Sports

Rosenthal: In a busy MLB trade deadline, quantity of deals overshadowed quality of players

Published

2 years ago

August 2, 2024

Rosenthal: In a busy MLB trade deadline, quantity of deals overshadowed quality of players

Before calling for your general manager’s head, bemoaning the players your favorite team didn’t land, consider the bigger picture.

The three top left-handed starters discussed in trades – Tarik Skubal, Garrett Crochet and Blake Snell – did not move.

Hitters who might have shaken up the market – Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Luis Robert Jr., even Brent Rooker – also did not move.

It wouldn’t be fair to call it a “Dudline,” not when 60 trades were made in the final six days, including 32 on Tuesday before the 6 p.m. ET cutoff.

But think about it:

Who was the best starting pitcher traded? Jack Flaherty, who was not as big a prize as David Price was in 2014 and ‘15, Zack Greinke was in 2019 or Max Scherzer was in 2021.

The best relievers traded? Tanner Scott and Carlos Estévez, both of whom are enjoying fine seasons, but to many fans are relative unknowns.

The best hitters traded? Take your pick between Jazz Chisholm Jr., Randy Arozarena and Isaac Paredes, none of whom will be confused with Juan Soto, the prize of the 2022 deadline.

Some of this is luck of the draw. For whatever reasons, the crop of available players this season was just not all that stellar. But some of it also relates to the shift in trade dynamics that occurred when Major League Baseball adopted expanded playoffs in 2022. With 12 postseason spots available, more teams are in contention. And fewer teams are apt to be pure sellers.

MLB.com’s Mike Petriello put it well, saying on X, “I think we have to stop saying it’s a seller’s market, because with the expanded playoffs, there’s only a handful of teams really selling now, and it’s going to be like this every year.”

Call it an unintended consequence of the league’s decision to invite more teams to the October party. Some might argue the league should adjust by pushing the deadline to mid-August. The additional two weeks would allow more separation to occur in the standings and perhaps create clearer lines between buyers and sellers. But such a move would diminish the drama. Acquisitions would be less impactful. And for six weeks of a rental, teams would be even less reluctant to give up better prospects.

Isaac Paredes was one of the biggest names to move teams, heading from Tampa Bay to the Chicago Cubs. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports)

This deadline, for all of its oddity, did not lack intrigue. The Tampa Bay Rays made 10 trades, most of the sell variety, and still believe they might contend for a wild card. The Miami Marlins detonated their roster, also making 10 trades, starting with the Luis Arraez deal in early May. Their flurry resulted in 11 additions to their list of their top 30 prospects, according to MLB.com.

The Chicago Cubs’ trade for Isaac Paredes and the three-team deal between the Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago White Sox qualified as stunners, if not blockbusters. And San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller was his usual frenzied self, trading 12 prospects from the Top 20 list The Athletic’s Keith Law released in February , including nine of the top 11. (Shortstop Leodalis De Vries, 17, did not make Law’s list, having only signed in January; Law ranked him the game’s 39th best overall prospect in his latest Top 60).

Yet, for all the bodies flying, many teams were left wanting more.

The Baltimore Orioles determined none of the players available merited the sacrifice of their top prospects, one of whom, second baseman Jackson Holliday, hit a grand slam Wednesday in his first game back from Triple A.

Even two players below Baltimore’s top tier, infielder Connor Norby and outfielder Kyle Stowers, were possibly too high a price for lefty Trevor Rogers. And the Orioles’ biggest addition, right-hander Zach Eflin, through his career mostly has been a league-average starter.

The Cleveland Guardians and Milwaukee Brewers are practically mirror images in the game’s respective Central divisions, first-place teams with new managers and frighteningly thin starting pitching. Both had reason to be aggressive. Neither quite was, and not simply because of payroll considerations.

With a limited supply of starters available, the Guardians took chances on two pitchers coming off injuries who have yet to appear in a major-league game this season, lefty Matthew Boyd and righty Alex Cobb. The two starters the Brewers added, righties Aaron Civale and Frankie Montas, each had ERAs over 5.00 at the time they were acquired.

The Pittsburgh Pirates, too, did Pirates things, making a series of modest upgrades – infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa, outfielder Bryan De La Cruz, lefty relievers Jalen Beeks and Josh Walker.

Ideally, they would have done more to capitalize on the ascent of rookie righty Paul Skenes, who gives them an excellent chance to win every five days. But again, the pool of available talent was not exactly teeming with difference makers.

Even certain high-revenue teams struggled to fill their needs.

The New York Yankees were left without a starting pitcher after failing to come to an agreement with the Tigers on Flaherty. The Boston Red Sox addressed their bullpen by adding Lucas Sims and Luis Garcia, but failed to acquire a right-handed hitting middle infielder and a starting pitcher in addition to James Paxton. The Dodgers settled for complementary offensive parts (Tommy Edman, Amed Rosario, Kevin Kiermaier) rather than land the impact hitter they desired.

On it went. The Texas Rangers, Kansas City Royals, Houston Astros and Yankees were shut out in their quests to land one more hitter. The San Francisco Giants added only Mark Canha while subtracting Jorge Soler. Most contenders filled their bullpen needs, but it’s not as if the 2016 versions of Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller were available. Some of the relievers, notably Estévez and Scott, should prove good additions. But the New York Mets, who kept their top prospects while adding four relievers as well as righty Paul Blackburn and outfielder Jesse Winker, were among the clubs that essentially just subbed out bodies in their bullpen.

This is not to make excuses for the teams that failed to do more. Preller, with his acquisitions of right-hander Dylan Cease in spring training, then Arráez in May, then relievers Jason Adam and Scott at the deadline, proved big moves are possible, if the head of baseball operations is daring enough.

Some teams, to be sure, warrant scrutiny. The White Sox, for failing to make a bigger score while parting with three major leaguers (Erick Fedde, Michael Kopech and Tommy Pham) in their deal with the Cardinals and Dodgers. The Oakland A’s, who could have exploited the hot relief market by trading Mason Miller, even after his pinky injury. The Minnesota Twins, for acquiring only Trevor Richards, a mediocre setup type. The Los Angeles Angels and Colorado Rockies, both of which limited their activity mostly to trading relievers.

The Angels, under owner Arte Moreno, operate in their own insular universe, with their long-term plan extending only to the next day’s lineup. The Rockies are just as bizarre, seeming to take pride in being conscientious objectors at the deadline.

The acts of those teams are tired. But for most other clubs, the deadline offered limited opportunity, one way or the other. Time will tell if the Astros overpaid for lefty Yusei Kikuchi, if Preller did the same for relievers Scott, Adam and Bryan Hoenig, if other teams, in trying to fix their bullpens, also went too far. But the high prices simply reflected supply and demand.

Just this once, cut your GM some slack. There was only so much quality to be had.

(Top photo: Rich Storry/Getty Images)

Sports

2026 World Cup Odds: How Far Can Mexico Go After Winning Group A?

Published

7 hours ago

June 19, 2026

Press Room

2026 World Cup Odds: How Far Can Mexico Go After Winning Group A?

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After its massive 1-0 win over South Korea on Thursday night, Mexico has won Group A and officially clinched a spot in the knockout round.

El Tri will play its Round of 32 game in Mexico City, and will face the third-place finisher in either Group C/E/F/H/I.

This is the fourth time that Mexico has topped the group stage of a World Cup, with the other three coming in 1986, 1994 and 2002.

With the win, Mexico remains unbeaten in World Cup group games at home, going a combined 6-2-0 (W-D-L), with two wins and a draw in 1970 and 1986, and now two wins in 2026.

Before the tournament began, Mexico was listed at +6500 to win the World Cup. Now, after winning its first two games of the tournament, Mexico has surged up the oddsboard to +5000.

Can Mexico build off its first two matches and make a deep run in this tournament? Let’s check out the updated odds for El Tri as of June 19.

This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.

Team Mexico — Stage of Elimination

Last 32: +125 (bet $10 to win $22.50 total)
Last 16: +135 (bet $10 to win $23.50 total)
Quarterfinals: +600 (bet $10 to win $70 total)
Semifinals: +1600 (bet $10 to win $170 total)
Runner-up: +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total)
Outright winner: +5000 (bet $10 to win $510 total)

Mexico is currently +5000 to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup after winning Group A (Getty Images).

Mexico’s Past World Cup Results:

1930: Group stage
1934: Did not qualify
1938: Withdrew
1950: Group stage
1954: Group stage
1958: Group stage
1962: Group stage
1966: Group stage
1970: Quarterfinals
1974: Did not qualify
1978: Group stage
1982: Did not qualify
1986: Quarterfinals
1990: Banned
1994: Round of 16
1998: Round of 16
2002: Round of 16
2006: Round of 16
2010: Round of 16
2014: Round of 16
2018: Round of 16
2022: Group stage
2026: TBD

What to know: Mexico has made a habit of being in the running, but never really being in the running. Make sense? Consider this: El Tri made it out of the group stage in seven consecutive World Cups (1994-2018), but never made it past the Round of 16 in any of those years. In 2022, Mexico failed to make it out of the group stage, and it will look to get back to its winning ways in 2026 after a great start to the tournament. With its win Thursday night, Mexico has now advanced to the knockout stage in eight of the last nine World Cups. It is important to note, however, that Mexico has never made it past the quarterfinals at a FIFA men’s World Cup.

Sports

Goalkeeper Raúl Rangel’s elite play and South Korea’s mistake help Mexico advance

Published

7 hours ago

June 19, 2026

Press Room

Goalkeeper Raúl Rangel’s elite play and South Korea’s mistake help Mexico advance

GUADALAJARA, Mexico — Three and a half years after its biggest failure on the World Cup stage in half a century, the Mexican national team needed only two games to advance to the knockout round of this year’s tournament as winner of Group A.

Mexico’s defense held off a spirited final push by South Korea, earning a 1-0 win on Thursday night at Guadalajara Stadium in front of a fiery announced sellout crowd of 45,522.

“It was a very tough game,” Mexico coach Javier Aguirre said.

Goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu made a mistake in the 50th minute, failing to stop what appeared to be a simple cross and bobbling the ball. That allowed Mexico’s Luis Romo to easily tap the ball into the net and claim a 1-0 lead.

“In the end, a mistake was going to tip the scales,” Aguirre said.

Mexico goalkeeper Raúl Rangel blocks a shot from South Korea’s Son Heung-min during their World Cup match at Guadalajara Stadium on Thursday.

(Natacha Pisarenko / Ap Photo/natacha Pisarenko)

“You always want to be there; I felt it, and I got the chance,” said Romo, who started the game after starting the opener on the bench — a strategic change by the Mexican coach that paid off.

South Korea put pressure on the Mexican team throughout the game. Late in the scoreless first half, Jae-sung Lee came close to giving South Korea the lead. Aguirre hoped his team would shake off nerves following the emotional opener at Azteca Stadium and show more bite in its second game against South Korea, but his team didn’t have much power behind its attack during the game’s first 45 minutes.

The crowd in Guadalajara grew frustrated and began booing the Mexican national team’s performance at the end of the first half.

Mexico, however, won back their cheers when it capitalized on South Korea’s costly mistake and converted it into a goal.

Obed Vargas replaced Romo in the 71st minute and was close to scoring a spectacular goal if not for Seung-gyu’s save.

El Tri earned a win without any other goals thanks, in part, to a great night by goalkeeper Raúl Rangel, who stopped a header by Cho Gue-sung in the 87th minute. Captain Edson Álvarez helped turn away South Korea’s attack late, holding up relatively well despite having left ankle surgery during the past year.

“It was just a reflex,” said Rangel, whose club team Chivas plays at at Guadalajara Stadium. “I was very focused and stepped up when the team needed me, and I’m happy about that.”

LAFC star and South Korea captain Son Heung-min fired one shot over Mexico’s goalkeeper in the first half, but Álvarez cleared it off the line before the referee ruled Son was offsides.

South Korea finished controlling possession 58% of the time, but it only earned two shots on target.

“It wasn’t a good game because they didn’t let us do much,” Aguirre said.

Mexico was coming off a comfortable 2-0 victory over South Africa, while the South Koreans had defeated the Czech Republic 2-1, marking their first World Cup opening-match win since 2010.

During the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Mexico was eliminated in the group stage for the first time since 1978, breaking a streak of seven consecutive appearances in the knockout rounds. However, playing on home soil, the team’s goal is to emulate El Tri’s achievements in 1970 and 1986, when they reached the quarterfinals — the country’s best World Cup finish.

Due to the new 48-team format, Mexico would need to win two knockout-round matches and reach a sixth game to realize its goals.

“We’re taking it one step at a time; first, there’s the third game,” Romo said.

Mexico's Luis Romo celebrates with his teammates after scoring during a match against South Korea at Guadalajara Stadium

After the win over South Korea, Mexico will close out group play against Czechia at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City on Wednesday. El Tri will get to play the first two games of the knockout round — should it win the first one — at Azteca Stadium, a venue where it has never lost a World Cup game.

South Korea has four points and will be favored when it plays South Africa Wednesday in Monterrey. If South Korea wins the match, it would be the Group A runner-up and advance to play the Group B runner-up on June 28 at SoFi Stadium.

“We want all nine points,” Vargas said of Mexico’s goal entering its next game against Czechia.

Sports

2026 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot Race Tracker: Lionel Messi Is Alone At The Top

Published

17 hours ago

June 18, 2026

Press Room

2026 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot Race Tracker: Lionel Messi Is Alone At The Top

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Who’ll win the Golden Boot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup? The race is on for who’ll score the most goals at the tournament, and it is set to be one of the tournament’s most closely watched storylines.

Several of the world’s top forwards will be aiming to finish as the competition’s leading goalscorer. Kylian Mbappé enters the tournament after winning the Golden Boot at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, while Harry Kane, Erling Haaland, Lionel Messi, and Mikel Oyarzabal are among the other players expected to challenge for the award.

And check out our list of all the 2026 World Cup goals, ranked!

Favorites To Win The Golden Boot

Harry Kane: +310 (bet $10 to win $41 total)
Lionel Messi: +350 (bet $10 to win $45 total)
Kylian Mbappé: +350 (bet $10 to win $45 total)
Erling Haaland: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
Kai Havertz: +1300 (bet $10 to win $140 total)
Vinícius Júnior: +3300 (bet $10 to win $340 total)
Folarin Balogun: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)
Mikel Oyarzabal: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)
Lamine Yamal: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)
Raphinha: +4500 (bet $10 to win $460 total)
Michael Olise: +4500 (bet $10 to win $460 total)
Romelu Lukaku: +4500 (bet $10 to win $460 total)
Viktor Gyökeres: +4500 (bet $10 to win $460 total)
Cody Gakpo: +5500 (bet $10 to win $560 total)
Cristiano Ronaldo: +5500 (bet $10 to win $560 total)

3 Goals

Lionel Messi (Argentina)

2 Goals

Johan Manzambi (Switzerland)
Harry Kane (England)
Erling Haaland (Norway)
Kylian Mbappé (France)
Harry Kane (England)
Elijah Just (New Zealand)
Yasin Ayari (Sweden)
Kai Havertz (Germany)
Folarin Balogun (USA)

1 Goal

Granit Xhaka (Switzerland)
Rubén Vargas (Switzerland)
Ermin Mahmic (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Michal Sadilek (Czechia)
Teboho Mokoena (South Africa)
Jáminton Campaz (Colombia)
Luis Díaz (Colombia)
Daniel Muñoz (Colombia)
Abbosbek Fayzullaev (Uzbekistan)
Caleb Yirenkyi (Ghana)
Jude Bellingham (England)
Marcus Rashford (England)
Martin Baturina (Croatia)
Petar Musa (Croatia)
Yoane Wissa (DR Congo)
João Neves (Portugal)
Marko Arnautović (Austria)
Jude Bellingham (England)
Marcus Rashford (England)
Yoane Wissa (DR Congo)
João Neves (Portugal)
Caleb Yirenkyi (Ghana)
Ali Olwan (Jordan)
Romano Schmid (Austria)
Leo Østigard (Norway)
Ayman Hussein (Iraq)
Ibrahim Mbaye (Senegal)
Bradley Barcola (France)
Ramin Rezaeian (Iran)
Mohammad Mohebbi (Iran)
Maxi Araújo (Uruguay)
Abdulelah Al-Amri (Saudi Arabia)
Emam Ashour (Egypt)
Alexander Isak (Sweden)
Viktor Gyökeres (Sweden)
Mattias Svanberg (Sweden)
Omar Rekik (Tunisia)
Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast)
Keito Nakamura (Japan)
Daichi Kamada (Japan)
Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands)
Crysencio Summerville (Netherlands)
Felix Nmecha (Germany)
Nico Schlotterbeck (Germany)
Jamal Musiala (Germany)
Nathaniel Brown (Germany)
Deniz Undav (Germany)
Connor Metcalfe (Australia)
Nestory Irankunda (Australia)
John McGinn (Scotland)
Ismael Saibari (Morocco)
Vinícius Júnior (Brazil)
Breel Embolo (Switzerland)
Gio Reyna (USA)
Mauricio (Paraguay)
Cyle Larin (Canada)
Jovo Lukić (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Ladislav Krejcí (Czechia)
Julián Quiñones (Mexico)
Raúl Jimenez (Mexico)
Hwang In-Beom (South Korea)
Oh Hyeon-Gyu (South Korea)