Sunday Morning Coffee: August 5th

The Trade Deadline, the NFL’s newest rule, Mike Scioscia and the week ahead.

MLB Trade Deadline Recap

There were 16 trades in Major League Baseball on July 31, according to CBS Sports, and while there isn’t enough time to go through all of them, here are a few observations of the more significant decisions.

First of all, the biggest surprise of the trade deadline wasn’t a trade at all. After weeks of talking about moving starting pitchers and rebuilding the roster, the New York Mets decided to hold onto all four of their talented starters: Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz and Zach Wheeler. Nobody expected the Mets to trade deGrom or Syndergaard, but the decision to keep Wheeler was especially puzzling, given the lack of available starters on the market. This was a golden opportunity to improve their farm system, and the Mets wasted it.

Two of the most exciting teams in baseball, the Milwaukee Brewers and Boston Red Sox, made a few intriguing deals over the weekend to improve their clubs. Milwaukee added infielders Mike Moustakas and Jonathan Schoop, and although that makes their infield a little crowded, the Brewers are probably the best team equipped to handle a situation like this. As for the Red Sox, they added Ian Kinsler, who’s been playing very well after the All-Star break (.439/.521/.732), to fill the hole left by injured second baseman Dustin Pedroia. They also traded for Nathan Eovaldi from the Rays, who has looked brilliant in two starts for Boston, allowing zero runs over 15 innings pitched.

Meanwhile, the New York Yankees probably had the most impressive deadline. They improved their rotation by adding Lance Lynn and J.A. Happ, and made their bullpen even more fearsome by acquiring Zach Britton from Baltimore. But the savviest move was adding more than $3 million in international bonus pool money by trading away relievers to free up roster space for their latest additions. This money will help them grab the remaining top international free agents — most notably, Cuban outfielder Victor Victor Mesa. The Yankees really are playing chess while everyone else is playing checkers. It’s a shame they can’t figure out how to beat the Red Sox.

Finally, the most newsworthy trade of the deadline was the Rays-Pirates blockbuster, sending Chris Archer to Pittsburgh for Austin Meadows, Tyler Glasnow and a player to be named later. After trading Gerrit Cole and Andrew McCutchen in the offseason, it seemed like the Pirates were beginning a rebuild. But after a scorching hot start to the second half, they are right in the thick of the playoff chase, and acquiring Archer gives them a quality starter for the next 3-plus seasons. On the other hand, the Rays get two former top prospects and a player to be named, who is expected to be a big name.

Meadows has had a great year so far, and though Glasnow might be seen as more of a project now, the Rays extensive farm system gives them the insurance to take that risk.

NFL’s New Tackling Rule

This brand new rule has created a lot of conversation across the league, highlighted by Roquan Smith’s contract holdout with the Chicago Bears. Briefly stated, the new rule says that a player cannot lower his head to initiate contact with an opposing player, whether that contact occurs on the opponent’s head or hips. Smith wants the Bears to pay any fine he receives should he be penalized by the league for violating this rule. The Bears, unsurprisingly, are resisting.

But in Thursday night’s Hall of Fame Game between the Bears and Baltimore Ravens, we got our first glimpses of the new rule in action. Two borderline calls were made penalizing defenders for lowering their heads to make contact with a receiver. However, when watching the video, it’s hard to see any other way for the defenders to make the play. ESPN’s Jac Collinsworth does a great job explaining what happened below:

This rule will probably go through some unwritten adjustments by referees over the course of the preseason, but it’s something to keep an eye on. It could have significant impacts on the outcomes of games this year.

The End of an Era in Anaheim…I mean, Los Angeles

After 19 seasons with the Angels, manager Mike Scioscia is expected to step down at the end of the year, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. However, Scioscia denied the reports Sunday morning.

Scioscia has had an extremely successful career in Los Angeles, winning two American League Manager of the Year awards, six AL West division titles and a World Series in 2002. His overall record as a manager is 1,625–1,403, good for .537 winning percentage, but the Angels have struggled in recent years. They haven’t reached the postseason since 2014, when they were swept by the Kansas City Royals, and haven’t won a playoff game or series since 2009.

If this occurs, it would be the right move for both parties. Scioscia, 60, could decide to manage elsewhere, or ride off into the sunset with a Hall of Fame career as a manager, and the Angels will get a much-needed fresh start. It’s a pivotal time for this team. They have arguably the two most exciting players in baseball in Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, but they need to start winning. Trout is a free agent after the 2020 season, and if they continue to struggle, Trout may be motivated to leave if he wants to win a ring.

The Week Ahead

1. Top-tier English football kicks off this week, beginning with the FA Community Shield this morning, where Manchester City defeated Chelsea 2–0. The Premier League season starts on Friday at 3:00 p.m. ET, as Manchester United hosts Leicester City. 12 teams are in action on Saturday, and six squads play their first match of the new season on Sunday, including an Arsenal-Manchester City clash at 11:00 a.m. ET.
2. The NFL is also back in action this week, as all 32 teams play their first (or second, if you’re the Bears or Ravens) preseason game of 2018. While the first week of the preseason can be a bit of a struggle to watch, the fact that football is back is music to every fan’s ears.
3. The PGA Championship tees off on Thursday at Bellerive Golf Course in Town and Country, Missouri. Dustin Johnson and Tiger Woods are currently listed as the favorites to win at 12–1, and Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler, Jason Day, Justin Rose and 2017 champion Justin Thomas are just behind them at 15–1 odds.

Oh, And One More Thing

COLLEGE FOOTBALL IS BACK THIS MONTH!