Grichuk signed a one-year contract with $5 million guaranteed for 2025. There is a mutual option worth $5 million, with a $3 million buyout, for 2026. Theoretically, Grichuk could be part of the Royals' plans next season. However, mutual options are rarely picked up. As the Royals are currently under .500 and need to pass four teams in the standings to seize the final wild-card spot, adding a rental option does not make sense. It is possible that both sides can work out an arrangement for 2026, but unless that happens, the Royals' latest move is questionable at best.
Important trade stalls as Maple Leafs dangle bottom-six forward
The Toronto Maple Leafs are still looking for a solution to their bottom-six surplus, and veteran forward Calle Jarnkrok remains at the center of trade discussions. However, according to The Fourth Period, trade talks surrounding the 33-year-old winger have failed to gain momentum. They write: “He has a $2.1M cap hit and owns a 10-team no-trade list. The market hasn’t been vibrant, to this point, but the Leafs will continue to dangle him.” Why can’t the Maple Leafs find a taker for Jarnkrok? Jarnkrok has quietly been on the trade block for much of the offseason, but general manager Brad Treliving has yet to find a taker. After adding several depth forwards this summer, the Leafs now face a crowded bottom six — and Jarnkrok’s age, injury history and $2.1M cap hit through 2025–26 aren’t helping his value. Since joining Toronto, Jarnkrok has appeared in only 71 games over two seasons, scoring a modest 28 points. While his defensive versatility and penalty-killing ability are assets, his declining offensive production and durability concerns have made teams wary. With training camp approaching, the Maple Leafs may be forced to keep Jarnkrok on the roster — or retain salary in a deal — if they want to create space and flexibility. Dropping his cap hit down to just over $1M would open up the market a little. Until then, the Swedish forward remains a trade candidate in limbo. This isn’t great news as moving Jarnkrok from the roster is an important item on the team’s to-do list. Treliving would like more cap space, and with Jarnkrok and David Kampf both still on the roster, it hampers the GM’s ability to do other things.
Red Sox Dream Target Reportedly Just Hit Trade Block
The Boston Red Sox could use more firepower in the middle of the lineup and as the trade deadline has gotten closer, rumors specifically about first base have popped up. One guy who has been floated as a fit has been Tampa Bay Rays star Yandy Díaz, but a deal has seemed like nothing more than a pipe dream. While this is the case, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported that Tampa Bay may be more willing to move him than initially expected and that Boston will be at the top of the list for him if he does actually become available. "The Rays entered Saturday 3-4 since the All-Star break and 6-15 since June 28," Rosenthal said. "Any thought of owner Stuart Sternberg going out on a high note before selling the club appears to be fading. A rapid turnaround might force the Rays to shift course. But Rays officials began signaling to teams late Friday that they will be open to moving Díaz, second baseman Brandon Lowe and others if they do not reverse their tailspin. A final decision might not come before Wednesday, on the eve of the deadline. "The Rays have been reluctant to trade Díaz, who sacrificed perhaps greater money elsewhere by signing two club-friendly extensions. If they indeed become willing to move him, the Boston Red Sox will almost certainly be at the top of the list of the teams interested. Another Rays player who could be on the move: Catcher Danny Jansen, whom the team signed last offseason to a two-year, $8.5 million free-agent contract with a club option for 2027. If Jansen goes, the Rays could backfill with another catcher." If Boston is going to make a big addition, this absolutely should be it.
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