Mauricio Pochettino has signed a new contract to remain the U.S. men’s soccer team’s manager through the 2030 World Cup, U.S. Soccer announced Monday morning.
“I really believe that this is an exciting situation and moment for soccer in the USA,” Pochettino said in a roundtable talk with The Inquirer and other media outlets. ”After 18, 19 months working with the objective that was only the World Cup, now [the goal is] to start in a fresh way with a different approach, trying to create a different philosophy, different idea of what we need to do.”
U.S. Soccer initiated talks on a new deal in late spring, with the understanding on both sides that it would be contingent on success in the summer. After the tournament, both sides took a few weeks, then returned to the table and finished the deal.
“They really believed in us before the start of the World Cup,” Pochettino said, “and that, I think, is another positive point for us.”
Mauricio Pochettino (center) talking with players and staff after the U.S.’ loss to Belgium that knocked them out of the World Cup.Nick Didlick
The 54-year-old Argentine arrived in late 2024, hired through this year’s World Cup. He accomplished most of what he had set out to achieve, raising standards for players by challenging the big stars to shake off their past complacency.
When the biggest moment came, Pochettino oversaw the first U.S. men’s team to win two group games at a World Cup since 1930, and the first knockout-round win since 2002. That led to an unprecedented wave of fan support across the country, and Pochettino seemed to be genuinely inspired by it.
“The magic thing that happened during the World Cup, in the connection with the people, of course with the whole organization and everything, was a key point to make that decision” to return, he said.
Mauricio Pochettino applauding the fans after the Belgium game.Abbie Parr
Pochettino said Monday that he believes “that gap with the best teams the world is not too big. I think if we will be capable to do things in a different way, to reduce that gap, I think it’s possible.”
The distance includes some of the hardest yards to cover in the sport. So there were serious questions to ask. And to his credit, he answered them pretty directly.
The first question was how much change Pochettino wants to enact, especially with a new generation of young players ready for a shot at the senior squad. He said he is ready for quite a bit.
“I don’t want to think, and that you believe, that it is a continuity of the last 18 months or 19 months that we were working there‚” he said. “The good thing is that we have the experience and the knowledge about the players that were working with us. And of course, now [we] open the pool to bring, players that were playing in the last year or now they are playing more in MLS, but also for players that maybe we didn’t have time to assess during that process that was a very compact and very short period.”
Quinn Sullivan (second from right) is one of many young players with Union ties whom Mauricio Pochettino has called up so far. Cavan Sullivan could easily be on the radar for the next four years.Jonathan Tannenwald
Pochettino added: “It’s going to be key, it’s going to be important, to provide the young kids that we really believe have the potential to arrive in 2030, in four years, to start to work. And to start to know [them], and set up the principle that we expect from them.”
Another big question, one that a lot of fans have in particular: Will Pochettino actually stay here for the duration of his deal? If he continues to do well here, European clubs will no doubt continue to call. It was no secret before and during the World Cup that there was interest, and he was looking.
“For us, every time that we sign a contract, it’s to go to the last day of the contract,” he said. “If now we sign a four-year contract, we need to think to arrive there. And we signed the contract because we really believe that we are going to be four years there.”
But he also acknowledged the obvious: “Nothing is sure — in life, but it’s less in fútbol.”
“Four years’ time is a really long period,” he said. “You never know what can happen in soccer. Today, people really love you, but in X time maybe that feeling changes.”
Maurio Pochettino (right) giving instructions to former Union defenders Auston Trusty (left) and Mark McKenzie at a practice during the World Cup.Jonathan Tannenwald
Will he make the U.S. his home?
Another big question is how much time Pochettino and his staff, all of which is also returning, will spend in the United States vs. Europe. They were all based in the latter for the first term, usually only crossing the Atlantic for national team game windows.
He isn’t alone on that count, to be sure. Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni has reached two straight World Cup finals with a home base in Spain, and Canada manager Jesse Marsch doesn’t live full-time in that country.
But there are some optics in the U.S. that aren’t the same in other countries.
This summer’s long-term impact on growing soccer’s fan base here is still to be seen. The NFL and NBA will no doubt take back their pieces of the spotlight in the coming months (we’ll see about baseball’s piece if there’s a work stoppage), so a U.S. coach might have to do more publicity work than was needed heading into a tournament on home turf.
Mauricio Pochettino and his longtime top assistant Jesús Pérez (left).Jonathan Tannenwald
There are also the practical benefits of the senior national team manager spending more time at the national training center in suburban Atlanta, where many youth national team coaches and backroom staff are based.
Put it all together, and it would be nice to see Pochettino and his staff be public presences at more MLS games, and at some of the big youth clubs and events around the country.
“Now [that] we finish with the negotiation and the agreement, I will consider it to move to the USA, of course, because that process is four years,” Pochettino said. “I think I have no problem, and all the coaching staff, we don’t have any problem to move to the USA.”
That felt significant to hear.
Toni Jiménez (right) is the goalkeeper coach in Mauricio Pochettino’s dedicated group of assistants.Jonathan Tannenwald
And one for the bosses
The last big question goes to U.S. Soccer’s leadership — including the big-money private equity donors who are once again paying Pochettino’s salary. By rehiring him, they are sending an implicit signal that he is better than any American candidate. Do they actually believe that?
None of the top brass were made available to take questions from the media before Monday’s announcement. There were only statements from president Cindy Cone and CEO JT Batson. (Nor have they said anything about the scandal around FIFA president Gianni Infantino, despite repeated requests for comment.)
“Mauricio has built a culture where players trust the group, trust the process and trust each other,” Cone said. “That culture, and the staff who helped build it, are exactly what we want to continue investing in for the men’s national team now and for the future. We are also excited about the experience and perspective Mauricio and his staff can bring across U.S. Soccer as we strengthen our pathways and seek to impact the broader soccer landscape in the United States.”
Batson said: “We know we have a lot of work to do to achieve our clear ambitions, including competing to win men’s World Cups and having soccer become the most played sport in every community.” And he was pretty clear that he believes Pochettino is the person for the job.
“I couldn’t be more excited that Mauricio and team are committed to partnering with all of us to do the hard work to bring those ambitions to life,” he said.
Mauricio Pochettino (left) speaks with JT Batson during the U.S. men’s team’s pre-World Cup training camp at the national training center in May.Jonathan Tannenwald
In a move to reinforce the bullpen, the Phillies turned to … the Mets?
On the heels of a larger trade for second baseman Luis Arraez and reliever Caleb Kilian from the Giants, the Phillies acquired lefty reliever Brooks Raley from the Mets for minor league right-hander Luke Gabrysh and outfielder John Spikerman.
Raley, 38, has a 1.96 ERA in 41⅓ innings for the Mets. A pending free agent, he figures to slot into the bullpen alongside fellow lefties José Alvarado and Tim Mayza and righties Orion Kerkering and Jonathan Bowlan as the primary pieces in the bridge to closer Jhoan Duran.
All along, the Mets appeared to be a source for the Phillies to find relief help. The Mets are among the few aggressive sellers in the marketplace and already moved relievers A.J. Minter (to the Twins) and Huascar Brazobán (to the White Sox). They also have gotten offers for Luke Weaver, who is under contract for 2027, and closer-turned-starter Clay Holmes.
Right-handed pitcher Nolan Hoffman was designated for assignment to make room for Raley on the Phillies’ 40-man roster.
Luis Arraez is neither an outfielder nor a right-handed hitter. But he is the Phillies’ solution for scoring more runs.
Even though it puts Bryce Harper back in right field.
Welcome to the Phillies’ brave new world.
Amid an underwhelming market for righty-swinging outfielders, Dave Dombrowski made a trade-deadline splash Monday, acquiring Arraez — a lefty-hitting second baseman — and reliever Caleb Kilian from the Giants for two minor leaguers, including breakout pitching prospect Ramon Marquez — and in the process, uprooting three-quarters of the infield and transplanting Harper to the outfield for the first time since April 2022.
Then, in an almost concurrent trade, the Phillies picked up veteran lefty reliever Brooks Raley from the Mets for minor-league outfielder John Spikerman and right-hander Luke Gabrysh.
“Obviously,” Harper said, “it’s been a good deadline. I think [Dombrowski]’s done a great job.”
Harper said he didn’t know the Phillies were talking to the Giants about Arraez when he texted Dombrowski on Sunday night, after a conversation over the weekend in Baltimore with manager Don Mattingly. In both cases, he reiterated what he has said for years: For another productive hitter who played in the infield, he would make a short-term move back to right field.
With Harper clearing the way, the Phillies pivoted to Arraez, a contact-hitting savant and three-time batting champion with a bead on a fourth. He’s leading the National League with a .324 average and has struck out only 21 times in 464 plate appearances.
In short, he’s like almost no other modern hitter.
Luis Arraez has more walks (25) than strikeouts (21). Gregory Bull
“He’s kind of like the modern day like Tony Gwynn, Wade Boggs,” said Mattingly, who played with both. “The guy just hits. He’s always hit, [won] batting titles, and just continues to do it. Obviously a huge addition to the lineup.”
But in pivoting to a hitter whom they believe will have a bigger impact than any of the righty-hitting outfielders they were scouting, the Phillies threw into flux an infield that already ranks among the worst defensive groups in the majors.
Arraez wants to stay at second base, where he improved defensively this season under Giants infield coach Ron Washington. Mattingly said the Phillies “wouldn’t have made the trade if we weren’t going to put him at second,” but really, they had little choice. The out-of-contention Giants assured Arraez they would only trade him to a team that would use him there.
Effective Tuesday night, then, when Arraez joins the Phillies, second baseman Bryson Stott will move to third base, third baseman Alec Bohm will go to first, and yes, Harper will shift back to the grass.
“The key for me is Harp,” Mattingly said. “Harp moving to the outfield is really the key to this.”
Said Harper: “I’ve said it in years past — I mean, I know everybody thinks it’s crap when I say it, but it’s not. Any chance that we have an opportunity to win, I’d do anything for this organization. And they know that.”
In the weeks leading up to the deadline, the Phillies focused on three areas: a right-handed bat, a late-inning reliever, and a starting pitcher. With so many needs and few assets in the farm system, it seemed like a challenge for Dombrowski to get everything.
As a team, the Phillies entered the week tied for 28th in the majors in on-base percentage (.304). In particular, they have gotten less production than any team from the right side of the plate, with a worst-in-the-majors .280 on-base percentage and .644 OPS.
But neither Mike Trout nor Byron Buxton has signaled a willingness to waive their no-trade rights. (In Buxton’s case, the Twins are a playoff contender in the American League.) The Reds’ Spencer Steer injured his wrist and may miss the rest of the season; the Royals traded Lane Thomas to the Braves; the Angels’ Jo Adell has a .279 career on-base percentage; and the Orioles were noncommittal on trading Taylor Ward.
(Adell and Ward were ultimately dealt to the Guardians and Mariners, respectively, Monday.)
Given the state of the market, the Phillies felt they needed to get creative. So, they widened their search over the weekend, according to major league sources, and landed on Arraez, who has a .360 on-base percentage and figures to help set the table for Kyle Schwarber and Harper.
“He’s a guy that won the batting title a couple of years and somebody that’s going to put the bat on the ball,” Harper said. “Exciting player, you know? I think he just brings a lot to our lineup. He’s got that hit tool, and it’s somebody that can be really good for us.”
The Phillies also acquired Kilian, a 29-year-old righty, to add depth to the middle of the bullpen. He has a 4.26 ERA in 46 games this season, but hasn’t allowed a run in eight of his last 11 appearances.
The move comes at a cost for a farm system that was already ranked among the worst in baseball.
Marquez, a hard-throwing 20-year-old right-hander, has emerged this season, prompting debate among scouts about whether he or 2025 first-round pick Gage Wood was the best pitching prospect in the system. Scouts are impressed by Marquez’s changeup and an uptick in his fastball velocity. He has a 1.50 ERA in six starts since moving up to high-A Jersey Shore.
Marty Gair, a 23-year-old, was recently promoted to Jersey Shore. He has a 4.50 ERA and six saves in 30 appearances overall this season.
Raley is shaping up as an important addition, especially given the powerhouse Dodgers’ lefty-heavy lineup. In 41⅓ innings with the Mets, the 38-year-old veteran had a 1.96 ERA. A pending free agent, he will join José Alvarado as the lefty weapons to combat Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, and Kyle Tucker in the middle and late innings.
“I see him more towards the back end,” Mattingly said. “Obviously we’ve got Alvy, who’s throwing the ball really good. But we’ll take all the arms we can get out there.”
The first two days of Eagles training camp practice in South Philadelphia are in the books. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane and Olivia Reiner check in with key observations and highlight emerging early storylines to kick off unCovering the Birds’ coverage of the 2026 season.
00:00 How Jalen Hurts and the Eagles offense has looked under new coordinator Sean Mannion
15:10 Why the Eagles felt Jalen Carter was worthy of a new contract, and whether he’s worth it
31:21 New segment alert! Jeff’s mailbag!
unCovering the Birds is a production of The Philadelphia Inquirer and KYW Newsradio Original Podcasts. Look for new episodes throughout the season.
We’re always looking for mailbag questions! Hit Jeff up on his socials, or drop a question in the comments. Jeff could answer it in a future episode!
Phillies acquire infielder Luis Arraez from the Giants
Luis Arraez leads the National League with a .324 average and has more walks than strikeouts.Jeff Chiu
Luis Arraez is neither a right-handed hitter nor an outfielder.
But he’s the Phillies’ solution to help the offense.
The Phillies beat the trade deadline Monday by acquiring Arraez and reliever Caleb Kilian from the Giants, according to a major-league source.
Philly will send breakout pitching prospect Ramon Marquez and minor league reliever Marty Gair to San Francisco, according to USA Today, although the teams haven’t announced the trade because players were still being informed.
Arraez, 29, has said he prefers to stay at second base, where he has improved defensively this season. In that case, the move for Arraez will force the Phillies to shuffle the defense. It’s unclear how they will do that.
But Arraez is a contact-hitting, on-base machine. He’s leading the National League with a .324 average and has more walks (25) than strikeouts (21). He has a .360 on-base percentage and figures to help set the table for Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper.
Right-hander Anthony Eyanson is going to the Baltimore Orioles in the Adley Rutschman deal, a source tells ESPN. Big-time pitching prospect who's the centerpiece of the deal.
“His contact-based approach will aid a lineup built around sluggers hitting .250,” McCullough wrote. “The Phillies will also have to hope that his recent defensive improvement can continue without the daily tutelage of infield guru Ron Washington.”
Elsewhere, CBS Sports gave the Phillies a “B+” in part because the deal won’t move “the defensively deficient Trea Turner off of shortstop.” Sports Illustrated gave the Phillies an “A” despite giving up pitching prospect Ramon Marquez because “Arraez is a natural fit to boost an otherwise underperforming offense.”
Braves acquire reliever Brent Suter from the Angels
Trade news: The Atlanta Braves are acquiring left-handed reliever Brent Suter from the Los Angeles Angels for infielder Nacho Alvarez Jr., sources tell ESPN.
Phillies trade for Arraez creates more questions than answers
Will Luis Arraez play second base? Gregory Bull
Do the Phillies have something bigger in play?
You have to wonder because, right now, the decision to trade fast-rising pitching prospect Ramon Marquez for Giants infielder Luis Arraez creates far more questions than answers.
With Arraez reportedly insisting on remaining at second base, where he has graded out as a subpar defender for most of his career, the Phillies don’t have many palatable options to accommodate him within their current personnel structure.
Their best defensive alignment would be putting Arraez at first and moving Bryce Harper to the outfield. But, again, Arraez reportedly doesn’t want to play first. Yet it would be hard to justify moving Trea Turner to the outfield against his will to accommodate Arraez, rather than vice versa.
A report in the Athletic suggests the Phillies are considering putting Bryson Stott at third and Alec Bohm at first. But Stott has played 12 games of third base in his professional career, minor leagues included. That’s an awfully big unknown defensively.
All of these defensive questions might make sense if Arraez were a clear difference-maker. In reality, he’s a left-handed, contact-hitting bat whose batting average is nearly 70 points lower on the road this season, away from San Francisco’s massive outfield. He also has five extra base hits in 111 at-bats since the start of July, with an OPS below .700.
There is a scenario where Arraez could make a great deal of sense. A lot of people have focused on the potential of trading Bohm. But I wonder if Stott is a more likely candidate to move.
I’m having a hard time convincing myself the Phillies would consider such a thing, given how ingrained Stott is within the fabric of the current team. But he still has a year left on his contract after 2026, which means he would have more appeal to a selling team than somebody like Bohm, who will be a free agent after the season.
With an .820 OPS since mid-June, Stott might be a piece the Phillies could leverage for one that better fits their roster, whether in the form of a right-handed hitting outfielder or starting pitcher or both.
Luis Arraez has a career .363 on-base percentageCharlie Riedel
The Phillies are well-acquainted with Luis Arraez’s exceptional bat control.
It’s what’s helped the second baseman build a career .363 on-base percentage. And when he was on the other side — on the Padres in 2024 and 2025 and on the Giants this season — it made him a challenge for the Phillies to defend against.
“We started just moving around in the infield, because he’d look around and just find a hole and hit it there,” Alec Bohm said after the Phillies played San Francisco in April. “He’s just that talented.”
It’s the type of skill that has been missing from the Phillies’ lineup. Arraez doesn’t have much pop, with just four homers this year, but his contact ability helps manufacture offense.
According to Baseball Reference, when Arraez comes to the plate with less than two outs and a runner on third, that runner has scored 72.7% of the time. The league average for those situations is just 50.6%.
Bryce Harper back to the outfield after Phillies land Luis Arraez?
Bryce Harper could move to outfield to make room for Luis Arraez.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
A half-hour after the Phillies lost Friday night in Baltimore, Dave Dombrowski intercepted Bryce Harper in a hallway outside the clubhouse, draped an arm around him, and started talking.
It may have been the genesis of a creative deadline trade.
The move Monday for three-time batting champion Luis Arraez left people, even some within the Phillies organization, guessing about how the infield pieces will fit. The Phillies were trying to add a righty-hitting outfielder, a creature that was more scarce in this marketplace than a Mickey Mantle rookie card. And so, they widened their search over the weekend, according to major league sources, and landed on Arraez, a lefty-hitting contact machine who has made clear that he wants to stay at second base.
One issue: The Phillies’ infield has been set in stone, with Bryson Stott at second base, Trea Turner at shortstop, Alec Bohm at third base, and Harper at first.
The Phillies have been looking for a righty-hitting outfielder for years. Harper, who hasn’t played right field since 2022 and moved to first base midway through the 2023 season after undergoing Tommy John elbow surgery, repeatedly offered to move back to right field, on a short-term basis, even reportedly bringing his outfield glove on the Phillies’ road trip last week. Each time, Dombrowski declined.
“I’ve said it multiple years before — and this year, still: For the right player, I would do it,” Harper said in June. “I mean, that’s as real as it gets. I don’t want to do it long-term. But if the right player comes along and that’s what we need, or if that’s what we want, I’d be open to it at any point. I still feel like I can throw a baseball from right field, and I can catch a fly ball. It’s been a long time. But, yeah, I would do it in a heartbeat for us to win a World Series, without a doubt.”
Dombrowski’s response: “I know he’s always been very open-minded to trying to help the organization however he can, but we haven’t talked to him. And I really don’t contemplate it because I really like the way he goes about his business at first base. … I’m looking at him as being a first baseman.”
But market forces appear to have changed Dombrowski’s thinking.
Most of the available righty-hitting outfielders are platoon players. The Royals dealt one such option, Lane Thomas, to the Braves over the weekend. The Angels are holding Jo Adell, who has a .279 career on-base percentage and another year of club control. The Reds’ Spencer Steer may have been an option for the Phillies, but he sprained his wrist last week and may be out for the rest of the season. Mike Trout and Byron Buxton have indicated they won’t waive their no-trade clauses.
The Phillies turned to Arraez, who is unlike almost any hitter in baseball. He’s a .318 career hitter, including a National League-leading .324 mark this year, and has more walks (25) than strikeouts (21). He has 236 career strikeouts, fewer than the combined total of Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner … this year.
Arraez is having his best defensive season at second base, although Stott plays Gold Glove-caliber defense at second. In any case, Arraez is a pending free agent and isn’t likely to occupy second base beyond this season.
Moving Harper back to right field – plus, Stott to third base and Bohm to first — is probably the cleanest way for the Phillies to accommodate Arraez.
But there are other options. Turner, who leads the majors with 18 errors, briefly played center field with the Nationals in 2016. In that scenario, Stott would return to shortstop, where he played in 2022 when the Phillies went to the World Series.
Or the Phillies could attempt to trade Bohm for a starting pitcher — perhaps in a buyer-to-buyer swap – and move Stott to third base.
Phillies trade for Mets relief pitcher Brooks Raley
Reliever Brooks Raley is reportedly heading to the Phillies’ bullpen.Erin Hooley
In a move to reinforce the bullpen, the Phillies turned to … the Mets?
On the heels of a larger trade for second baseman Luis Arraez and reliever Caleb Kilian from the Giants, the Phillies acquired lefty reliever Brooks Raley from the Mets for minor league right-hander Luke Gabrysh and outfielder John Spikerman, a major-league source confirmed. The teams haven’t announced the deal because the players were being informed.
Raley, 38, has a 1.96 ERA in 41 1/3 innings for the Mets. A pending free agent, he figures to slot into the bullpen alongside fellow lefties Jose Alvarado and Tim Mayza and righties Orion Kerkering and Jonathan Bowlan as the primary pieces in the bridge to closer Jhoan Duran.
All along, the Mets appeared to be a source for the Phillies to find relief help. The Mets are among the few aggressive sellers in the marketplace and already moved relievers A.J. Minter (to the Twins) and Huascar Brazobán (to the White Sox). They also have gotten offers for Luke Weaver, who is under contract for 2027, and closer-turned-starter Clay Holmes.
The Angels will receive SS Arjun Nimmala (TOR No. 2 prospect per @MLBPipeline, No. 43 overall), OF Eddie Micheletti and RHP Angel Rivero in return for Soriano, sources tell me and @JonathanMayo.
The Mets’ Clay Holmes could give the Mets help in the rotation for the rest of the regular season and then move into the bullpen for the playoffs.Ross D. Franklin
Mets right-hander Clay Holmes made three minor league starts in his recovery from a right leg fracture.
The Phillies scouted all of them.
Holmes, who threw 73 pitches Sunday for high-A Brooklyn, was the Mets’ best starter until he got hit by a comebacker on May 15. The 33-year-old is uniquely suited to help the Phillies address their pitching needs on multiple levels.
Initially, Holmes could slot into the rotation behind Cristopher Sánchez, Zack Wheeler, and Jesús Luzardo to help nudge the Phillies into the postseason. And then, once they get there, the former All-Star closer with the Yankees could slide into the bullpen to give interim manager Don Mattingly another late-inning option before closer Jhoan Duran.
But would the out-of-contention Mets trade with a division rival, especially the Phillies? The teams haven’t paired up on a trade since New York sent lefty Jason Vargas to the Phillies for a minor leaguer at the deadline in 2019.
Holmes is almost certain to decline his $12 million player option for 2027, which would make him a free agent. The Mets have only four games remaining against the Phillies this season. Holmes has a 2.39 ERA in 52⅔ innings in nine starts.
In addition to having a scout follow Holmes’ rehab starts, the Phillies have gotten looks at most other starting pitchers in the marketplace, including Giants lefty Robbie Ray, who has a 1.69 ERA in 64 innings over his last 11 starts. Although Ray doesn’t have as much experience or success out of the bullpen as Holmes, he has appeared in relief in the postseason, including twice for the Mariners in 2022.
Could Bryan De La Cruz be a trade-day alternative?
Bryan De La Cruz is giving the Phillies something to think about ahead of the deadline. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Last year, on the eve of the deadline, the Phillies completed a massive trade for star closer Jhoan Duran during a rain delay.
They had two downpours Sunday to make another splash.
No such luck.
There’s still time. Club executives have until 6 p.m. Monday before they must put down their pencils and live with the rosters they’ve built, at least for the duration of the season. And so, Dave Dombrowski keeps working the phones.
In the meantime, Bryan De La Cruz is giving the Phillies something to think about.
A veteran outfielder who finally got called up two weeks ago after 3½ months in triple A, De La Cruz crushed a two-run homer in the third inning of a rain-interrupted (twice) 8-0 thumping of the Orioles that was shortened to six innings after a second midgame downpour.
Make it back-to-back victories for the Phillies after four consecutive losses. And make it nine hits and six RBIs in 20 at-bats for De La Cruz since his arrival.
Impressive? Sure. Enough to call off the Phillies’ search for a right-handed bat? Probably not. But it might alter it.
Orioles slugger Taylor Ward fits the Phillies’ needs. But is he on the market?
Taylor Ward has a .383 on-base percentage and fits the Phillies’ needs.Chris O'Meara
Outfielders who are productive from the right side of the plate and potentially available in this trade market are almost as rare as a Mickey Mantle rookie card.
The Phillies just got an up-close look at one of them.
The Orioles’ Taylor Ward would be a fit for the Phillies, who were last in the majors with a .279 on-base mark and .639 OPS from their right-handed hitters.
One obstacle: The Orioles are on the buyer-seller fence.
“We’re not going to have a strong bias in either direction,” Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias said before Baltimore opened a three-game series against the Phillies. “We put ourselves in a position where we’re not declaring ourselves to be in one bucket or another in terms of buying or selling.”
After losing two of three to the Phillies this weekend, The Orioles are 54-58 and haven’t been over .500 since April 14 (9-8). But they were only 2½ games out of a wild-card spot in a mediocre, to put it kindly, American League.
Elias said the Orioles are closing in on getting catchers Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo, third baseman Blaze Alexander, starter Chris Bassitt, and closer Ryan Helsley back from the injured list.
And unlike National League bubble teams, who would have to contend in October with the superpower Dodgers and Brewers, the field is wide-open in the AL. Any team that makes the playoffs has a chance to make a deep run.
In that case, the Orioles may hold on to Ward, sixth in the AL in on-base percentage. Then again, he’s a pending free agent. And the righty-hitting outfield market got even thinner last week with injuries to the Reds’ Spencer Steer and Giants’ Casey Schmitt.
So, if the Orioles try to buy and sell simultaneously, maybe they can cash in Ward for a controllable asset.
Other right-hitting outfield options for the Phillies
Los Angeles Angels’ Jo Adell is on the Phillies’ radar ahead of the trade deadline.Caroline Brehman
Dave Dombrowski convened more than a dozen executives, analysts, and scouts in Baltimore for the weekend. They continue to pursue a right-handed bat, a late-inning reliever, and a starting pitcher, according to multiple league sources.
In addition to Orioles slugger Taylor Ward, the Phillies are exploring other righty-hitting outfield options.
Among them are Angels’ Jo Adell, the Dodgers’ Alex Call, and the Giants’ Heliot Ramos.
The Reds’ Spencer Steer and the Giants’ Casey Schmitt might have been options if they hadn’t gotten injured. The Phillies were interested in the Royals’ Lane Thomas before he got traded to the Braves late Saturday night.
The Phillies have been linked Jeff Hoffman, who pitched in Philly two seasons.Julio Cortez
The trade deadline is just hours away — 6 p.m. Monday — and Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski is trying to fill multiple needs.
Chief among them: late-inning relief, which was amplified by Friday night’s seventh-inning meltdown.
The Phillies have been linked to old friend Jeff Hoffman, who has a 4.02 ERA for the Blue Jays but also has given up two earned runs in 19⅔ innings since June 9.
They have expressed interest in Padres lefty Adrián Morejón, but San Diego was only game behind the Phillies for the last wild-card spot entering play Saturday.
Kerkering sounded like he expects that the Phillies will reinforce the bullpen.
“Everyone knows it at the end of the day,” he said. “But I don’t think anyone thinks about it, like when you’re out there or getting ready for the day.”
Latest MLB trade deals includes the Braves adding a starter
Tyler Mahle is headed to Atlanta.Jed Jacobsohn
Here are some notable MLB trades that have happened so far, according to team announcements and multiple reports:
Braves land starter Tyler Mahle: The veteran right hander heads to his fifth team, while the Giants receive Anthony Molina.
White Sox trade for Huascar Brazobán: In exchange, the selling Mets landed two prospects, per reports – starter Gabe Davis and reliever Zach Franklin.
Cubs acquire veteran pitcher Kevin Gausman: The Cubs land a starter while sending the Blue Jays two prospects – infielder Ty Southisene and outfielder Brett Bateman
Dodgers landing Tarik Skubal is humbling to the Phillies
The centerpiece of the Tarik Skubal trade is a good example of the Dodgers’ skill in this prospect thing.Paul Sancya
Nobody wants to admit it, but the Dodgers deserve Tarik Skubal.
Los Angeles landed him the old fashioned way. They drafted, developed, traded, and signed their way to a circumstance where they could trade a highly valued outfield prospect for three months of service that will only pad their odds of completing a three-peat that they were favored to accomplish anyway.
That’s what you should focus on. The dignity of the deal. Not the Dodgers’ myriad of other competitive advantages. The endless payroll. The creative accounting. The market size, location, and glitz. None of them matter as much as the fundamentals. The Dodgers are simply better at identifying and nurturing talent than any other organization. To focus on anything else is to give your own organization a pass.
The Dodgers traded for Skubal because they could.
They had four outfielders ranked among the 40 best prospects in the game, for crying out loud. Three of them were at Double-A already. Their big league outfield already includes young breakout star Andy Pages in center field and Kyle Tucker in right. Not only do they have high-end prospects that other teams want, they can afford to trade some of them. In fact, they almost have to trade some of them.
From 2021 through 2026, the Dodgers had 22 players appear on at least one of the major national Top 100 lists. The Phillies had eight during the same time span. Only two teams in the majors had fewer than the Phillies. Only three teams in the majors had more than the Dodgers.
MLB’s trade deadline is 6 p.m. Monday.Mitchell Leff / MCT
The MLB trade deadline is Monday at 6 p.m.
Historically, the trade deadline always fell on July 31, but commissioner Rob Manfred is able to set the deadline any day between July 28 and Aug. 3, so it avoids falling on a weekend and doesn’t conflict with any games.
After the trade deadline expires, players on 40-man rosters can no longer be traded from club to club. Players can still be placed and claimed on outright waivers.
Minor league players not on 40-man rosters can still be traded after the deadline.
Ahead of the MLB trade deadline, one team made a blockbuster trade in what’s considered to be one of the biggest deadline deals in recent memory.
That team wasn’t the Phillies. Instead, it was a team the Phils will most likely have to get through in the postseason.
The Dodgers landing two-time reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal from the Tigers for three minor league prospects, puts Dave Dombrowski in a tough spot.
The Phillies couldn’t put together a package to compete for Skubal, but Dombrowski also has multiple holes to fill and few high-level prospects to cash in with.
The Dodgers traded for Skubal because they could, and it’s blunted the one competitive advantage the Phillies might have against them in a series, writes David Murphy.
However, there’s still time. Dombrowski has till 6 p.m. tonight to fill needs in the lineup and pitching staff. On the eve of the deadline last year, the Phillies completed a massive trade for star closer Jhoan Duran during a rain delay.
After a rain-shortened victory over the Orioles on Sunday, Bryan De La Cruz gave the Phillies something to think about.
Eagles safety Marcus Epps is battling Michael Carter for the starting safety spot in the team’s nickel and dime packages, when Cooper DeJean will move to cornerback.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Through three days of camp, the battle for the starting safety job has been as intense as advertised. With Cooper DeJean expected to spend a lot of time as the Eagles nickel cornerback, the second safety spot in those formations remains an “open competition.”
As of now, Marcus Epps has been getting the majority of first-team reps, while Michael Carter II has taken a few, too. Jeff Neiburg predicts those two, along with Drew Mukuba and Cole Wisniewski, to make the Eagles’ 53-man roster in the latest roster projection.
Also, Landon Dickerson shared on Saturday that he believed his return to action last year following meniscus surgery was premature. That mistake, in addition to his lengthy injury history, will factor into how he will approach playing through future ailments.
If you missed Jeff McLane’s observations from Day 3 of training camp — where Jalen Hurts frequently targeted Makai Lemon — let’s get you up to speed.
What we’re…
🎉 Celebrating: Mo’ne Davis had a crowd of family, fans, and supporters watch her back home compete in the WPBL’s inaugural game.
🏈 Learning: After the federal courts granted athletes the right to a fifth season, it seems that Villanova quarterback Pat McQuaide will be back.
Dean Wade is one of several Sixers role players who will have a diminished position after a blockbuster offseason.Phil Long / AP
To this point, the Sixers’ offseason has been mostly focused on the Sixers’ star-studded lineup of LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and VJ Edgecombe.But what about Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons, and more?
DeAntae Prince takes a closer look at how things will change for the Sixers’ new additions and returning role players since James’ signing.
Will Yip takes in a Phillies game against the Dodgers on July 22 at Citizens Bank Park.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Will Yip, a Northeast Philly native, works with some of the biggest acts in rock.
But a record producer does not clock out. When he arrives at Memory Music Studios — at Swanson and Wolf Streets — each morning, he does not leave until late at night. So Yip will put the Phillies on the TV in the lobby.
Yip says a game is the reward at the end of a day, and it’s his fandom that helped the 39-year-old win a Grammy earlier this year.
At 17, Reese D’Ariano made USA field hockey’s roster for the FIH Hockey World Cup.World Sport Pics / USA Field Hockey
Reese D’Ariano, at 17 years old, will compete at the FIH Hockey World Cup in Belgium and the Netherlands from Aug. 14-30. The West Chester native is the youngest player to make the U.S. women’s national team roster for the World Cup.
While her first stint with USA field hockey came at age 12, this marks her biggest stage with the national team, and she’s looking to contribute.
Jalen Carter told the media members last Wednesday that he’s “thankful for you guys, too — we’re all one family.”Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Jalen Carter said something very sweet and very incorrect during a news conference last Wednesday. He nodded toward the media members gathered in front of him and said: “You guys put out some good information, some good facts about me, stuff like that. We’re all one family.” No, we’re not, writes Mike Sielski.
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Scott Lauber, David Murphy, Mike Sielski, DeAntae Prince, Jeff Neiburg, Jeff McLane, Olivia Reiner, Ryan Novozinsky, Jonathan Tannenwald, Matt Breen, Ariel Simpson, Conor Smith, Becca O’Reilly, and Mia Messina.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
Thanks for getting your Monday started with me. Hope you had a restful weekend. We’ll be back in your inbox tomorrow. — Bella
The Eagles are three practices into the 2026 training camp and, after a day off Sunday, are scheduled to return to the field Monday morning for practice No. 4.
That starts the busiest six-day practice stretch of camp. The team is scheduled to be on the field Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Let’s take a look at where things stand in our latest 53-man roster projection before the week kicks off:
Andy Dalton has taken more second-team reps than Tanner McKee.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Quarterbacks (3): Jalen Hurts, Andy Dalton, Cole Payton
Traded: Tanner McKee
Nothing has changed here from our previous, way-too-early first look at the 53 in June. It remains hard to believe that the Eagles keep Dalton and McKee on the roster. Dalton has taken more second-team reps than McKee to this point, so we’ll stick with McKee as the one who gets flipped for a draft asset later in camp. Of course, Dalton is a candidate to have the same fate. Both quarterbacks are slated to be free agents after the season. Payton has had an up-and-down start to camp, but the Eagles will take some of the struggles in stride if they believe he can be a developmental player in their system. And if they believe that, they would be taking a risk by trying to get the fifth-round pick through waivers.
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley and quarterback Jalen Hurts have battles shaping up behind them on the depth chart.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Running backs (3): Saquon Barkley, Tank Bigsby, Will Shipley
Bigsby certainly looks like he’s going to have a bigger role in this offense than he did in last year’s. Shipley hasn’t done anything spectacular yet, and Pierce has popped a little bit, but Shipley gets the nod again for now. Pierce could make the Eagles if they keep a fourth running back, but we’ll stick with three for now. (Note: We listed Cameron Latu here last time as a fullback, but we’ll shift him to tight ends, where the Eagles roster him. Spoiler alert: He’s still on the 53.)
Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith is among the locks for the roster.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Wide receivers (6): DeVonta Smith, Dontayvion Wicks, Makai Lemon, Hollywood Brown, Darius Cooper, Elijah Moore
Cut: Johnny Wilson, Danny Gray, Britain Covey, Quez Watkins, Erik Ezukanma, Samori Toure
The top four players should be considered locks. Cooper is competing with Wilson for a role that Nick Sirianni described as doing the “dirty work.” Keeping both seems redundant. Cooper currently has the edge in that competition. Moore is a wild card. If the Eagles decide to go with just five here, he likely would be the odd man out. Gray had the play of the day Saturday, but there’s a lot of traffic ahead of him.
Cameron Latu (left), here participating in a drill with Dallas Goedert, likely has a spot on the 53-man roster because of his versatility.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Tight ends (4): Dallas Goedert, Johnny Mundt, Eli Stowers, Cameron Latu
Cut: Grant Calcaterra, Stone Smartt, E.J. Jenkins, Dae’Quan Wright
No change here. We haven’t seen a lot of targets going to the tight ends so far in camp. Goedert, Mundt, and Stowers likely will be the main trio at tight end, and Latu’s value as a fullback, tight end, and special teamer gets him on the 53 right now.
The Eagles offensive line features a lot of depth behind the likes of Jordan Mailata.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Offensive line (10): Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, Tyler Steen, Lane Johnson, Fred Johnson, Markel Bell, Drew Kendall, Myles Hinton, Michael Jordan
We went extra heavy in Vol. 1 of this exercise by keeping 11 guys, but 10 still is pretty deep. There’s been some shuffling, though the bottom of the depth chart remains plenty up in the air. The first eight guys listed are locks, and the only real competition among that group currently is which of the backup tackles, Bell and Fred Johnson, gets the swing tackle spot. The makeup of the reserves on the interior is still to be determined. Kendall got some work with the first team at left guard, spelling Dickerson, on Saturday. He also took some second-team center reps, flipping with Majors, who played center with the second team during the first two practices. The Eagles seem to like Majors, and they’ve moved Hinton inside. Jordan has experience, which could prove useful. Morris was banged up Saturday and left the field, Roberts appeared to suffer a more significant injury on the final play of practice, and Williams sat out with an injury. Those will be worth monitoring this week.
Eagles defensive tackles Jalen Carter (right) and Gabe Hall share a laugh at the end of practice Saturday at Jefferson Health Training Complex.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Defensive tackles (5): Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Moro Ojomo, Byron Young, Uar Bernard
Cut: Ty Robinson, Gabe Hall, Zion Wilson
No change from June. We had Robinson off the list then, and that prediction looks better now. The fourth-round pick from last season has been taking developmental reps next to Bernard. That’s not a good sign. The last Eagles fourth-round pick to not make the roster in his second season was running back Donnel Pumphrey. Shoutout to NBC Sports’ Reuben Frank for that stat. Bernard’s roster situation is fascinating. Will the Eagles keep a guy on the 53 who won’t play a snap this season because of the fear that another team would claim the first-time football player on waivers? We’ll find out eventually, as long as Bernard gets through camp healthy. Rostering Bernard could make the Eagles want to keep six linemen here, since Bernard likely won’t see a snap. Robinson and Hall would be the beneficiaries there.
Eagles defensive ends/outside linebackers coach Jeremiah Washburn speaks with linebacker Jonathan Greenard at training camp.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Edge rushers (5): Jonathan Greenard, Jalyx Hunt, Nolan Smith, Arnold Ebiketie, A.J. Epenesa
Cut: Keyshawn James-Newby, Jose Ramirez, Joshua Weru
Status quo on the edge. Greenard seems likely to miss the bulk of training camp with his pectoral injury. Hunt has been dominant so far in practice and seems likely to out-rep Smith during games. Behind that trio, Ebiketie and Epenesa seem like the most likely pair to fill out the back of the rotation. James-Newby, a seventh-round pick, was carted to the tent and then walked gingerly into the building Saturday, cutting his practice short.
Nick Sirianni talks with linebacker Zack Baun during training camp on Thursday.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
The only way this changes (besides a major injury or roster addition) is if Chance Campbell gives the Eagles a reason to keep a fifth linebacker. He was a highly regarded practice squad player last season and had a nice interception on Thursday. Keeping a fifth linebacker would mean going lighter at another spot, like cornerback, offensive line, or wide receiver, and the other positions on this roster are more important than a deep reserve at off-ball linebacker.
Eagles cornerback Riq Woolen (right) works with cornerback Mac McWilliams during training camp drills on Saturday.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Cornerbacks (6): Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, Riq Woolen, Jonathan Jones, Kelee Ringo, Mac McWilliams
Mitchell, DeJean, and Woolen make up what could be one of the best cornerback units in the NFL. Their backups have different skill sets. Jones can play inside and out and is the veteran of the bunch with 10 NFL seasons under his belt. That combination should get him on the roster. Ringo, meanwhile, has excelled on special teams. McWilliams, a fifth-round pick last season, also has inside-outside versatility. The Eagles could end up going lighter here given safety Michael Carter II’s nickel background.
Eagles safety Marcus Epps catches the football during training camp on Saturday.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Safeties (4): Drew Mukuba, Marcus Epps, Michael Carter II, Cole Wisniewski
Cut: J.T. Gray, Andre’ Sam, Kapena Gushiken, Max Pulley
DeJean will play safety in base defense, and when he’s at nickel Epps is getting the majority of first-team reps. Carter has taken a few, too. Wisniewski gets the nod over Gray, who has been a career special teamer. Howie Roseman hasn’t been afraid of August trades, and safety is the position most likely to see an upgrade between now and the end of camp.
Eagles punter Braden Mann and kicker Jake Elliott are two of the three specialists on the roster.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Special teams (3): Jake Elliott (kicker), Braden Mann (punter), Rocco Underwood (long snapper)
These are the only three specialists on the roster.
Reese D’Ariano’s field hockey journey began at the swimming pool.
The youngest of three children, Reese was always put into the same sports as her two older brothers. One day, when accompanying her mother, Jodie, and her middle brother Landon, to his swim practice, the mother of one of Reese’s friends mentioned a field hockey clinic being held at a nearby high school.
Rather than staying to watch her brother swim, eight-year-old Reese picked up a field hockey stick.
The following nine years of Reese’s career led her to representing the United States as a member of the women’s national team at the indoor and outdoor Pan American Cups, Indoor World Cups, Women’s junior World Cup, and the U18 and U16 National Teams for Four Nations Tournaments.
Now, at 17 years old, the West Chester native is playing on her biggest stage yet. Reese will compete at the FIH Hockey World Cup in Belgium and the Netherlands from Aug. 14-30. Team USA will play its first game on Aug. 15 against Argentina.
Reese is the youngest player to make the U.S. women’s national team. But before any accolades or national team appearances, her journey continued at the pool.
While her brother was practicing, Reese and her mother would go to the multipurpose fields nearby to work on drills. Coming straight from school, she would carry her stick and a bag of balls with her, watching videos and analyzing the game.
“Obviously, the progression was slow if you saw it day to day,” Reese said. “But as the weeks and months went on, it was a pretty drastic change in how I progressed.”
Her progression eventually landed her a spot on the national team.
The forward/midfielder noted that while it’s cool to acknowledge her role as the youngest player and the only high school student on the team in this tournament, she doesn’t think about it too much.
“People have graduated from college, and I walked in, [a few] weeks ago, saying ‘I just got my license, guys, stay off the roads,’” Reese said. “Everything’s just really lighthearted about it because I’m just as an equal member of the team as anybody else.”
Reese D’Ariano first stint with the U.S. national team came at age 12, when she played on the U16 team for a series against Canada in Vancouver.World Sport Pics / USA Field Hockey
Playing alongside older teammates isn’t new for Reese, whose club career with the WC Eagles saw her playing with older age groups from the time she was 10. As one of the top field hockey clubs in the nation, the environment challenged her, Jodie said.
“I’m not surprised by anything that she’s achieved,” Jodie said. “I always say she’s built differently.”
An athlete herself, Jodie D’Ariano ran track at Stanford and her husband, Frank, played soccer at The College of New Jersey. Reese’s brother, Ryan, golfed at West Chester University and Landon swims at North Carolina State. Jodie said she has tried to match her kids’ efforts by giving them the best opportunities she could within their respective sports.
Reese’s first big opportunity in field hockey came in 2022, when she was put on the U16 team at age 12 for a series against Canada in Vancouver. A year later, in 2023, she was 13 playing at the FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup in South America, where she earned the Junior Player of the Tournament Award.
Currently enrolled at Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School, a cyberschool, Reese said she’s sacrificed the “normal” high school experience in favor of field hockey.
Making the switch to cyberschool around eighth grade has given Reese the flexibility to train in the Netherlands in the fall. In turn, Jodie said field hockey has taken her and her family to incredible places, including Belgium in August, when she and her husband will travel to watch Reese play in the World Cup.
“We try to get to everything that she’s in,” Jodie said. “It’s a small window of time that you get to see kids compete, so obviously, I want to take advantage of it.”
With Team USA, Reese has played in 17 international matches as a member of the senior national team. She has won two gold medals, one at the 2025 Rohrmax Cup in Vienna, Austria, where she was the top goal scorer of the tournament, and another at the 2024 Indoor Pan American Cup in Calgary, Canada, where she was awarded the most valuable player of the tournament and top goal scorer.
She earned two silver medals at the 2026 Junior Pan American Cup in Santiago, Chile, and the 2025 Pan American Cup in Montevideo, Uruguay. Her one bronze medal comes from the 2026 FIH Hockey Nations Cup in Auckland, New Zealand.
But playing in a senior World Cup is a big step up, says Team USA head coach David Passmore.
“The whole size and scale of the event is enormous,” Passmore said. “But I think the other thing is that we also need to not overexpect too much from her too soon. I don’t want to place any additional pressure than her own standards, [which] bring enough pressure on herself.”
This year marks the first time since 2018 that the U.S. women’s national team qualified for the World Cup. Only two players on the roster have prior experience in the tournament. However, others have competed on the Olympic stage. Regardless of their previous background, Passmore expects each of the players to come away with a new experience.
“When you come away from something, a big event like that, you understand the whole mental side of the game, the preparation, the need to also be relaxed, because being relaxed helps you make better decisions,” Passmore said. “[Reese] will bring that towards the rest of her career and hopefully it will help her in her career with the USA national team as well.”
Reese D’Ariano is committed to play field hockey at North Carolina under Chadds Ford native Erin Matson.World Sport Pics / USA Field Hockey
As one of the top recruits for the class of 2027, Reese is committed to play for Chadds Ford native Erin Matson, head coach of the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.
But first, she’s focused on competing in the World Cup, and then, finishing high school.
“I just look at it as just another tournament, another opportunity to show what I’ve been working for, and what the team’s been working for,” Reese said. “Stepping on the field for the World Cup is a big deal, but I think having the experience that I have, I’m going to be much more calm and prepared for the moment.”
BALTIMORE — Last year, on the eve of the deadline, the Phillies completed a massive trade for star closer Jhoan Duran during a rain delay.
They had two downpours Sunday to make another splash.
No such luck.
There’s still time. Club executives have until 6 p.m. Monday before they must put down their pencils and live with the rosters they’ve built, at least for the duration of the season. And so, Dave Dombrowski keeps working the phones.
In the meantime, Bryan De La Cruz is giving the Phillies something to think about.
A veteran outfielder who finally got called up two weeks ago after 3½ months in triple A, De La Cruz crushed a two-run homer in the third inning of a rain-interrupted (twice) 8-0 thumping of the Orioles that was shortened to six innings after a second midgame downpour.
Make it back-to-back victories for the Phillies after four consecutive losses. And make it nine hits and six RBIs in 20 at-bats for De La Cruz since his arrival.
Impressive? Sure. Enough to call off the Phillies’ search for a right-handed bat? Probably not. But it might alter it.
“I mean, we played against him a lot, obviously seeing him in Miami,” said Bryce Harper, who homered in the fifth inning in between the rain. “He’s always got a good swing, good pop. Good to see him swinging that well.”
The Orioles’ grounds crew was busy Sunday with two rain delays in the middle of an 8-0 Phillies victory that was shortened to six innings.Stephanie Scarbrough
Speaking of sights for sore eyes, six days after Zack Wheeler’s fastball velocity nosedived in his worst start of the season, his heater climbed back to 96 mph and sat at 94-95. All along, interim manager Don Mattingly claimed he wasn’t concerned; Wheeler dismissed Monday night in Miami as merely a bad day.
But still, given his importance to the whole thing, team officials were relieved to see Wheeler look like Wheeler.
If only he got to do it for more than two innings.
“It is what it is,” said Wheeler, who retired six of seven batters on 32 pitches, then said he threw another 40-something pitches under the stands during a 1-hour, 49-minute rain delay. “I’m not frustrated, really. I felt good. I felt better than the other day.”
As a group, the Phillies said the same after rebounding from getting swept in Miami by taking two of three from the Orioles.
By Monday evening, they hope to feel even better.
Dombrowski convened more than a dozen executives, analysts, and scouts in Baltimore for the weekend. They continue to pursue a right-handed bat, a late-inning reliever, and a starting pitcher, according to multiple league sources.
Given the supply in an extreme seller’s market, the bat may be the hardest thing to find. The Reds’ Spencer Steer and the Giants’ Casey Schmitt might have been options if they hadn’t gotten injured. The Phillies were interested in the Royals’ Lane Thomas before he got traded to the Braves late Saturday night.
The Phillies got an up-close look at the Orioles’ Taylor Ward over the weekend. But Baltimore is straddling the buyer-seller fence, as president of baseball operations Mike Elias said Friday, and might choose to hold on to Ward, even though he’s a pending free agent.
Other possibilities include the Angels’ Jo Adell and the Dodgers’ Alex Call.
Then, there’s De La Cruz, a 29-year-old righty-hitting outfielder with 60 homers as a replacement-level player in a winding major league career. He wasn’t called up from triple A until after the Phillies gave looks to Otto Kemp, Felix Reyes, and lefty-hitting Gabriel Rincones Jr.
“It’s a dream come true, really,” De La Cruz said through a team interpreter. “I spent the last three or four years playing against this team, so being a part of it, it’s just really fun. I’m just thankful and grateful for the opportunity.”
Mattingly was De La Cruz’s first major league manager with the Marlins in 2021. As a rookie, De La Cruz batted .297 with five homers and a .783 OPS.
Upon getting called up after the All-Star break, De La Cruz started mostly against lefties. Lately, Mattingly has given him at-bats against righties, too, leaving Rincones as an odd-man out.
“De La’s been good, right?” Mattingly said. “He’s just solid. And he’s been that guy that, parts of his career, it’s like been really good.”
If anything, De La Cruz’s production may compel the Phillies to widen their search to include a left-handed bat, such as Blue Jays center fielder Daulton Varsho. Outfield remains the easiest place to add a hitter, but if they trust De La Cruz, they could shift to Giants second baseman Luis Arraez, a move that would require a reshuffling of the infield.
Brandon Marsh singled as part of a two-run fourth inning in the Phillies’ rain-shortened 8-0 victory over the Orioles.Stephanie Scarbrough
Or they could reserve their biggest swing for pitching help. The Phillies had a scout in Brooklyn on Sunday to watch Mets righty Clay Holmes, who is coming back from a leg fracture. As a former closer and now a starter, Holmes could help deepen the rotation before shifting to the bullpen in the playoffs.
In any case, De La Cruz could create additional options.
“I can’t control what the team wants to do or doesn’t want to do, or if they make a move,” De La Cruz said. “I can’t control that. What I can control is what I do on the field, and I think that’s something that I’ll be focusing on.”
The Phillies couldn’t control the weather in the finale against the Orioles. Mattingly said the forecast he received before the game called for the rain to hold off until 3 p.m. It started almost 90 minutes earlier, and by the third inning, with the Phillies leading 2-0 on De La Cruz’s homer, puddles began forming in the infield. The conditions were unplayable.
And by the time the first wave of rain tapered off and the field was prepared, too much time had elapsed for either team to bring back their starting pitcher.
″I know they’re trying to make the best decision, but that was a little frustrating,” Mattingly said. “At the end of the day, it worked out.”
Subaru Park looked a tad different on Sunday morning. The navy blue, gold, and signal blue jerseys that would typically decorate the Union’s stadium were replaced by pools of red and white jerseys as it became a temporary home to Wrexham A.F.C.
The football club based in Wrexham, Wales, finished its three-game United States tour in Chester, with a preseason friendly against Sunderland.
Here’s everything you missed from the Wrexham takeover:
Wrexham goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo grabs a corner kick by Sunderland on Sunday.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
The gang takes on Pongadelphia
With one large pong cup remaining, the Always Sunny star Rob Mac, a Philly native and co-owner of Wrexham alongside Ryan Reynolds, grabbed a soccer ball, lined up his shot, let it go — and missed.
“Right on line,” Mac said. “ I mean that was right on line.”
Ahead of the game, Mac joined former Wrexham players Ben Tozer and Ben Foster on Team Wrexham Lager for Pongadelphia, a large beer pong game that was a nod to the Always Sunny Flipadelphia, competing against Team Garage Beer, which featured Eagles kicker Jake Elliott, Jim Cramer, and Fit Dad CEO.
Surrounded by dozens of Wrexham fans, Team Wrexham Lager took the lead early and never looked back — the same couldn’t be said about Wrexham A.F.C., who suffered a 1-0 loss to Sunderland.
But no matter the result, Sunday’s game was a full-circle moment for Mac, who took over the team in 2021. Before the game started, a prerecorded message was displayed on the jumbotron to all the fans in attendance.
“I got into football … it was when I first heard the opening song from the Sunderland ‘Til I Die docuseries,” Mac said. “When I heard it, I immediately thought of my grandfather who worked over at the shipyards, just over there.
“And just like the shipyard workers and Sunderland, were the coalminers of Wrexham, were the construction workers who built Liberty Place and the Ben Franklin Bridge. What I love so much about this game is that you can be Sunderland, Wrexham, or Philly, or any working-class town in the entire world and still discover that same connection to each other through a game that mirrors our biggest ups and downs.”
A passionate fanbase that travels
Passionate. Caring. Friendly. Amazing. Family.
These were the words used to describe Wrexham’s fanbase. And all of that was on display Sunday. Wrexham fans traveled from New York, Pittsburgh — and even as far as Okinawa, Japan — to watch the team in action.
Tessa Michael, 46, joined the team on their three-game tour, flying from Japan to Tampa to New York to Pennsylvania to watch the team.
“Like most American fans I got into it from watching Welcome to Wrexham,” Michael said. “Now, I’ve been out on every summer tour. I’ve been out to Wrexham. This is my second one now where I’ve done all three games.”
Tessa Michael, 46, (second from right), of Okinawa, Japan, watches “Pongadelphia,” an oversized beer pong game before the Wrexham and Sunderland match.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
After watching Welcome to Wrexham, a documentary following the club, which was released in 2022, she instantly fell in love with the fanbase.
“Honestly it’s the people,” Michael said. “It’s the people of the town. They have great stories. They’re just like any town in America. You go to any sports town in Pennsylvania, in Florida, in Virginia or even out West, anywhere, they have the same struggles. They’ve dealt with the same things. They’re very relatable and the town is what keeps you a Wrexham fan.”
Michael has tried to bring the Wrexham fandom with her to Japan, her home for the last two years, but she’s found it to be more difficult with games airing between 11 p.m. and midnight — something she doesn’t seem to have an issue with.
“I’m staying up and watching them,” Michael said.
Wrexham to Philly crossover
The Welcome to Wrexham documentary led to many new eyes on the team — making them one of the most popular teams in the English Football League, famously owned by both Mac and Reynolds.
“It definitely helped this team,” said 31-year-old Chester native Evan Voicheck. “When you have two people that have an insane amount of money that are willing to put it into something they care about, then it helps.”
Voicheck, who wore a Wrexham scarf, two red-and-white chains, and the Wrexham mascot around his neck, also became a fan through the Welcome to Wrexham documentary.
The fanbase is so passionate, it reminds him of Philly sports fans.
A Union and Wrexham fan shows their support during the Wrexham vs. Sunderland match on Sunday.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
“Just like us in Philly,” Voicheck said. “Wrexham, from what I’ve seen, it’s just Philly but across the world. It’s like a family. Everybody here knows each other. And if they don’t, then they will at the end of the day.”
Although Voicheck made the comparison to Philly sports fans, Buffalo native John Kania, 49, compared them to the Bills.
“Being from Buffalo, we’re very similar to what Wrexham is,” Kania said. “It’s a small — used to be a much bigger city, and just kind of went down in the drain. We have the Bills, like Wrexham has their football team. There’s a natural connection there.”
However, there is one glaring difference between Wrexham fans and American football fans.
“Everyone here is so friendly and nice,” said Chad Bemiller, of Derry, Pa. “It’s almost like a college football atmosphere here. Everyone is happy here and I don’t think we have that here with the NFL.”
Rob Mac and his wife, actress Kaitlin Olson (center), watch the match between Wrexham vs. Sunderland on Sunday.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Wrexham will start the season against Cardiff City on Aug. 17, as they prepare to make another push for the Premier League. And 14-year-old Logan Bemiller, who went to a Wrexham soccer camp in Long Island last year, has high hopes.
