<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/ed-Sox-vs.-Rays-prediction-odds-pick-and-more.jpg"></figure><h1>MLB odds: Red Sox vs. Rays prediction, odds, pick, and more – 8/1/2021</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-08-01T12:10:47-07:00">August 1st, 12:10pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-08-01T12:10:47-07:00">August 1st, 12:10pm</time><address><a>Ezra Bernstein</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Betting</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays will finish up their crucial three-game series on Sunday Night Baseball. It’s time to continue our <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-odds-dodgers-vs-diamondbacks-prediction-odds-pick-and-more-8-1-2021/">MLB odds series</a> and make a Red Sox-Rays prediction and pick.</p><p>This series is about as important as it gets in early August. The Red Sox dropped the first two games of this series and dropped out of first place in the AL East at the same time. The Rays now lead the division by a half-game. If Tampa Bay manages to pull off a sweep of one of the best teams in baseball, they can begin to stretch their newfound division lead. Boston can win on Sunday and jump right back into first place. The stakes are high in this one, so it should make for a good watch.</p><p>Here’s how the <a href="https://www.betonline.ag/sportsbook/baseball/mlb">bookmakers</a> have set the lines for Sunday night’s series finale.</p><h2><b>MLB Odds: Red Sox-Rays Odds</b></h2><p><i><b>*Watch MLB games LIVE with <a href="https://www.fubo.tv/lp/mlb/?irad=377812&amp;irmp=492408" rel="noopener">fuboTV (click for free trial)</a>*</b></i></p><p>Boston Red Sox ML (+150)</p><p>Tampa Bay Rays ML (-163)</p><p>Over 8 1/2 runs (-120)</p><p>Under 8 1/2 runs (+100)</p><h2><b>Why The Red Sox Could Cover The Spread</b></h2><p>Boston’s pitching rotation has been surprisingly good this season, but the real show has been their offense. They rank inside the top ten in batting average, slugging percentage, and OPS. Seven of their nine hitters sport a high hard-hit percentage, with all seven owning a percentage over 43%. This is a really tough offense to deal with, and Rays starter Shane McClanahan will find that out the hard way.</p><p>McClanahan has been surprisingly good all season long, putting up a 3.93 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP. Both are very solid numbers, but there are some other stats that the Red Sox should be able to capitalize on. The lefty allows a 40.3% hard-hit percentage, which is on the higher end of the spectrum. He also allows an average exit velocity of 90.1, another number that is well above average. Both of these stats show that the Red Sox should be able to destroy the baseball against McClanahan, which usually leads to more than a few runs.</p><p>Boston starter Nick Pivetta hasn’t had a great year, but it looks like he has Tampa Bay’s number. Pivetta has faced the Rays twice this season and has put together two great outings. He’s pitched a combined 11 innings against Tampa Bay and hasn’t allowed a single run.</p><h2><b>Why The Rays Could Cover The Spread</b></h2><p>While Pivetta has had a lot of success against the Rays this season, it’s hard to believe that that’s going to continue. The Boston starter has struggled all season long, earning himself a 4.51 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP. Neither of those numbers are good, but they get even worse over Pivetta’s last 15 starts. In that span, his ERA jumps to 5.05 with his WHIP rising to 1.37. The Rays should be able to finally put together some hits against Pivetta in this one.</p><p>It helps that Tampa Bay is a better offensive team against right-handed pitching. The Rays see a jump in batting average, OBP, OPS, and slugging percentage whenever they get to face a righty, so Pivetta is a very hittable opponent for this team.</p><p>The Red Sox have an intimidating offense, but Shane McClanahan should be able to handle the pressure. He’s been pitching much better baseball lately, as he’s seen his ERA drop to 3.38 over his last seven starts. It’s certainly possible that McClanahan puts together another good performance and continues his hot streak.</p><h2><b>Final Red Sox-Rays Prediction &amp; Pick</b></h2><p>The odds on the Red Sox are just too good to pass up. Pivetta has proven he can pitch well against the Rays, and he shouldn’t even need to put together an elite performance in order for Boston to win. McClanahan is a pretty decent matchup for Boston, so they shouldn’t have any trouble putting up runs. It’s also hard to see Boston getting swept in the most important series of the year so far.</p><p>FINAL PICK: Boston Red Sox ML (+150)</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB odds: Red Sox vs. Rays prediction, odds, pick, and more – 8/1/2021

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Dodgers-vs.-Diamondbacks-prediction-odds-pick-and-more.jpg"></figure><h1>MLB odds: Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks prediction, odds, pick, and more – 8/1/2021</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-08-01T11:33:43-07:00">August 1st, 11:33am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-08-01T11:35:03-07:00">August 1st, 11:35am</time><address><a>Ezra Bernstein</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Betting</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks will wrap up their three-game series on Sunday afternoon. It’s time to continue our MLB odds series and make a Dodgers-Diamondbacks prediction and pick.</p><p>This is an absolutely crucial series for the Dodgers. Los Angeles just dropped a series to the division-leading San Francisco Giants, increasing the gap between them and the Giants in the NL West. The Dodgers are now three games out of first place, so every game counts. The Diamondbacks have been out of the playoff picture since April, but they would love to play spoiler against their division rival.</p><p>Here’s how the <a href="https://www.betonline.ag/sportsbook/baseball/mlb">bookmakers</a> have set the lines for Sunday afternoon’s game.</p><h2><b>MLB Odds: Dodgers-Diamondbacks Odds</b></h2><p><i><b>*Watch MLB games LIVE with <a href="https://www.fubo.tv/lp/mlb/?irad=377812&amp;irmp=492408" rel="noopener">fuboTV (click for free trial)</a>*</b></i></p><p>Los Angeles Dodgers -1 1/2 (-150)</p><p>Arizona Diamondbacks +1 1/2 (+130)</p><p>Over 9 1/2 runs (-107)</p><p>Under 9 1/2 runs (-113)</p><h2><b>Why The Dodgers Could Cover The Spread</b></h2><p>The Dodgers have been hammered by injuries all across the roster, but they’ll send out one of their few remaining healthy pitchers for this showdown. Julio Urias is slated to make the start against the Diamondbacks.</p><p>Urias has had a pretty solid year for Los Angeles, posting a 3.54 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP. Those numbers improve whenever Urias pitches on the road, as he sees his ERA fall all the way to 3.28 when he’s anywhere but Dodger Stadium.</p><p>Urias also has an advantage when it comes to advanced stats. He only allows a 6.5% barrel percentage, an incredibly low number, The Diamondbacks don’t have a single player with a high barrel percentage, so Urias shouldn’t be allowing many hard-hit balls. Arizona already struggles to hit right-handed pitching, so it looks like Urias has the upper hand through and through in this matchup.</p><p>The Diamondbacks will entrust pitcher Caleb Smith with the start on Sunday. Smith has had a pretty rocky year, putting up a 4.61 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP on the season. Neither are good numbers, but Smith’s advanced stats make things even worse for him. He has a walk rate of 11.4%, which is already pretty high. He has to face the Dodgers, one of the most patient lineups in baseball. Smith also allows a barrel percentage of 9.9% and he’s facing a Los Angeles lineup that employs four hitters with extremely high barrel rates. The Dodgers have every advantage in this matchup.</p><h2><b>Why Diamondbacks Could Cover The Spread</b></h2><p>Arizona has been a terrible team for the entirety of the 2021 season, but there is some reason to believe they can cover in this one. The Diamondbacks are a much better team at home, especially offensively. Their batting average jumps from .216 on the road to .252 at Chase Field, and all of their other batting stats follow suit.</p><p>Caleb Smith may not be the most inspiring guy to have on the mound against the Dodgers, but he does have some factors going his way. He’s also significantly better at home, with his ERA dropping from 5.80 on the road to 3.72 on his home field. The Dodgers struggle against left-handed pitching, seeing their team batting average drop from .250 all the way down to .230. Smith has a fighting chance to put together a decent outing.</p><h2><b>Final Dodgers-Diamondbacks Prediction &amp; Pick</b></h2><p>It’s hard to see the Diamondbacks covering the spread in this one. The Dodgers have every advantage, and Arizona has been so bad that it’s difficult to envision them keeping this close. The Diamondbacks are tempting only because of the odds, but the Dodgers should cover easily.</p><p>FINAL PICK: Los Angeles Dodgers -1 1/2 (-150)</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB odds: Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks prediction, odds, pick, and more – 8/1/2021

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/los-angeles-dodgers-2021-mlb-trade-deadline-grades_copy.jpg"></figure><h1>2021 MLB trade deadline grades for the Dodgers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-08-01T11:10:20-07:00">August 1st, 11:10am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-08-01T11:10:20-07:00">August 1st, 11:10am</time><address><a>Cristian Martinez</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>During one of the most insane MLB trade deadlines in recent memory, the Los Angeles Dodgers were one of the busiest teams out there by making a blockbuster trade and another underrated move. The Dodgers have once again set themselves up for success.</p><p>Here are 2021 MLB trade deadline grades for the Dodgers.</p><h2><b>Danny Duffy, LHP</b></h2><p>In their first big move, the Dodgers traded for former Kansas City Royals ace <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/dodgers-news-la-acquires-danny-duffy-from-royals-with-max-scherzer-deal-in-limbo/">Danny Duffy</a> and cash considerations, in exchange for a PTBNL. Duffy is currently having a good season, currently <a href="https://www.mlb.com/player/danny-duffy-518633">owning</a> a 2.51 ERA, 65 strikeouts and a 1.21 WHIP. He has only pitched 61 innings due to his current hip flexor injury and how the Royals relied more on their relief pitchers than their starting pitchers.</p><p>Even though it is not known who the Royals will get in the trade, it still seems like the Dodgers have won this trade.</p><p>This is a solid move for the team and could even be one of the most underrated moves of the trade deadline. Duffy is having yet another great season, even with his setbacks. The Royals weren’t able to back up some of his best performances offensively, and it was finally time for him to have a change of scenery.</p><p>Only 32 years old, Duffy can still provide the team with some strong pitching performances once he returns from the IL. Being a reliever for the team wouldn’t be a bad idea, as he has shown to have great pitching performances when his innings are limited. However, being a back-end starter in the rotation would be the best thing to do here. He has the ability to eat up innings, limit runs and has some veteran experience that the team wouldn’t be opposed to having.</p><p>Even though he isn’t one of the best pitchers in the game right now, the Dodgers still got a s0lid arm in Duffy. Don’t be surprised if he performs at a high level once he returns.</p><p><b>Grade: B+</b></p><h2><b>Max Scherzer, RHP and Trea Turner, SS</b></h2><p>In one the biggest trades of the deadline, the Dodgers <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/breaking-max-scherzer-trea-turner-headline-blockbuster-trade-to-dodgers/">acquired</a> RHP Max Scherzer and SS Trea Turner from the Washington Nationals in exchange for C Keibert Ruiz, RHP Josiah Gray, RHP Gerardo Carrillo and OF Donovan Casey.</p><p>One of the best pitchers in baseball, Scherzer is having yet another great season. While pitching for the Nationals this season, he <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/scherma01.shtml">tossed</a> 147 strikeouts, boasted a 2.76 ERA and racked up eight wins. It initially looked like he was going to go to the San Diego Padres, but the Dodgers swooped in. After weeks of negotiations, the Dodgers came out on top and have yet another GOAT on their roster.</p><p>Turner is yet another player who was great for the Nationals, and he has been one of the best shortstops in the league. He is currently <a href="https://www.mlb.com/player/trea-turner-607208">slashing</a> .322/.369/.486 with 49 RBI, 18 dingers and 21 stolen bases. He was yet another name thrown out prior to the trade deadline and was sought after by many playoff teams. Nonetheless, he was also sent to the Dodgers, in the package that included Scherzer.</p><p>In order for the team to bring in both of these magnificent players, they had to give up some of their best prospects. Catcher Keibert Ruiz and pitcher Josiah Gray are some of the best prospects in baseball, landing on the top 100 prospects list. Both will be big pieces for the Nationals in the future.</p><p>This trade officially makes the Dodgers postseason favorites. Adding Scherzer to a rotation that was already one of the best in baseball is basically unfair at this point. He will play a huge role for the team once the postseason arrives and should deliver some quality starts.</p><p>However, Scherzer’s impact on the roster won’t be as big as Turner’s impact. With a lineup that could use some offensive help (Cody Bellinger is having one of the worst performances this year, and Mookie Betts is currently on the IL), getting Turner makes this team unstoppable. He has the speed that kills with stellar defense. He is a great contact hitter but can show his power every now and then. What isn’t there to like about this guy? He is a great leadoff hitter and a perfect spark for the team.</p><p>While the cost for these two was quite large, it was all worth it in the end. Getting an ace pitcher and a star batter is an instant win.</p><p><b>Grade: A+ (Would have given it an A+++ if such grade existed)</b></p><h2><b>Dodgers Trade Deadline Conclusion</b></h2><p>The Dodgers just had one of the best trade deadline performances of the last couple years. As injuries are affecting the team yet again, they found a way to plug in the holes with some great talent. Though two out of the three players are currently in the final year of their deals (Duffy, Scherzer), they still are getting some help in a position that really needs it in the home stretch. Turner will be an amazing addition to the batting lineup and should be a key contributor during the postseason. While other teams went out and got some great players, they do not match what the Dodgers have. They are clear-cut winners and should be favored to win the World Series again.</p><p><b>Overall grade: A+</b></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2021 MLB trade deadline grades for the Dodgers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Astros-vs.-Giants-prediction-odds-pick-and-more.jpg"></figure><h1>MLB odds: Astros vs. Giants prediction, odds, pick, and more – 8/1/2021</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-08-01T10:27:39-07:00">August 1st, 10:27am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-08-01T10:29:44-07:00">August 1st, 10:29am</time><address><a>Ezra Bernstein</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Betting</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Astros and San Francisco Giants will finish up their three-game series on Sunday afternoon. It’s time to continue our MLB odds series and make an Astros-Giants prediction and pick.</p><p>This is an important series for both of these powerhouses. The Astros are only 5.5 games ahead of the Oakland Athletics, so every game is a chance to extend that lead over their division rival. The Giants are in an even tighter spot in the NL West, as they are clinging to a three-game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers. This matchup is also a chance for both teams to see how they stack up against playoff-caliber competition.</p><p>Here’s how the <a href="https://www.betonline.ag/sportsbook/baseball/mlb">bookmakers</a> have set the lines for Sunday’s game.</p><h2><b>MLB Odds: Astros-Giants Odds</b></h2><p><i><b>*Watch MLB games LIVE with <a href="https://www.fubo.tv/lp/mlb/?irad=377812&amp;irmp=492408" rel="noopener">fuboTV (click for free trial)</a>*</b></i></p><p>Houston Astros ML (+103)</p><p>San Francisco Giants ML (-113)</p><p>Over 8 1/2 runs (-113)</p><p>Under 8 1/2 runs (-107)</p><h2><b>Why The Astros Could Win</b></h2><p>The Astros certainly have a case for having the best offense in the entire league. Their team ranks inside the top three in the league in batting average, OBP, OPS, and slugging percentage. They also have the most runs and RBI in baseball. Pitching well against this team is nearly impossible, no matter who you have on the mound.</p><p>Houston also has a good pitcher slated to take the mound in this one. Pitcher Luis Garcia has been solid all year long, posting a 3.19 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP. Both are pretty good numbers, indicating that Garcia has what it takes to pitch agains this elite San Francisco lineup.</p><p>The Astros will face Giants pitcher Logan Webb in this rubber match. Webb has been pretty good lately, but there’s reason to believe that Houston can put up some runs against the righty. The Astros are a significantly better offensive team when they play on the road. They see a big jump in all of their offensive stats, including batting average, OBP, and slugging percentage. Four of Houston’s hitters are career .500 batters against Webb, so they clearly see him well. The Astros shouldn’t have too much trouble putting some runs up.</p><h2><b>Why The Giants Could Cover The Spread</b></h2><p>The Astros may sport the best offense in the league, but the Giants aren’t far behind. They rank inside the top 10 in the league in all the same stats that Houston ranks in the top three in, and Kris Bryant just got added to the lineup. San Francisco’s lineup is also notoriously patient, which almost always creates problems for opposing pitchers. Luis Garcia is having a strong year, but he needs to be nearly perfect against the Giants in order to put together a good performance.</p><p>Logan Webb has been nearly perfect in his last seven starts. Over that span, he has pitched to the tune of a 1.54 ERA and a 0.86 WHIP. Both are truly elite numbers. Webb’s numbers when he pitches at home are also insane. The righty’s ERA drops from 4.62 on the road to 1.61 at home. Houston’s offense is definitely elite, but Webb is pitching on an elite level. He should be able to contain the Astros, especially since this game is in San Francisco.</p><h2><b>Final Astros-Giants Prediction &amp; Pick</b></h2><p>These two teams are nearly even in so many categories. When that happens, the best call is typically to go with the team that has the pitching advantage. Logan Webb has been absolutely lights-out lately, and that should continue in this series finale. This will be a very close game, but the Giants should manage to scrape out a victory.</p><p>FINAL PICK: San Francisco Giants ML (-113)</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB odds: Astros vs. Giants prediction, odds, pick, and more – 8/1/2021

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/New-York-bailing-on-phenom-Kumar-Rocker-because-of-physical-concerns.jpg"></figure><h1>Report: Mets bailing on phenom Kumar Rocker because of physical concerns</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-08-01T10:12:11-07:00">August 1st, 10:12am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-08-01T10:12:45-07:00">August 1st, 10:12am</time><address><a>Jason Patt</a>Jason Patt has been an editor at ClutchPoints since 2018. He also covers the Bulls for Forbes and SB Nation's Blog a Bull. In addition, he co-hosts Cash Considerations: A Chicago Bulls Podcast for the Blue Wire Network. If you couldn't tell, he's from Chicago.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New York Mets aren’t planning to sign No. 10 overall pick Kumar Rocker because of physical concerns, <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/31934790/new-york-mets-plan-sign-top-pick-kumar-rocker-concerns-physical-exam-sources-say" rel="noopener">according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel.</a></p><p>Rocker was a superstar at Vanderbilt but dropped to No. 10 to New York in the 2021 draft. The Mets were going to sign him for $6 million, but that deal fell apart due to his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mets-news-deal-with-vanderbilt-star-kumar-rocker-in-danger/" rel="noopener">physical examination</a> and now it looks like there will be no agreement at all before Sunday’s 5 p.m. ET signing deadline.</p><p>While Rocker could potentially still come to an agreement with the Mets right at the buzzer, the current momentum is trending toward there being no deal. If Rocker doesn’t head to New York, it’s unclear what his future holds. The 21-year-old could return to Vanderbilt or try pitching professionally elsewhere. He could potentially join the 2022 draft.</p><p>The Mets would get the 11th pick in the 2022 draft as compensation if Rocker doesn’t sign a deal.</p><p>It seems there’s some disagreement about Rocker’s health:</p><blockquote>Either way, the mutual excitement of July 11, the night of the draft, evaporated over the past three weeks. Rocker’s camp, led by agent Scott Boras, insists he is healthy, pointing to the 122 innings he threw over 20 starts in which he struck out 179 batters with a 2.73 ERA this year. Further, sources familiar with Rocker’s situation said, outside orthopedists disagreed with the Mets’ assessment of Rocker’s health, as can happen with multiple examinations. The Mets, sources said, expressed concerns over the health of Rocker’s arm following the physical last week.</blockquote><p>This would be a huge bummer for the Mets if they wind up losing out on Kumar Rocker.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Report: Mets bailing on phenom Kumar Rocker because of physical concerns

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/5-winners-and-losers-from-the-2021-MLB-Trade-Deadline.jpg"><figcaption>7/31/2021</figcaption></figure><h1>5 winners and losers from the 2021 MLB Trade Deadline</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-07-31T14:31:57-07:00">July 31st, 2:31pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-07-31T14:31:57-07:00">July 31st, 2:31pm</time><address><a>Steve Zavala</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The 2021 MLB Trade Deadline came and went with blockbuster moves being completed one after another. This trade deadline was one unlike in previous years, as it became as chaotic as NBA trade deadlines thanks to moves from the likes of the Yankees, Dodgers and Giants.</p><p>Overall, 10 players who were All-Stars this year ended up being traded at the deadline, which is a new <a href="https://twitter.com/SlangsOnSports/status/1421199031003488261?s=20" rel="noopener">record</a> in a season.</p><p>This was to be expected, especially as plenty of teams are aimed to load up for the upcoming postseason, while a plethora of other teams looked to make one last push for the second wild-card spot in their respective leagues.</p><p>As usual, there were teams that came away with win-win deals and other teams left fans in sheer shock over what they ended up doing at the trade deadline.</p><p>In the big picture, here are five winners and losers from this year’s hectic MLB trade deadline.</p><h2>Winners</h2><h2>Los Angeles Dodgers</h2><p>Even after winning the World Series last season, Los Angeles Dodgers general manager Andrew Friedman make moves at the deadline that signaled his aspiration to build the next dynasty in MLB.</p><p>The Dodgers’ headline <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/breaking-max-scherzer-trea-turner-headline-blockbuster-trade-to-dodgers/" rel="noopener">acquisition</a> was hauling in Washington Nationals’ ace Max Scherzer in a multi-player deal. The deal was already a major win for Los Angeles, considering that both the San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants were looking to package a deal for the three-time Cy Young Award winner. But now, they each will have to go up against him over the stretch run of the season.</p><p>Even as Scherzer is at the back end of his prime days, he is still performing like one of the more proficient pitchers in baseball. What should terrify NL West rivals is that Scherzer’s fastball pitch still has legs to it. He is holding opposing batters to a mere .210 batting average against his fastball to go along with an impressive 62 strikeouts.</p><p>Scherzer’s fastball pitch could be decisive in at-bats against the multitude of power bats in the NL West.</p><p>Based only on the acquisition of Scherzer, the Dodgers can already be tabbed as a trade deadline winner. But the additions of Trea Turner and Danny Duffy are like the icing on the cake for Freidman. Turner’s versatility to play multiple positions will be vital out of the gate, while Dodgers manager Dave Roberts could rely on Duffy as a possible multi-inning pitcher out of the bullpen come postseason time.</p><h2>San Francisco Giants</h2><p>While many are already slotting in the Dodgers as National League favorites following their key trade deadline acquisitions, one can not overlook the San Francisco Giants’ moves on Friday.</p><p>The Giants’ hauled in Kris Bryant on what can be tabbed as a win-now trade. Bryant may only be a rental move for the NL West leaders, especially as he recently touched on being <a href="https://www.thescore.com/mlb/news/2189180" rel="noopener">open</a> to re-joining the Cubs even if he was traded.</p><p>What makes the Giants a clear winner in this trade is that even if they fall short of pulling off a deep postseason run, they did not part ways with coveted prospects to acquire Bryant. The Giants only traded away one top-20 prospect from their farm system in this deal: Alexander Canario. At the least for Chicago, they could soon rely on Canario as a versatile utility player due to his prowess to play all three outfield positions.</p><p>The addition of reliever former Los Angeles Angels reliever Tony Watson for San Francisco can not be overlooked. The Giants had no real need for another left-handed pitcher to their bullpen, as the likes of Jarlin Garcia and Jose Alvarez have proved to be reliable relievers for the team in high leverage situations. Still, Watson can be a situational reliever with the Giants, which is a role that he often found success in during his half-season run in Anaheim.</p><h2><b>New York Yankees</b></h2><p>Heading into the 2021 MLB Trade Deadline, New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman was arguably facing the most pressure that he had faced so far in his run with the team. The Yankees’ sluggish offensive play had the team on the outside looking in with the AL Wild Card race.</p><p>With his job potentially on the line, Cashman responded with a trio of key acquisitions. He addressed the need for a potent left-handed hitter with both Joey Gallo and Anthony Rizzo.</p><p>The two power hitters should bolster the Yankees’ production against left-handed pitchers, particularly from left-handed batters. As a team, the Yankees’ left-handed batters have totaled for seven home runs against left-handed pitchers this season. Both Gallo (9) and Rizzo (5) have combined for 14 home runs when going up against left-handed pitchers.</p><p>On the other hand, the Yankees made a low-risk, high-reward move by hauling in Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Andrew Heaney. On paper, one could question why the Yankees would even go out to acquire a pitcher who has posted a 5.27 ERA this season. However, there is potential for him to flourish in the AL East, and it would surely begin by continuing to find success with his curveball, which opponents have hit .179 against it this season.</p><h2>Losers</h2><h2>Seattle Mariners</h2><p>The Seattle Mariners have not made the playoffs since their historic 2001 season. One would presume that with the Mariners right in the thick of the AL Wild Card race, team general manager Jerry Dipoto would make some blockbuster moves to give his team a fighting chance in the coming months. But as he did over the 2018 MLB Trade Deadline, Dipoto opted for a conservative stance with the Mariners’ deadline approach.</p><p>The Mariners had a glaring need for a veteran starter heading into the deadline. Rather than going all out for an All-Star caliber pitcher, Seattle settled for Pittsburgh Pirates starter Tyler Anderson. Although the Mariners did not have to part ways with any of their high-value prospects, this deal may not be one that would turn heads among their AL West rivals.</p><p>Sure, the Dipoto redeemed himself by replacing closer pending free agent Kendall Graveman with Tampa Bay Rays’ closer Diego Castillo, who is under team control until team control for three more seasons. But the Mariners also had a need for a versatile outfielder, and they came away from the July 30 deadline without such a player.</p><h2>Colorado Rockies</h2><p>The Colorado Rockies had a golden opportunity over the 2021 MLB Trade Deadline to provide fans with a clear stance on the team’s long-term future. Instead, the Rockies front office left fans more dazed and confused after such a dud deadline.</p><p>The Rockies were heavily rumored to offload star shortstop Trevor Story but ended up keeping him, which only left fans scratching their heads as to why they would keep a player who will hit free agency later this year.</p><p>More so, the likes of first baseman C.J. Cron and starting pitcher Jon Gray are also on par to be out of a contract this offseason, but the two remained with the team following the trade deadline.</p><p>Even if it meant garnering a multitude of mid to low-level prospects for this trio of talents, the Rockies would have been off taking such offers to help accelerate the rebuilding process.</p><p>The Rockies front office had already faced notable backlash from the entire Nolan Arendao trade fiasco. Now, fans are left with more questions than answers following the team’s conservative approach at the trade deadline.</p><p>The Rockies essentially much covet <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/trevor-story-remains-with-rockies-after-2021-deadline" rel="noopener">compensatory MLB Draft picks instead</a>, so it will be noteworthy to see whether this gamble will pay off in the end.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

5 winners and losers from the 2021 MLB Trade Deadline

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Tyler-Glasnow-Rays.jpg"></figure><h1>Rays hit with brutal Tyler Glasnow injury update</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-07-31T10:12:25-07:00">July 31st, 10:12am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-07-31T10:12:58-07:00">July 31st, 10:12am</time><address><a>Quinn Allen</a>Quinn Allen is a freelance sports journalist and full-time editor for ClutchPoints. He specializes mainly in soccer, basketball, and baseball. When Quinn isn't producing content for CP, he's writing predictions across the European soccer and NBA world for bettors at Sports Betting Dime, one of the fastest-growing sports betting sites in North America.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Tampa Bay Rays ace Tyler Glasnow has been hit with an awful injury update that will end his season. <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1421508697759666181?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1421508697759666181%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fclutchpoints.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost-new.php">According to a report from ESPN’s Jeff Passan</a>, the hard-throwing righty will undergo Tommy John Surgery on his partially torn UCL.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Tyler Glasnow is expected to undergo Tommy John surgery next week, sources tell ESPN. While there remains a small chance doctors will see a path toward him rehabbing his partially torn UCL, the expectation is that Glasnow needs an elbow procedure.</p><p>— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1421508697759666181?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">July 31, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>As noted, there is the slightest chance he could steer clear of surgery and rehab the elbow, but it’s trending towards undergoing the procedure. If this does happen, Tyler Glasnow would potentially return to pitch at some point in 2022. However, there is also the possibility he doesn’t see the mound again until 2023.</p><p>The 27-year-old suffered the injury in mid-June and was hoping to rehab it in time for the postseason, but things have taken a turn for the worst. He even threw a pen on Friday, but clearly, there must have been some discomfort. Before going on the shelf, Glasnow was brilliant, going 5-2 with a 2.66 ERA.</p><p>The absence of Tyler Glasnow will definitely hurt<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/roster"> the Rays</a>. Their rotation has a 3.92 ERA this season, but that was much in part to their hard-throwing right-hander. The addition of Rich Hill will certainly help, but this will definitely sting. Nevertheless, Tampa is still in the heart of the playoff race, currently just a half-game back of the Red Sox in the AL East and leading the Wild Card.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rays hit with brutal Tyler Glasnow injury update

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Giants-Kris-Bryant-Tony-Watson.jpg"></figure><h1>San Francisco Giants: 2021 MLB Trade Deadline Grades</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-07-30T19:16:20-07:00">July 30th, 7:16pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-07-30T19:17:41-07:00">July 30th, 7:17pm</time><address><a>Steve Zavala</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Heading into the final day of the 2021 MLB Trade Deadline, the San Francisco Giants were relatively quiet as they instead watched their NL West rivals make notable moves. In the end, the Giants responded with the acquisitions of former Chicago Cubs star Kris Bryant and former Los Angeles Angels reliever Tony Watson.</p><p>As mentioned, both the Dodgers and Padres made key moves in anticipation of the stretch run of the season. The Dodgers <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/breaking-max-scherzer-trea-turner-headline-blockbuster-trade-to-dodgers/" rel="noopener">acquired</a> three-time Cy Young award winner Max Scherzer in a multi-player blockbuster trade, while the Padres bolstered their bullpen with Washington Nationals reliever Daniel Hudson.</p><p>Still, the Giants’ key additions of Bryant and Watson should prove to be just what they need to finish off the season as division winners.</p><h2>Giants’ trade deadline moves</h2><h2><b>Giants received</b>: Kris Bryant</h2><h2><b>Cubs received</b>: Alexander Canario and Kaleb Killian</h2><h2><b>Grade</b>: A</h2><p>Considering just how many overperformers that the Giants have had in their lineup this year, the team had no real need for a power bat at the trade deadline. Still, one can not go wrong with former NL MVP <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-news-cubs-trade-kris-bryant-to-giants-in-blockbuster-deal/" rel="noopener">winner</a> Kris Bryant.</p><p>Aside from Bryant’s prowess as one of the more potent hitters in the National League, his versatility as a fielder will be a notable plus over the remainder of the season. Bryant was called upon to play multiple positions for the Cubs this season due to the team’s injury issues. He responded to the call each time, as he featured five different positions this season, including in both left and center field.</p><p>As Evan Longoria is currently on the injured list due to a shoulder injury, Bryant is expected to be the team’s everyday third baseman for the time being. But when Longoria returns from his injury, Bryant may alternate between the left and center field spots.</p><p>As mentioned, Bryant is still among the top revered hitters in the National League. His expertise in going up against left-handed pitchers could be decisive for the Giants over the coming months. He is <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.fcgi?id=bryankr01&amp;year=2021&amp;t=b" rel="noopener">hitting</a> .342 against left-handed pitchers this season, whereas the Giants as a team have hit .243 against lefties.</p><p>In the big picture, the Giants must be pleased that the Cubs did not attempt to hardball them over this trade. The Cubs only acquired one of the Giants’ top-20 ranked <a href="https://www.mlb.com/prospects/giants/" rel="noopener">prospects</a> as they hauled in 21-year-old outfielder Alexander Canario. Thus, one can simply classify this as a low-risk, high-reward move for San Francisco, especially as they forced the Cubs’ hand due to their sense of urgency to acquire anything for Bryant.</p><p>Sure, this may simply be a rental deal for San Francisco, as Bryant will hit free agency in the offseason. But considering that they did not part ways with coveted prospects Joey Bart and Marco Luciano in this trade, this can certainly be tabbed as a steal by the Giants’ front office.</p><h2><b>Giants received</b>: Tony Watson</h2><h2>Angels received: Ivan Armstrong, Jose Marte and Sam Selman</h2><h2>Grade: A-</h2><p>As has been shown in the playoffs in recent years, one can never go wrong with bullpen depth.</p><p>The Giants’ bullpen has posted a formidable 3.30 ERA this season, which only ranks behind the San Diego Padres (2.97) and the Tampa Bay Rays (3.30). Still, the Giants felt that they needed to add one more piece to their reliever unit, and they did just that with the addition of Tony Watson.</p><p>The Giants are well familiar with Watson as he spent three years with the team, which includes the astounding 2.59 ERA over 66.0 innings campaign over the 2018 season</p><p>Watson’s time with the Los Angeles Angels this year was certainly a rollercoaster one. He was presumably an early All-Star candidate after he finished the month of March/April with a 1.08 ERA over nine appearances. It was a train wreck after that for the veteran reliever, as command issues saw him finish with 6.00+ ERAs in May and June.</p><p>Watson’s changeup pitch may be the deciding factor in whether he will end up being called upon for critical in-game situations in the postseason. He has allowed a .229 average along with a wRC+ of 102 against the pitch, which is up from last season when opponents hit .189 coupled with a potent wRC+ of 66. Vast improvements with his control could see Watson once again rely on his changeup as a go-to pitch.</p><h2>Giants trade deadline grade: A</h2><p>Overall, the Giants’ front office made moves that signaled confidence in the team’s ability to pull off a deep playoff run. The Giants did not go all out for rumored trade targets such as Max Scherzer and Trevor Story, but both Bryant and Watson have what it takes to give the team an extra boost in the coming months.</p><p>It sure will be a hectic finish to the season as the Giants aim to fend off the Dodgers and Padres in the NL West.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

San Francisco Giants: 2021 MLB Trade Deadline Grades

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Anthony-Rizzo-Yankees.jpg"></figure><h1>VIDEO: Anthony Rizzo hits an absolute moonshot in first game with Yankees</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-07-30T18:14:43-07:00">July 30th, 6:14pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-07-30T18:15:26-07:00">July 30th, 6:15pm</time><address><a>Quinn Allen</a>Quinn Allen is a freelance sports journalist and full-time editor for ClutchPoints. He specializes mainly in soccer, basketball, and baseball. When Quinn isn't producing content for CP, he's writing predictions across the European soccer and NBA world for bettors at Sports Betting Dime, one of the fastest-growing sports betting sites in North America.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New York Yankees went all out at the MLB Trade Deadline, acquiring two left-handed bats in Anthony Rizzo and Joey Gallo. Both players were in the lineup on Friday against the Marlins and with the game scoreless in the sixth inning, Rizzo <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1421273708027514880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1421273708027514880%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fclutchpoints.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D1378160action%3Dedit">started off his Yankees career with a bang</a>:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">RIZZO'S FIRST BOMB AS A YANKEE 🚨 <a href="https://twitter.com/BRWalkoff?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@BRWalkoff</a></p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@MLB</a>)<a href="https://t.co/2Z3CRb6v38" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/2Z3CRb6v38</a></p><p>— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1421273708027514880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">July 31, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Talk about making a statement right from the get-go. The former Cubs slugger took that 1-0 offering to the second deck. An absolute moonshot. It was a sad ending for Rizzo after leaving Chicago for the Yankees. He spent almost 10 seasons on the North Side and was an instrumental part of their historic World Series title in 2016.</p><p>With Rizzo hitting free agency this winter though,<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/new-york-yankees-2021-mlb-trade-deadline-grades/"> he’ll likely just be a rental for the Yankees</a>. But it’s no secret they need some serious offensive help, with their current core struggling to produce on a nightly basis. It will be interesting to see how Rizzo fares in the Bronx as well with that short porch in right field.</p><p>We could be seeing a lot more homers from the 31-year-old as the Yankees chase a Wild Card spot. Hopefully, Gallo can also do his part because New York did give up a decent amount of prospects in order to acquire the two power-hitting lefties.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

VIDEO: Anthony Rizzo hits an absolute moonshot in first game with Yankees

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/chicago-cubs-2021-mlb-trade-deadline-grades.jpg"></figure><h1>Chicago Cubs: 2021 MLB Trade Deadline Grades</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-07-30T17:57:33-07:00">July 30th, 5:57pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-07-30T17:58:51-07:00">July 30th, 5:58pm</time><address><a>William Leavitt</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>What a week for Chicago Cubs fans. After starting the season off really well, a long losing streak toward the end of June began the Cubs fire sale. While it may seem that all is lost to a Cubs fan, the return that Chicago received for their star players was not a bad one. So let’s break down all of the trades that the Cubs made and give each trade a grade and an overall grade at the end.</p><h2>Chicago Cubs Trade Departures:</h2><h2>Andrew Chafin</h2><p>Trade: Chicago Cubs receive OF Greg Deichmann and RHP Daniel Palencia, Oakland Athletics receive Andrew Chafin</p><p>Grade: A</p><p>This is a good trade for the Cubs, as they offload an expiring contract for two promising prospects from the A’s pipeline. Deichmann is an MLB-ready prospect that has had a good year in the minor leagues. Palencia has shown a lot of potential with a good fastball and was ranked as high as 12th in Oakland’s system. All of that for a reliever that wont be on your team next year is a great deal. The Cubs did well on this one.</p><h2>Anthony Rizzo</h2><p>Trade: Chicago Cubs receive OF Kevin Alcantara and RHP Alexander Vizcaino, Yankees receive Anthony Rizzo</p><p>Grade: B-</p><p>The Cubs definitely did not do the greatest here as they got one alright prospect and one that’s struggling. Kevin Alcantara is a 19-year-old outfielder that projects to be a powerful bat and a solid defender whether that be in center or at one of the corner outfield spots. Vizcaino is 24 years old, has had a bad injury history, and has struggled in the minor leagues this season. He has a solid fastball changeup combo but if he can’t get it worked out in the minors, then he may never see time in the majors. If Rizzo wasn’t on an expiring contract this would have been an F, but seeing as this is a true rental for the Yankees, this was probably one of the better packages the Cubs could have gotten.</p><h2>Ryan Tepera</h2><p>Trade: Chicago Cubs receive LHP Bailey Horn, Chicago White Sox receive RHP Ryan Tepera</p><p>Grade: C</p><p>This feels like a trade that the Cubs could have gotten a better prospect from as Tepera has been having a solid season up until this point. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/teperry01.shtml">Tepera has a 2.91 ERA over 43.1 innings pitched this season</a> for the Cubs and has been one of their most reliable arms the entire season. Bailey Horn was the White Sox third-round pick in last year’s draft and was ranked as the 30th overall prospect in the White Sox farm system. Horn has struggled in his first season in the minors, but at 23, he has time to develop. Overall it was a pretty average trade for the Cubs.</p><h2>Craig Kimbrel</h2><p>Trade: Chicago Cubs receive 2B Nick Madrigal and RHP Codi Heuer, Chicago White Sox Receive RHP Craig Kimbrel</p><p>Grade: A++</p><p>This is a great trade for the Cubs as they get one of the better prospects in the White Sox farm system in Nick Madrigal along with a solid arm in Codi Heuer.  Kimbrel has been the best closer in the league in 2021 and the White Sox now easily own the best bullpen in the MLB as they continue to chase a World Series. For the Cubs, they now have their middle infield of the future set with Nico Hoerner and Nick Madrigal playing shortstop and second base for years to come. This is a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/both-teams-were-winners-in-the-craig-kimbrel-trade-heres-why/">win-win trade</a> for everyone involved.</p><h2>Javier Baez and Trevor Williams</h2><p>Trade: Chicago Cubs receive OF Pete Crow-Armstrong, New York Mets receive SS/2B Javier Baez and RHP Trevor Williams</p><p>Grade: B</p><p>With Javier Baez on an expiring contract and the Cubs not looking to keep him long-term, they needed to get a solid prospect in return, and they got just that. Pete Crow Armstrong was the Mets’ first-round draft choice in 2020, and while he has been hurt this season, Crow-Armstrong projects to be a fantastic fielder in center field with the potential to be a great leadoff hitter. The Mets get Javy Baez to slot into their middle infield next to Francisco Lindor which adds both to their defense and their power, although there are some concerns with Baez’s contact numbers and his strikeout percentage. If the Cubs could have squeaked out one more prospect from the Mets this would have gotten an A, but it will sit at a solid B for now.</p><h2>Jake Marisnick</h2><p>Trade: Chicago Cubs receive RHP Anderson Espinoza, San Diego Padres receive OF Jake Marisnick</p><p>Grade: A</p><p>This is a very low-key trade but if Anderson Espinoza can play up to his potential this could be a great move for the Cubs. Espinoza was once considered a top 20 prospect in the MLB, but after two Tommy John surgeries, there are questions if Espinoza will ever be able to reach those expectations. This is a great flyer for the Cubs to take out, as it doesn’t cost them much and could pay off in a great way. Overall just a solid trade.</p><h2>Kris Bryant</h2><p>Trade: Chicago Cubs receive OF Alexander Canario and RHP Caleb Killian, San Francisco Giants receive Kris Bryant</p><p>Grade: C+</p><p>This feels like too little for Kris Bryant. Alexander Canario is a young prospect at only 21 years and has shown some promise in the minor leagues with a .758 OPS but the Cubs should have looked for a better deal. The Giants get their guy, and they got to keep Marco Luciano and Joey Bart, so this is a huge win for them. Although Bryant is on an expiring deal the real question that comes to mind is: Is this really all it took to get Kris Bryant? I’m surprised that the Cubs weren’t able to get a better package for Bryant but there is some promise in Canario that could make this deal look a lot better in the future.</p><h2>Overall Grade: B+</h2><p>The Cubs were in a tough position with Bryant, Rizzo, and Baez and had to take less than they were worth because they were on expiring deals. They did the best they could with those three and then they did very well with everyone else. The Cubs farm system has now been bolstered and while Chicago has a long rebuild to look forward to, this trade deadline will help to speed that process up.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Chicago Cubs: 2021 MLB Trade Deadline Grades

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/boston-red-sox-2021-mlb-trade-deadline-grades.jpg"></figure><h1>Boston Red Sox: 2021 MLB trade deadline grades</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-07-30T16:32:30-07:00">July 30th, 4:32pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-07-30T16:33:10-07:00">July 30th, 4:33pm</time><address><a>William Leavitt</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Boston Red Sox have been one of the hottest teams in baseball in 2021. They enter Friday night’s games holding a 63-41 record with a 1.5-game lead in the American League East. Although they have been one of the best teams in baseball, there were a lot of positions that the Red Sox needed to address at the MLB trade deadline. The Kyle Schwarber deal obviously made headlines.</p><p>In this article, there will be grades given to each individual trade that the Red Sox made and then an overall grade at the end. Let’s start grading!</p><h2>Red Sox MLB trade deadline acquisitions: Kyle Schwarber</h2><p>Trade:<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nationals-news-washington-trades-kyle-schwarber-to-red-sox-in-wild-mlb-frenzy/"> Boston Red Sox receive OF Kyle Schwarber</a>, Washington Nationals receive RHP Aldo Ramirez</p><p>Grade: B+</p><p>Before Kyle Schwarber was sidelined with a hamstring injury, the lefty slugger was one of the hottest bats in the MLB. So far this season he has had a slash line of .253/.340/.570 for an OPS of .910. Schwarber was also a first time All-Star for the national league. The biggest question is where do the Red Sox play him?</p><p>The biggest need the Red Sox have right now is at first base and <a href="https://boston.cbslocal.com/2021/07/30/red-sox-will-try-kyle-schwarber-at-first-base/">according to Michael Hurley of CBS Boston</a> the Sox will give him a shot at the position. If Schwarber can be a replacement level defender at first base, then this trade is an A+, but that doesn’t seem to be likely. This trade nonetheless gets a B+ purely because Schwarber is a fantastic hitter and adds a much needed left handed bat to the lineup.</p><h2>Hansel Robles</h2><p>Trade: Boston Red Sox receive RHP Hansel Robles, Minnesota Twins Receive RHP Alex Scherff</p><p>Grade: C-</p><p>Hansel Robles is an alright pick up for the Red Sox as they do need pitching help but this wasn’t big enough to move the needle for a title run by any means. The Sox didn’t have to give up much as Alex Scherff is a low ranked prospect in the Sox pipeline that is not likely to ever see time in the majors. Robles has a 4.91 ERA on the season with 43 strikeouts over 44 innings pitched. Overall just a very average reliever, although he has had great seasons. In 2019 Robles pitched to a 2.48 ERA with 75 strikeouts over 72.2 innings pitched.</p><p>If the Red Sox can get that out of Robles then the grade on this goes way up, but that doesn’t seem likely.</p><h2>Austin Davis</h2><p>Trade: Boston Red Sox receive LHP Austin Davis, Pittsburgh Pirates receive INF Michael Chavis</p><p>Grade: C</p><p>This trade is really not all that interesting, as Davis has a 5.59 ERA this year and Chavis has struggled at the plate the entire 2021 season. This is a case of two teams hoping that a change of scenery could help the players play to their full potential. Chavis’ spot in the lineup was taken by Schwarber and he did not want to get sent back down, so he now moves on to Pittsburgh and will try to build off of his time in Boston. Neither of these players will make huge differences to their new respective teams</p><h2>Overall Grade: D</h2><p>This was a very disappointing trade deadline for the Red Sox as their biggest need was not at all addressed: starting pitchers. There were quite a few starters on the market and the Red Sox were in on all of them but couldn’t come away with anyone. With division rivals getting better with their pickups, most notably the Yankees getting Joey Gallo and Anthony Rizzo, the Sox didn’t make enough moves.  The only thing keeping this grade from being an F is the Kyle Schwarber trade. If Schwarber can play first base the overall grade goes up to a C.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Boston Red Sox: 2021 MLB trade deadline grades

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Joey-Gallo-Anthony-Rizzo-Andrew-Heaney-Brian-Cashman-Yankees.jpg"></figure><h1>New York Yankees: 2021 MLB Trade Deadline Grades</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-07-30T16:12:57-07:00">July 30th, 4:12pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-07-30T16:15:53-07:00">July 30th, 4:15pm</time><address><a>Quinn Allen</a>Quinn Allen is a freelance sports journalist and full-time editor for ClutchPoints. He specializes mainly in soccer, basketball, and baseball. When Quinn isn't producing content for CP, he's writing predictions across the European soccer and NBA world for bettors at Sports Betting Dime, one of the fastest-growing sports betting sites in North America.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Brian Cashman and the New York Yankees did not disappoint at the 2021 MLB Trade Deadline, making numerous moves that will help the Bronx Bombers make a playoff push as we inch further into the second half.</p><p>Bringing in two power bats in Joey Gallo and Anthony Rizzo are surely the highlights, but the acquisition of Andrew Heaney could also prove to be valuable, giving the Yankees another southpaw that’s capable of making starts.</p><p>Here is a look at the trades that New York pulled off and the grades for each one.</p><h2><b>Yankees acquire OF Joey Gallo and LHP Joely Rodriguez from the Rangers in exchange for 4 prospects</b></h2><h2>Grade: B</h2><p>Okay, the Yankees gave up a LOT for Gallo. Thankfully, none of the prospects they parted ways with are top guys with legitimate major league potential. However, acquiring Gallo is a bit of a gamble. While he is one of the most feared power hitters in the game, his ability to hit for average is concerning. The former first-rounder is slashing .223 this season and has struck out 125 times in 95 games. That’s not a huge plus to a Yankees team who already strike out a lot, given the sluggers they have scattered throughout their lineup.</p><p>However, Gallo has clubbed 25 homers this season while racking up 75 walks already, which is just one BB off his career-high. Keep in mind, there’s still a lot of games left. He has tremendous discipline at the dish and while the K numbers are slightly high, Gallo does get on base quite frequently. He’s also a left-handed bat, which means he could very well thrive with a short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium. Out of his 145 career bombs, 75 have gone to right field. This may be a match made in heaven.</p><p>Defensively, Gallo is a Gold Glover who has 14 defensive runs saved in 2021, which is the highest number for any player in the bigs. With Aaron Judge patrolling right field, Gallo’s strong arm and range will probably see him move to center.</p><p>Also, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-news-rangers-trade-joey-gallo-to-new-york-yankees/">adding Gallo to the Yankees</a> fold is going to give this team a legitimate three-headed monster in the heart of their lineup alongside Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. Aaron Boone’s squad barely has any left handed-bats in their lineup as well, so this is definitely a plus. With Gallo hitting free agency in 2022, that means the Yankees could have him around next season as well.</p><p>Given Gallo’s inconsistencies, This is just a B. There’s a ton of ability there, it’s just a matter of him putting it all together. Can he do it in the Bronx under immense pressure from the Yankees faithful? That, we’ll have to see.</p><h2><b>Yankees acquire 1B Anthony Rizzo from Cubs in exchange for prospects Alex Vizcaino and Kevin Alcantara</b></h2><h2><b>Grade: A-</b></h2><p>The Yankees gave up two decent prospects in this deal, with Alcantara and Vizcaino instantly moving into the top-10 in the Cubs’ system. However, Rizzo’s experience along with his ability at the plate and in the field is a fantastic addition for New York.</p><p>Rizzo has seen his numbers plummet through the last two seasons, currently hitting just .248 with 14 home runs and 40 RBI’s. But, again this gives the Yankees an established offensive player who swings it from the left side. For a team that strikes out a lot, Rizzo will be a breath of fresh air. He hasn’t <a href="https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/anthony-rizzo-519203?stats=statcast-r-hitting-mlb">struck out more than 16% of his at-bats since the 2016 season</a> and continues to be one of the best contact hitters in the big leagues.</p><p>With Rizzo a free agent after this season, this is likely just a rental for the Yankees. While he’s capable of hitting for power and average, the 31-year-old is also a tremendous defender. Luke Voit has had his injury problems which have limited his time at first base, while using DJ LaMahieu at the cold corner is kind of a waste. Best part? The Cubs picked up the rest of Rizzo’s salary for 2021, which means the Yankees are essentially paying nothing for him. All they had to do is send some cash and a couple of minor leaguers the other way.</p><p>Again, the Yanks need left-handed bats. Gallo may have more upside than Rizzo, but he can hit for power consistently and has a playoff pedigree. A change of scenery and a short fence in the Bronx could do wonders for him ahead of free agency this winter. Rizzo has dealt with some back problems this season, which could potentially hinder his production and playing time with the Yankees. Otherwise, this would’ve been an A grade.</p><h2>Yankees acquire LHP Andrew Heaney from Angels in exchange for RHP’s Janson Junk and Elvis Peguero</h2><h2>Grade: B</h2><p>Heaney is a former first-rounder and was once a top prospect. But, his numbers this season haven’t been pretty. The lefty has a 5.27 ERA in 18 starts while going 6-7. However, his strikeout rate (27%) and walk rate (7.7%) are a huge plus. Heaney also gets a respectable amount of swings and misses thanks to his wide array of offerings.</p><p>Just like Rizzo, he will be a rental because Heaney is wrapping up his final arbitration year. In his career, the 30-year-old has a 4.57 ERA and possesses decent command. This gives the Yankees some more depth at the back-end of their rotation and a much-needed left-hander on the staff aside from starter Jordan Montgomery.</p><p>The prospects the Yankees gave up in return are both guys who have pitched well in double-A, but they weren’t ranked in the New York farm system. However, the two arms could prove to be future pieces for the Angels.</p><p>All in all, this is a B for the Yankees. Another proven starter to add to an already strong pitching staff that won’t cost the club much money.</p><h2>Trade Deadline grade for the Yankees: B+</h2><p>The Yankees addressed their biggest need at the deadline: left-handed hitting. Gallo has huge potential and could be a terrific addition from a power standpoint, while Rizzo brings a lot of the same along with playoff experience. Heaney, as mentioned above, gives the Yankees another proven starter.</p><p>New York is struggling immensely from an offensive standpoint, which is very unlike them. They needed to make some moves and Brian Cashman did not fail. The number of prospects the Yankees gave up may seem like a lot, but these pieces the club received are going to be key in the Bronx Bombers chasing down a Wild Card spot and maybe, even the Boston Red Sox, who sit 8.5 games ahead of them in the American League East.</p><p>The Yankees did very well here.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

New York Yankees: 2021 MLB Trade Deadline Grades

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Rockies-Trevor-Story.jpeg"></figure><h1>Trevor Story ‘confused’ after Rockies keep him in wild MLB trade deadline</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-07-30T14:50:07-07:00">July 30th, 2:50pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-07-30T15:00:51-07:00">July 30th, 3:00pm</time><address><a>Matt Wadleigh</a>Matthew Wadleigh was born and raised in Oceanside and resides in Fresno. He lives with his wife and two dogs. He is a huge Southern California sports fan and a retired member of the Fresno State drumline.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Colorado Rockies stood firm at the MLB trade deadline and– after months and months of deliberation– have decided to keep <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-trade-rumors-rockies-arent-set-on-moving-trevor-story-at-deadline/">talented shortstop</a> Trevor Story.</p><p>The Rockies had been linked to deal Story for some time, especially after dealing Nolan Arenado in the offseason to the St. Louis Cardinals. <a href="https://twitter.com/Feinsand/status/1421199198997958656?s=20">According to Mark Feinsand</a>, the Rockies will wait and see what happens in free agency.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The Trade Deadline has arrived and Trevor Story will remain with the Rockies, per source. They will make him a qualifying offer and collect compensatory draft picks if he signs elsewhere.</p><p>— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) <a href="https://twitter.com/Feinsand/status/1421199198997958656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">July 30, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p> </p><p>Moving on from Story was merely writing on the wall for the Rockies, and they considered waiting to see what compensatory picks they would receive if he walked in free agency. Well, perhaps the Rockies didn’t get the return they had envisioned, and Story will stay a little bit longer.</p><p>The Rockies were headed for a full-blown rebuild, and maybe they do decide to move on from Story in the offseason. Talks heated up with the New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants, and Tampa Bay Rays among the teams linked to Story, but nothing ended up coming to fruition.</p><p>Well, Story himself didn’t seem too pleased with the situation, and expressed his frustration, <a href="https://twitter.com/DPRockies/status/1421215220056436739">according to Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post. </a></p><blockquote>“I’m confused and I don’t have really anything good to say about the situation and how it unfolded.”</blockquote><p>This is probably the most surprising move of the entire MLB trade deadline, especially because most of the big-name players ended up getting moved. So, what will they do next?</p><p>We will find out in a couple of months.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Trevor Story ‘confused’ after Rockies keep him in wild MLB trade deadline

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Kris-Bryant_s-emotional-reaction-after-deadline-trade-to-Giants.jpg"><figcaption>7/30/2021</figcaption></figure><h1>Kris Bryant’s emotional reaction after deadline trade to Giants</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-07-30T14:18:35-07:00">July 30th, 2:18pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-07-30T14:35:32-07:00">July 30th, 2:35pm</time><address><a>Steve Zavala</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Chicago Cubs have signaled an end of an era following their flurry of trade deadline moves, including sending Kris Bryant to the San Francisco Giants.</p><p>After deciding to trade away long-time stars Anthony Rizzo and Javier Baez, the Cubs <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-news-cubs-trade-kris-bryant-to-giants-in-blockbuster-deal/" rel="noopener">elected</a> to trade Bryant to the Giants in exchange for prospects Caleb Kilian and Alexander Canario.</p><p>Yesterday, cameras <a href="https://twitter.com/Taylor_McGregor/status/1420874762923003905?s=20" rel="noopener">caught</a> Bryant soaking in what was presumed to be his last game in a Cubs uniform at Wrigley Field.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="und"><a href="https://t.co/kHmdNwO5Ji" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/kHmdNwO5Ji</a></p><p>— Taylor McGregor (@Taylor_McGregor) <a href="https://twitter.com/Taylor_McGregor/status/1420874762923003905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">July 29, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Today, reality sunk in as news broke that Bryant will be heading to the NL West leaders.</p><p>Bryant was at National Park ahead of Chicago’s series opener against the Washington Nationals. Again, cameras caught Bryant full of emotion as he learned that his time in Chicago has now officially come to an end.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Emotional moment for Kris Bryant as he learns he is being traded to the Giants.<a href="https://t.co/bcONWGz94i" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/bcONWGz94i</a></p><p>— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBONFOX/status/1421206225950285830?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">July 30, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Bryant ends his seven-season run in with the Cubs as one of their more influential players in recent years. The star outfielder lived up to the expectations from the get-go, as he won an NL MVP Award and also was selected to four All-Star games. More, he etched his name in Cubs’ history when he helped record the final out in the team’s historic 2016 World Series Game 7 win over the Cleveland Indians.</p><p>Now, Bryant joins a Giants team that is among the early favorites to win the World Series. The team’s acquisition of the former Cubs star is a clear response to the blockbuster moves that NL West rivals Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres both made over the past 24 hours.</p><p>In the big picture, Cubs fans will have an opportunity to soon see Kris Bryant back at Wrigley Field when Chicago hosts the Giants for a two-game series in mid-September. Bryant may be full of emotion again when he returns to a place where he made his name in baseball.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Kris Bryant’s emotional reaction after deadline trade to Giants

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Cubs-News-Both-teams-were-winners-in-the-Craig-Kimbrel-trade-here_s-why-thumbnail.jpg"></figure><h1>Both teams were winners in the Craig Kimbrel trade — here’s why</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-07-30T14:16:51-07:00">July 30th, 2:16pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-07-30T14:17:53-07:00">July 30th, 2:17pm</time><address><a>William Leavitt</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cubs-news-chicago-trades-craig-kimbrel-to-white-sox-in-blockbuster-deal/">The Cubs traded Craig Kimbrel to the crosstown rival Chicago White Sox</a> in return for Nick Madrigal and Codi Heuer according to <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1421177036002013184">Jeff Passan of ESPN. </a></p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The White Sox paid a massive price for Craig Kimbrel: second baseman Nick Madrigal and reliever Codi Heuer, sources tell ESPN.</p><p>When I said at the top of the show that Cubs had the chance to remake themselves for the next five years in the next two hours, this is what I meant.</p><p>— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1421177036002013184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">July 30, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>It’s a big pickup for both teams. After this Craig Kimbrel deal, the White Sox now have the best bullpen in the MLB and the Cubs have their second baseman of the future.  It’s the second trade that the two teams have made this deadline with the Ryan Tepera being the other one.  With all of the pieces in this trade, both teams have come out as winners in different ways, lets breakdown why.</p><h2>Craig Kimbrel analysis: The Chicago White Sox</h2><p>The Chicago White Sox have been easily the best team in the American Central and one of the best teams in all of baseball. The only place that they had some struggles this season was in the bullpen (although their bullpen was still good) and now they have added both Ryan Tepera and Kimbrel.</p><p>Craig Kimbrel is one of the greatest closing pitchers of all time and this season he has bounced back in serious fashion after having a few down years. Kimbrel has pitched to an astounding 0.49 ERA this season with 23 saves and 64 strikeouts across 36.2 innings pitched.  He has easily been one of if not the best closers in all of baseball this season and will add even more talent to the White Sox roster.</p><p>The two headed monster that will be the White Sox bullpen will be a sight to see, as Kimbrel’s new teammate and fellow All-Star Liam Hendriks will be sharing save opportunities. Hendriks has been incredible so far this season with a<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hendrli01.shtml"> 2.58 ERA, 71 strike outs and 25 saves over 45.1 innings pitched.</a> By adding Craig Kimbrel to the end of the bullpen the White Sox now have two of the best closers in the game that they can count on.  This team is built for the playoffs.</p><h2>The Chicago Cubs</h2><p>Chicago Cubs fans have not had a great couple of days after seeing the core players of their 2016 title run all be traded in the span of two days.  While this may not seem like a good thing, the Craig Kimbrel deal sends more prospects to the Cubs. The Cubbies are set for the future. The biggest pick up that they got was Nick Madrigal, as the second baseman was a top prospect in the White Sox pipeline.  Madrigal was the starting second baseman for the White Sox this season until he <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/white-sox/ct-chicago-white-sox-nick-madrigal-injury-20210615-w576l4pupncpvhd5xacr64ggge-story.html">tore his hamstring which required surgery.</a> He is expected to make a full recovery and when he does he will be the Cubs starting second baseman of the future.</p><p>Madrigal in his short time in the majors has done nothing but hit the ball well. He has a career slash line of .317/.358/.406 for an OPS of .774. If Madrigal can find some power (which it seemed he had early on in 2021 with a .425 slugging percentage) then he will undoubtedly be a perennial All-Star. By putting him next to Cubs former number one prospect Nico Hoerner, the Cubs should have their middle infield set for the foreseeable future.</p><p>So in the end, while the White Sox have won this Craig Kimbrel trade in relationship to the 2021 season, and probably 2022 as well, the Cubs will reap the long-term benefits with the prospects that they picked up from their fire sale.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Both teams were winners in the Craig Kimbrel trade — here’s why

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/St.-Louis-signs-former-Cub-Jon-Lester-minutes-before-trade-deadline.jpg"></figure><h1>Cardinals sign former Cubs P Jon Lester before trade deadline</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-07-30T13:50:05-07:00">July 30th, 1:50pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-07-30T13:50:49-07:00">July 30th, 1:50pm</time><address><a>Matthew Zemek</a>Matt Zemek has written for various sports websites and publications since 2001. He was the editor of the NBA site Crossover Chronicles in the 2016 NBA season. He was a contributing editor to the now-defunct site FanRag Sports in 2017. He currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The St. Louis Cardinals — who acquired <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/mlb/st.-louis-cardinals">Dexter Fowler</a> a few years ago, shortly after the outfielder won the 2016 World Series with the Chicago Cubs — have now signed another member of that 2016 championship team from Chicago. The Redbirds signed Jon Lester <a href="https://twitter.com/JesseRogersESPN/status/1421200618320957440">just under the wire</a> at the MLB trade deadline in a deal with the Washington Nationals.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Jon Lester is going to the Cardinals, per a source</p><p>— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) <a href="https://twitter.com/JesseRogersESPN/status/1421200618320957440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">July 30, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Nats?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#Nats</a> get OF Lane Thomas from the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/STLCards?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#STLCards</a> in the Jon Lester trade.</p><p>— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) <a href="https://twitter.com/BNightengale/status/1421202432940417025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">July 30, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>The level of impact the Cardinals are likely to gain from this trade is small. Lester is past his prime as a pitcher, having soared with the Boston Red Sox and Cubs in a distinguished MLB career. Now he doesn’t have nearly as much fuel in the tank.</p><p>The Cardinals made this move even though Lester <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/player/_/id/28487">has a 5.02 ERA this season,</a> pitching 75 1/3 innings in 16 starts. You can do the quick math and see that’s under five innings per start. Lester’s last four starts indicate that he can still beat bad teams but can’t beat good ones. He didn’t get more than 10 outs in two disastrous outings against the Giants and Padres, two N.L. West powerhouses. He did shut out the Marlins in seven innings, and he contained the Orioles in a five-inning performance in his most recent start on July 24.</p><p>If the Cardinals are going to make a playoff push, their path will likely need to run through the N.L. Central, since the Padres, Giants, and Los Angeles Dodgers — as a trio — are almost certain to provide the two teams in the National League Wild Card Game.</p><p>It is true that the Padres are only 15 games over .500 while the Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers are 19 over .500, but the Cardinals will play the Brewers a lot more than they will play the Padres the rest of the way. With two full months left in the season, St. Louis is unlikely to make a charge, but we have seen the Redbirds get hot late in a season before and create an interesting late-September stretch run.</p><p>Jon Lester in a Cardinals uniform will seem very weird. Cubs fans certainly won’t like it… but St. Louis and Chicago fans can agree that beating the Brewers is something to aspire to. We’ll see if Lester can handle the Brew Crew and other Central teams late in the year.</p><p>In case you’re wondering: The Cardinals and Lester visit Wrigley Field to face the Cubs on Sept. 24.</p><p>Also noteworthy: The Cardinals’ last 14 games of the season are all against the Cubs and Brewers. If they can enter that 14-game stretch four games out of first place — meaning that they will have gained 5.5 games on Milwaukee in the next 7.5 weeks — they will have a chance to play their way into the division lead. We’ll see if they and Lester can give themselves that opportunity.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cardinals sign former Cubs P Jon Lester before trade deadline

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Cubs-Kris-Bryant-MLB-Trade-Deadline.jpeg"><figcaption>There he goes.</figcaption></figure><h1>Cubs trade Kris Bryant to Giants in blockbuster deal</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-07-30T12:55:41-07:00">July 30th, 12:55pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-07-30T12:55:41-07:00">July 30th, 12:55pm</time><address><a>Mitchell Widmeier</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Perhaps the biggest prize of the MLB trade deadline has now been dealt. After weeks and weeks of ongoing discussions and rumors, it has finally happened. Chicago Cubs slugger Kris Bryant has been traded to the Giants, according to Jeff Passan.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Bryant to SF, source tells, ESPN.</p><p>— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1421197204186861572?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">July 30, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Bryant was <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-trade-rumors-cubs-kris-bryant-craig-kimbrel-certainly-getting-dealt/">arguably the best bat on the market</a>, and after the Cubs and Bryant couldn’t agree on a new contract prior to the season, it seemed inevitable that he would be dealt by the time the MLB trade deadline passed. The San Diego Padres and New York Mets were among the possible destinations for Bryant as rumors picked up steam in the days leading up to the deadline.</p><p><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bryankr01.shtml">On the year, Bryant has a .269 batting average and has hit 18 home runs with 51 RBI</a>. For some time it looked as if the Cubs would hold onto him, but prior to the MLB All-Star break, Chicago hit a 10 game losing skid, all but ending their hopes of any shot of a playoff berth.</p><p>Now, Bryant is headed to the Giants, and it is going to be different not seeing him in a Cubs uniform after he spent the first seven years of his MLB career playing home games at Wrigley Field.</p><p>It’s one of many move the Cubs have already made. It’s a list that includes: Anthony Rizzo going to the Yankees, Javy Baez to the Mets, Ryan Tepara and Craig Kimbrel to the White Sox and now, Kris Bryant to the Giants.</p><p>The rebuild is on in Chicago and it will be a big time project for the Cubs as they will look to turn things around in the coming seasons.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cubs trade Kris Bryant to Giants in blockbuster deal

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Athletics-News-Oakland-A_s-trade-for-Nationals-Josh-Harrison-and-Yan-Gomes-thumbnail.jpg"></figure><h1>Athletics trade with Nationals for Josh Harrison, Yan Gomes</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-07-30T12:38:08-07:00">July 30th, 12:38pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-07-30T12:38:08-07:00">July 30th, 12:38pm</time><address><a>William Leavitt</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Oakland Athletics have made a move to acquire the Washington Nationals infielder Josh Harrison and catcher Yan Gomes according to <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1421181421046181888">Jeff Passan of ESPN. </a></p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The Oakland A’s are in agreement on a deal to acquire infielder Josh Harrison and catcher Yan Gomes from the Washington Nationals. Deal is pending medicals.</p><p>— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1421181421046181888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">July 30, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>The Nationals fire sale continues after the Max Scherzer, Trea Turner <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/the-dodgers-won-the-max-scherzer-trea-turner-trade-heres-why/">trade</a> as they move on from two veterans that are having good 2021 seasons. This will notably open up a spot for Keibert Ruiz (the top prospect received in the Scherzer, Turner trade) at catcher for the Nationals.</p><p>The Athletics have struggled all year with their infield as they have veterans Jed Lowrie, Elvis Andrus, and occasionally Tony Kemp in their middle infield positions. While Kemp and Lowrie have each posted an OPS of over .700, Andrus has had an awful offensive season with a slash line of .232/.273/.309 for an OPS of .582.</p><p>By adding Josh Harrison to the team, the A’s will sure up their middle infield both defensively and offensively as Harrison has posted a slash line of <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/harrijo05.shtml">.294/.366/.434 for an OPS of .800</a> on the season. Harrison also adds versatility as he can play second base, third base and the corner outfield positions.</p><p>Although the A’s have had success with Sean Murphy behind home plate this year, it never hurts to add catching talent to a contending roster. Yan Gomes is having a great 2021 season as he is putting up a slash line of .271/.323/.454 for an OPS of .778. Gomes is a solid veteran presence and not only adds his bat, but he is also a good defensive catcher as well.</p><p>The Nationals will receive a package of Drew Millas, Seth Shuman, Richard Guasch according to <a href="https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/1421189349589270528">Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.</a></p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Coming to the Nationals from A’s for Gomes and Harrison, per source: Drew Millas, Seth Shuman, Richard Guasch.</p><p>— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/1421189349589270528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">July 30, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>What a wild MLB trade deadline it has been.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Athletics trade with Nationals for Josh Harrison, Yan Gomes

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Rangers-Kyle-Gibson-Phillies.jpeg"><figcaption>Wow!</figcaption></figure><h1>Rangers trade Kyle Gibson and Ian Kennedy to Phillies in blockbuster deal</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-07-30T12:07:46-07:00">July 30th, 12:07pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-07-30T12:10:15-07:00">July 30th, 12:10pm</time><address><a>Mitchell Widmeier</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-news-rangers-trade-joey-gallo-to-new-york-yankees/">Joey Gallo being traded by the Texas Rangers to the New York Yankees</a> already, it seemed a likely conclusion that the moves weren’t done being made. And that’s exactly the case for the Rangers as they’ve agreed to trade Kyle Gibson to the Phillies.</p><p>In addition to Gibson, the Phillies are also acquiring closer Ian Kennedy.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Phillies making their move: Finalizing a deal to get starter Kyle Gibson and reliever Ian Kennedy from the Texas Rangers, sources tell ESPN. First on the scene was <a href="https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@Ken_Rosenthal</a>.</p><p>— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1421184818897895424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">July 30, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Gibson is in the midst of what is by far the best season of his career. At age 33, the righty made his first all-star game in his career and his numbers backed up the nod. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gibsoky01.shtml">He’s pitched to a 6-3 record for the lowly Rangers and has a 2.87 ERA and a WHIP of 1.17</a>.</p><p>With Max Scherzer being traded on Thursday to the Los Angeles Dodgers, it thinned out that top tier of available starting pitchers on the market. Gibson was hanging around the tier below and with teams feeling the pressure to add, the Phillies pulled the trigger.</p><p>Philly is trying to catch the Mets in the NL East and currently trail New York by 3.5 games.</p><p>Adding Gibson to the Phillies rotation will be a huge boost as they look to make a postseason push that lasts well into October. The now former Texas Rangers pitcher had always had issues in Minnesota with the Twins trying to be too precise and too perfect with his pitching. In Texas, he was able to find the zone consistently and not be afraid to pitch to contact, something he excelled at that helped this resurgence in his career.</p><p>Two more good pitchers are headed elsewhere as teams continue to look and add near the end of the deadline.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rangers trade Kyle Gibson and Ian Kennedy to Phillies in blockbuster deal

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Cubs-Mets-Javy-Baez-MLB-Trade-Deadline.jpeg"><figcaption>Wow!</figcaption></figure><h1>Cubs trade Javy Baez to Mets in blockbuster deal</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-07-30T12:01:07-07:00">July 30th, 12:01pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-07-30T12:04:00-07:00">July 30th, 12:04pm</time><address><a>Mitchell Widmeier</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Chicago Cubs are going all out in their attempts to sell as much as possible at the MLB Trade Deadline. Now, add superstar shortstop Javy Baez to the list as he’s on his way to the New York Mets.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">BREAKING: The New York Mets are finalizing a trade to acquire shortstop Javier Baez from the Chicago Cubs, sources tell ESPN. Deal is pending medicals.</p><p>— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1421181441002639363?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">July 30, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>New York leads the NL East and as they try to hold off the Phillies and Braves, offense is needed, especially with Francisco Lindor currently on the shelf. Now, the Mets have added one of the best bats on the market in the Cubs’ shortstop, Baez.</p><p>The Cubs have already traded the likes of Craig Kimbrel and Ryan Tepara to the White Sox while they sent Anthony Rizzo to the New York Yankees. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/baezja01.shtml">Javy Baez</a> has become just the latest as the fire sale carries on.</p><p>Cubs fans won’t be happy and aren’t happy but, with owner Tom Ricketts not willing to offer extensions to many of their key players set to hit free agency, it was a foregone conclusion that this would happen for Chicago at the deadline.</p><p>Baez is an electrifying shortstop with a gold glove to his resume and plenty of highlight reel plays. He will likely play shortstop for the Mets until Lindor returns when he could then move over to second base. Baez has mentioned before how he would love to play with Lindor and now he will get that opportunity with the Cubs sending him to the Mets.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/mlb/standings">Currently, the Mets sit at 3.5 games ahead of the Phillies</a> and 4 games up on the Braves in a crowded NL East.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cubs trade Javy Baez to Mets in blockbuster deal

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/warriors-news-stephen-curry-dubs-get-shocking-news-on-possible-big-trade.jpg"></figure><h1>Stephen Curry, Warriors get shocking news on possible ‘big trade’</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-07-31T17:46:15-07:00">July 31st, 5:46pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-08-01T08:08:43-07:00">August 1st, 8:08am</time><address><a>Angelo Guinhawa</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>For those expecting the Golden State Warriors to make a splash and trade for a star player to help Stephen Curry and Co. compete for a championship, they will be disappointed. After all, team owner Joe Lacob admitted that it’s “very unlikely.”</p><p>While Lacob is not totally closing the door to a potentially massive trade, he emphasized that it must be for someone “really great.” The <a href="http://fanatics.93n6tx.net/KeqB0A" rel="noopener">Warriors</a> had been linked with Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal prior to the NBA Draft as they tried to package the No. 7 and 14 picks, but nothing materialized as Beal didn’t request a trade.</p><blockquote>“It’s very unlikely, I’ve said that we’re not going to trade for anybody that people are expecting. Very unlikely. It’s not impossible. But if it was going to be somebody, it was going to be somebody really great. It was going to be a big trade. It’s unlikely,” Lacob told <a href="https://theathletic.com/2742823/2021/07/31/exclusive-joe-lacob-discusses-jonathan-kuminga-pick-and-his-win-now-develop-now-plan-for-the-warriors/?source=emp_shared_article" rel="noopener">Anthony Slater of The Athletic</a>.</blockquote><p>As for their plans to still compete for a championship, Joe Lacob highlighted their desire to “bridge the gap to the future.” That means developing young talents while also adding key players who can help them contend. Besides, the Warriors still have the trio of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, who all have a few more years at their respective peaks.</p><blockquote>“So the more likely path—and the path that I think, as an owner, I feel most comfortable with, quite frankly—is to bridge the gap to the future,” the Warriors owner added. “We’ve got three or four contracts and big players that are still in their early 30s, still have quite a bit of time to go, especially in this day and age. If we can kind of have a Wiseman and a Kuminga and a Moody and a Poole (help in the meantime). They don’t have to be awesome next year. With a great investment in our player development staff, we just want them to show great potential.”</blockquote><p>Aside from James Wiseman, whom the Warriors got with the No. 2 pick in last year’s draft, Golden State added two high-upside talents in <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-news-jonathan-kuminga-reveals-plan-to-help-stephen-curry-klay-thompson/" rel="noopener">Jonathan Kuminga</a> and Moses Moody during the 2021 rookie selection. Lacob is surely hoping they can develop the three and their other young players to carry the torch when it’s time for Curry, Thompson and Green to retire.</p><p>Of course, whether the <a href="http://foco.vegb.net/rnzGvy" rel="noopener">Dubs</a> can play for the NBA title in the coming years with their mix of veteran and young core remains to be seen. Nonetheless, there’s a good reason to be positive about the future of the team given all the talents and potential they have.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Stephen Curry, Warriors get shocking news on possible ‘big trade’

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/LeBron-James-gets-blasted-on-Twitter-for-allegedly-_assaulting_-fan-at-Usher_s-concert.jpg"></figure><h1>Lakers star LeBron James gets blasted on Twitter for allegedly ‘assaulting’ fan at Usher’s concert</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-07-31T17:40:54-07:00">July 31st, 5:40pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-07-31T17:42:01-07:00">July 31st, 5:42pm</time><address><a>Paolo Songco</a>A father of two over-energetic boys, Pao has been a writer for ClutchPoints for many years. His passion lies in all things NBA and he has a knack for speaking his mind in his articles -- even when at times it gets him into trouble with the fans. Controversial? Maybe. Excellent writer? Definitely.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>A clip of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James shoving a fan during an Usher concert is currently making its rounds on social media. Unsurprisingly, The King has been bashed with a ton of criticism for allegedly “assaulting” the fan.</p><p>Before you jump to any conclusions, here’s a look at the incident (h/t <a href="https://twitter.com/AhnFireDigital/status/1421315252096880641">Ahn Fire Digital</a> and Lakers Daily on Twitter):</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">LeBron spotted at an Usher concert pushing a fan. 😂</p><p>(h/t <a href="https://twitter.com/LakersDailyCom?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@LakersDailyCom</a>) <a href="https://t.co/erwMLO5FWb" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/erwMLO5FWb</a></p><p>— Ahn Fire Digital (@AhnFireDigital) <a href="https://twitter.com/AhnFireDigital/status/1421315252096880641?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">July 31, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Well, there’s no denying that LeBron shoved the fan and it looks like he had a few unsavory words for him as well. However, “assault” might be too big an accusation for this particular incident:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">That’s literally assault</p><p>— AP (@sticksmontana7) <a href="https://twitter.com/sticksmontana7/status/1421315687868506114?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">July 31, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Lol that’s still assault. I’m not saying he was wrong for doing it. But it’s still considered assault</p><p>— vitocalabria (@vito_caponeIV) <a href="https://twitter.com/vito_caponeIV/status/1421534897513115650?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">July 31, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>A lot of other fans on the mean streets of Twitter were not particularly happy with LeBron’s actions:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">I know you’re just protecting yourself but that’s just a kid bro. SMH!!!</p><p>— Gryngls (@garydangeles) <a href="https://twitter.com/garydangeles/status/1421325194015084546?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">July 31, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Of course he had to make it about himself at Usher's concert.</p><p>— Jeffrey Alger (@jfalger63) <a href="https://twitter.com/jfalger63/status/1421553974835089410?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">July 31, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>The incident drew contradicting views, however, with others saying that LeBron just did what he had to do as the random fan invaded his personal space:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Watch people hate on lebron for this even tho he invading on lebrons space</p><p>— 𝙁𝙡𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙨 🔥 (@FlamesNBA21) <a href="https://twitter.com/FlamesNBA21/status/1421315679999995905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">July 31, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Y’all saying assault or sue lebron, when mans ran up on him?? Not only that but his wife was with him too, that fan could’ve got popped right in his mouth and I would’ve been cool with it…you don’t run up on ANYONE</p><p>— Josh (@br0ke__) <a href="https://twitter.com/br0ke__/status/1421462270610190342?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">July 31, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">I don't even like lebron at all but I gotta be honest. He had every right to do this. He is at an R&amp;B song with his wife. He probably would've took the picture if he was by himself</p><p>— Lame James (@LameJames7) <a href="https://twitter.com/LameJames7/status/1421455304198348813?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">July 31, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>If you look at the comments section, though, the general disposition is that the Lakers star didn’t do anything wrong here. The fan was literally rushing to him and it looks like all LeBron did was protect himself and his wife.</p><p>Then again, this is LeBron James we’re talking about here so it isn’t surprising that some folks are straight-up <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-lebron-james-slapped-with-harsh-goat-reality-by-jason-whitlock/" rel="noopener">hating on him</a> for his actions here. I guess this could serve as a reminder that LeBron is a human being, too, and that he should be treated as such.</p><p>The King was clearly not in a jovial mood, though. Maybe he didn’t like that particular Usher song?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Lakers star LeBron James gets blasted on Twitter for allegedly ‘assaulting’ fan at Usher’s concert

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Andre-Drummond-spotted-in-Miami-amid-start-of-NBA-free-agency.jpg"></figure><h1>Andre Drummond sparks Heat free agency rumors with surprise move</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-07-31T21:27:04-07:00">July 31st, 9:27pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-07-31T21:27:04-07:00">July 31st, 9:27pm</time><address><a>Angelo Guinhawa</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/los-angeles-lakers">Los Angeles Lakers</a> big man Andre Drummond is an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and it looks like he’s exploring his options–which might include the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/miami-heat">Miami Heat</a>.</p><p>Of course with free agency nearing, any action that players take will be put under the microscope and analyzed. Such is the case for Drummond, who was spotted in Miami just a day before the August 2 start of free agency.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">my friend’s son took a picture with Andre Drummond today… </p><p>He’s in my Miami</p><p>I’m gonna be sick 😪 <a href="https://t.co/BZXkx9uEc4" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/BZXkx9uEc4</a></p><p>— Deon (@deonjoelpolo) <a href="https://twitter.com/deonjoelpolo/status/1421631730105176067?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">August 1, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Of course, it sparked speculations that he might join the Heat. However, it is not without basis. After all, <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/barry-jackson/article251822668.html" rel="noopener">Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald</a> recently <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-rumors-1-way-miami-will-consider-andre-drummond-free-agency/" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the South Beach franchise would consider signing the big man in free agency should Erik Spoelstra be willing to play him alongside Bam Adebayo.</p><blockquote>Drummond is an option if Spoelstra is willing to change his approach and play him with Adebayo. The Heat had some interest before he signed with the Lakers and another pursuit wouldn’t surprise me.</blockquote><p>Andre Drummond joined the Lakers after reaching a buyout with the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/cleveland-cavaliers">Cleveland Cavaliers</a> when they failed to trade him at the 2021 deadline. However, he proved to be a poor fit alongside Anthony Davis as he struggled to get into rhythm with the team before eventually falling out of favor from head coach Frank Vogel.</p><p>While the team repeatedly expressed during the 2020-21 season that they want to sign Drummond long-term, it appears more likely they are headed to Splitsville. Nonetheless, it remains to be seen if it means Drummond will join the Heat as he looks to revive his career.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Andre Drummond sparks Heat free agency rumors with surprise move

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/X-best-players-the-Warriors-must-sign-in-2021-NBA-free-agency.jpg"></figure><h1>3 best players the Warriors must sign in 2021 NBA free agency</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-08-01T05:22:54-07:00">August 1st, 5:22am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-08-01T05:41:21-07:00">August 1st, 5:41am</time><address><a>Mike Cruz</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>All eyes are on the Golden State Warriors and the moves they will be making this offseason. The Warriors reportedly looked into trading their  two lottery picks in the 2021 NBA Draft, but they ultimately stood pat and selected Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody. Kuminga is seen as a raw project who probably won’t be able to contribute right away, while Moody, despite being dubbed as an NBA-ready player, is still a 19-year-old. With an aging trio of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green still capable of leading a team to the promised land, the Dubs are in a complicated situation.</p><p>Warriors owner Joe Lacob <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-news-stephen-curry-dubs-get-shocking-news-on-possible-big-trade/" rel="noopener">essentially ruled out</a> the possibility of a blockbuster trade that would bring more immediate help to the Bay Area. The Warriors will now look to free agency to add more veterans to a relatively young Warriors supporting cast to the Big Three. This upcoming week will undoubtedly be a critical time for Dub Nation.</p><p>With that, here are the three best players the Warriors must target in free agency. Remember, they only have the $5.9 million taxpayer mid-level exception and minimums to offer.</p><h2>1. Nicolas Batum</h2><p>Nicolas Batum is arguably the top player who should be on Golden State’s wish list. Even though they fortified their wing depth with their two picks in the draft, the Warriors still need a veteran who can play pressure-packed minutes in the postseason. The Frenchman had a resurgence with the Los Angeles Clippers this past season and played a huge role for them in the playoffs.</p><p>The addition of Batum would give the Dubs a multi-dimensional wing who can play and defend multiple positions. He could play the 3 in big lineups and serve as the power forward when the Warriors put Draymond Green at the 5.</p><p>Batum is also capable of creating for others and almost always makes the right play. His high basketball IQ fits perfectly for Golden State’s movement-heavy system. The 32-year-old served mostly as a spot-up shooter for the Clippers, making 40.4 percent of his 3-pointers. The Warriors would definitely welcome a more consistent sniper to give more 3-point shooting threats around Stephen Curry.</p><p>The Warriors reportedly tried to go after Batum after the Charlotte Hornets bought him out last season. But due to Klay Thompson’s injury, they were unable to persuade the 6-foot-8 forward to come aboard. Golden State should go hard for the savvy veteran once again and hope they are finally able to land him this time around.</p><h2>2. Patty Mills</h2><p>One of Golden State’s needs is a veteran backup point guard for Stephen Curry. The Brad Wanamaker experiment did not go too well last season. Thus, the Dubs should be more aggressive in filling in this role this season. San Antonio Spurs free agent Patty Mills fits the bill well.</p><p>Patty Mills is absolutely balling out in the Olympics for Australia. With his strong showing, the 32-year-old should be a prime free agency target for many title hopefuls. Thus, the Dubs will need to be creative in persuading the Australian to come bring his talents to the squad.</p><p>Mills, a career <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/patty-mills/9f9f08fe/stats">38.8 percent</a> 3-point shooter, is an absolute sniper from downtown. He has averaged <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/millspa02.html#2017-2021-sum:per_game">10.3 points</a> per game over the last five seasons and would give Golden State an added offensive option off the bench. Mills doesn’t handle the ball too much, but instead, works best by lurking around the perimeter and coming off screens for open triples. With Golden State running a lot of off-ball actions, it’s easy to see how Mills would thrive in a Warriors uniform.</p><h2>3. Rudy Gay</h2><p>Another San Antonio Spurs player the Warriors can target is Rudy Gay. The 15-year journeyman also saw his name pop up as one of Golden State’s options for its traded player exception last season and could see the same when free agency hits on Aug. 2.</p><p>If the Warriors are unable to land Nic Batum, Gay should be their backup option as their veteran wing signee. The Dubs sorely need more scoring options to help ease the load off Stephen Curry. Golden State was absolutely atrocious whenever Curry went to the bench last season. Gay, along with the emergence of Jordan Poole, should help them in that regard should they bring him in this summer.</p><p>Gay was once a 20-points-per-game scorer in this league and has averaged <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/rudy-gay/b2a6095a/stats">11.9 points</a> on 46.2 percent shooting mostly in a reserve role in four years with the Spurs. At 35 years old, he may be a little up there in age. Nonetheless, Gay has shown that he is still capable of filling up the score sheet from time to time. He has been up and down in terms of his 3-point shooting throughout his career, but did knock down 38.1 percent last season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

3 best players the Warriors must sign in 2021 NBA free agency

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/image_2021-08-01_104056.png"></figure><h1>Suns’ Devin Booker reveals Draymond Green slapped him with harsh reality on NBA Finals loss</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-07-31T19:44:56-07:00">July 31st, 7:44pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-07-31T19:44:56-07:00">July 31st, 7:44pm</time><address><a href="https://medium.com/@rpsalao">R.P. Salao</a>Check out my best stuff on Medium - medium.com/@rpsalao.I also post quality NBA YouTube content - tinyurl.com/SalaoYouTube.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns were as close as you can get to an NBA Finals win. But we all know how that turned out. Book revealed that he’s talked to one of his Team USA teammates about the heartbreaking defeat, a man who’s been on both sides of the coin in Draymond Green.</p><p>The Warriors star had been in five straight NBA Finals, with two gut-wrenching losses of his own. The Suns All-Star spoke out about the harsh reality of the situation, as told by Draymond himself.</p><p><a href="https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2021/7/31/22603332/devin-booker-team-usa-olympics-tokyo-2020-phoenix-suis-gregg-popovich">Via</a> Trevor Booth of Bright Side of the Sun:</p><blockquote>“We’ve talked about it in short conversation,” said the Suns guard. “Talked about it with Draymond and him stressing the fact, ‘It’s not going to be that easy to get back to the Finals.’ I remember us as a team saying that right in the locker room after we lost, that we got to understand it’s going to be even harder to make it to the point we were at.Just having an understanding for that, but I’m excited for it. The experience was great. I’m glad I got to do it. Obviously, ended up on the wrong side of the stick but that’s life.”</blockquote><p>The Phoenix Suns got a taste of success many didn’t expect from them last season. They showed that they were more than worth of being on the biggest stage. Now it’s time to prove <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-devin-booker-breaks-silence-on-losing-team-usa-teammates-jrue-holiday-khris-middleton-nba-finals/">that it wasn’t a fluke.</a></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Latest MLB News