I spent yesterday considering the MLB standings near the halfway point in the regular season; with the All-Star break upcoming there are only about 3 weeks of play until the trade deadline, so let me offer some thoughts about that upcoming event.
- The biggest question mark out there is Tarik Skubal. The Cy Young winner is on a team that is 10 games under .500 despite having a run differential of +11. He is on a one-year contract and will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2026 season. So, will the Tigers keep him and try to get into a wildcard slot this year or will the Tigers use him to gather up prospects?
- Three teams that could go either way at the trade deadline are the Pirates, the Nationals and the White Sox. All three are in “rebuild mode” but they are better in 2026 than just about anyone thought they would be. Just that dynamic would make it interesting to follow the actions of the three front offices over the next several weeks, but there is another overhang here. All these teams have owners whose history is to choose not to pay top dollar for players. The trade deadline often involves some hefty contracts. Ergo …
- What has happened to the Orioles and where do they go from here? Three years ago, the O’s won more than 100 games with a young and upcoming roster. Two years ago, they won 91 games and made the playoffs. Last year they won 75 games and this year they will have to rally significantly to get near .500 for the season. So, what might they do at the deadline? Their record over the next several weeks could have long-range implications for the team.
- Similarly, what happened to the Red Sox this year? They were considered “dark horses” in the AL East back in March; they have played like donkeys and not horses in 2026. Demonstrating their inconsistency, they recently swept a 4-game series with the Yankees only to turn around and get blown out by the Nationals twice. Maddening … If the Red Sox decide to go full throttle on the sell side at the trade deadline, that could make a couple of quality starting pitchers available in Sonny Gray and Brayan Bello.
The next month will be a time where the various “Baseball Insiders” earn their keep. MLB fans will be watching closely and will want to be informed …
Moving on … The USMNT lost to Belgium last night 4-1 ending the Americans’ run to make the “Elite Eight” in the World Cup tournament. The decisive score of the game obviated any more commentary on just how or why FIFA changed the punishment for US striker, Folarin Balogun; the bottom line is that it did not matter even a little bit. Some of the comments after the game focused on the lack of energy or intensity by the Americans in the game. Maybe I am not sophisticated enough to discern such fine points; what stood out to me in the game was that the Belgians had more skillful players than the US did and to me, that explains the outcome.
A much more surprising World Cup outcome was England beating Mexico 3-2 to advance to the quarterfinals of the tournament. The game was played in Azteca Stadium in Mexico City where the Mexican team took the field with a record of 70-17-2 which would qualify as a “home field advantage”; the last time the Mexican national team lost there was in 2013. Moreover, Azteca Stadium sits at an altitude of 7,350 feet above sea level. Forget “Mile High Stadum” this place is almost a mile and half high.
In England, the highest elevation is 3209 feet above sea level. So, even if there were a soccer pitch atop Scafell Pike – – there is not – – the English could not have trained at even half the elevation of this contest. And to add to the intrigue there, the English team played with only ten men for the last 40 minutes of the game and scored what turned out to be the game-winning goal while playing a man short.
Amazing …
Finally, this from George Carlin:
“If you can’t beat them, arrange to have them beaten.”
But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………