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Austria vs. Algeria is a World Cup grudge match 34 years in the making Austria vs. Algeria isn’t exactly the kind of match that soccer fans have circled on their calendar when it comes to the World Cup. Set to take place at 10 p.m. ET on Saturday night, it’s not exactly a match brimming with star players, potential Golden Boot winners, or elite club talent — but it’s rich in historical hatred. That has transformed a relatively ho-hum Group Stage match into must-watch television when it comes to drama.As it stands, both teams are tied with three points in Group J after beating Jordan and losing to Argentina. The only thing keeping Austria ahead is their 0 goal differential, to Algeria’s -2. This makes the math pretty darn easy for Saturday night: If Algeria wins, they’re through to the knockout round, if Austria either wins or ties, then they’re through. The drama comes from a similar scenario that happened in 1982 when Austria and Algeria shared a group, and an incident that’s so infamous it has its own title in three different languages, translating as: “The Disgrace of Gijón,” “The Shame of Gijón,” and “The Match of Shame.”The 1982 World Cup in Spain was the first cup Algeria ever qualified for. Little was expected out of the debuting nation, especially when it was announced they would share Group 2 with Austria, Chile, and powerhouse West Germany. Written off by everyone outside of Algiers, things took a dramatic turn in the opening game when Algeria stunned West Germany in one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history. The 2-1 win was so unimaginable that it was compared to South Korea’s win over Italy at the 1966 World Cup for the greatest upset of all time.It immediately made Algeria stand out, and it seemed plausible they might actually be able to put up a fight. The team lost 2-0 to Austria in their second game, but fought back to beat Chile 3-2. At the time a win was worth two points and a draw was one, which left Algeria second in the standings behind Austria with one game to play. They would need to wait to see what happened between West Germany and Austria to decide their fate.We don’t need to hundreds of years of world history to understand the relationship with Austria and Germany outside of the fact they were allies for generations, and the two German-speaking nations faced off in the final match of the group. The group had four possible outcomes depending on what happened.Austria wins, meaning that Austria and Algeria advanceAustria and Germany tie, meaning that Austria and Algeria advanceWest Germany wins by fewer than three goals, meaning Austria and West Germany advanceWest Germany wins by four goals or greater, meaning West Germany and Algeria advanceThere was one scenario, No. 3, that would cause both nations to guarantee they would advance. West Germany had to win the game, but not beat Austria so badly that it took their goal differential below Algeria. The Disgrace of Gijón was on.It’s unclear when the teams made a non-aggression pact, but it was clear from the kickoff that this wasn’t going to be a normal game. West Germany scored within the first 10 minutes with relative ease, then the game ground to a halt. For 80 minutes, the sides passed the ball inside their own half — often kicking back to the keeper who would then deliver a long ball into the other side of the field, at which point the other team would just pointlessly pass the ball around. If anyone found themselves close to a scoring opportunity they would wildly shoot the ball off target, just to preserve the 1-0 score until the final whistle.There was so much disgust from everyone observing that there were in-game protests. Booing rang out through the stadium as fans realized what Austria and West Germany were doing, while German radio announcer Eberhard Stanjek refused to commentate the game any longer. It was similarly decried in Austria, where TV announcer Robert Seeger told viewers to turn off the game.After 90 minutes it was over. West Germany won 1-0, meaning they would go through to the knockout round with Austria. Algeria was left holding the bag, being eliminated by goal differential. Algeria appealed to FIFA, but the governing body said that neither team had broken the rules — even if they had gone against the spirit of the game.This brings us to Saturday night. 34 years of anger over “The Disgrace of Gijón” has a chance to be rectified with vengeance. If Algeria beats Austria, they will advance and eliminate the team that screwed them over in 1982. Sure, the players on both teams might not remember — but Algerians do, and this would be a small measure of justice. That mans the game on Saturday night means much, much more than a simple Group Stage game, it’s for national pride. #Austria #Algeria #World #Cup #grudge #match #years #making

Austria vs. Algeria is a World Cup grudge match 34 years in the making

Austria vs. Algeria isn’t exactly the kind of match that soccer fans have circled on their calendar when it comes to the World Cup. Set to take place at 10 p.m. ET on Saturday night, it’s not exactly a match brimming with star players, potential Golden Boot winners, or elite club talent — but it’s rich in historical hatred. That has transformed a relatively ho-hum Group Stage match into must-watch television when it comes to drama.

As it stands, both teams are tied with three points in Group J after beating Jordan and losing to Argentina. The only thing keeping Austria ahead is their 0 goal differential, to Algeria’s -2. This makes the math pretty darn easy for Saturday night: If Algeria wins, they’re through to the knockout round, if Austria either wins or ties, then they’re through. The drama comes from a similar scenario that happened in 1982 when Austria and Algeria shared a group, and an incident that’s so infamous it has its own title in three different languages, translating as: “The Disgrace of Gijón,” “The Shame of Gijón,” and “The Match of Shame.”

The 1982 World Cup in Spain was the first cup Algeria ever qualified for. Little was expected out of the debuting nation, especially when it was announced they would share Group 2 with Austria, Chile, and powerhouse West Germany. Written off by everyone outside of Algiers, things took a dramatic turn in the opening game when Algeria stunned West Germany in one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history. The 2-1 win was so unimaginable that it was compared to South Korea’s win over Italy at the 1966 World Cup for the greatest upset of all time.

It immediately made Algeria stand out, and it seemed plausible they might actually be able to put up a fight. The team lost 2-0 to Austria in their second game, but fought back to beat Chile 3-2. At the time a win was worth two points and a draw was one, which left Algeria second in the standings behind Austria with one game to play. They would need to wait to see what happened between West Germany and Austria to decide their fate.

We don’t need to hundreds of years of world history to understand the relationship with Austria and Germany outside of the fact they were allies for generations, and the two German-speaking nations faced off in the final match of the group. The group had four possible outcomes depending on what happened.

  1. Austria wins, meaning that Austria and Algeria advance
  2. Austria and Germany tie, meaning that Austria and Algeria advance
  3. West Germany wins by fewer than three goals, meaning Austria and West Germany advance
  4. West Germany wins by four goals or greater, meaning West Germany and Algeria advance

There was one scenario, No. 3, that would cause both nations to guarantee they would advance. West Germany had to win the game, but not beat Austria so badly that it took their goal differential below Algeria. The Disgrace of Gijón was on.

It’s unclear when the teams made a non-aggression pact, but it was clear from the kickoff that this wasn’t going to be a normal game. West Germany scored within the first 10 minutes with relative ease, then the game ground to a halt. For 80 minutes, the sides passed the ball inside their own half — often kicking back to the keeper who would then deliver a long ball into the other side of the field, at which point the other team would just pointlessly pass the ball around. If anyone found themselves close to a scoring opportunity they would wildly shoot the ball off target, just to preserve the 1-0 score until the final whistle.

There was so much disgust from everyone observing that there were in-game protests. Booing rang out through the stadium as fans realized what Austria and West Germany were doing, while German radio announcer Eberhard Stanjek refused to commentate the game any longer. It was similarly decried in Austria, where TV announcer Robert Seeger told viewers to turn off the game.

After 90 minutes it was over. West Germany won 1-0, meaning they would go through to the knockout round with Austria. Algeria was left holding the bag, being eliminated by goal differential. Algeria appealed to FIFA, but the governing body said that neither team had broken the rules — even if they had gone against the spirit of the game.

This brings us to Saturday night. 34 years of anger over “The Disgrace of Gijón” has a chance to be rectified with vengeance. If Algeria beats Austria, they will advance and eliminate the team that screwed them over in 1982. Sure, the players on both teams might not remember — but Algerians do, and this would be a small measure of justice. That mans the game on Saturday night means much, much more than a simple Group Stage game, it’s for national pride.

#Austria #Algeria #World #Cup #grudge #match #years #making

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Austria vs. Algeria isn’t exactly the kind of match that soccer fans have circled on their calendar when it comes to the World Cup. Set to take place at 10 p.m. ET on Saturday night, it’s not exactly a match brimming with star players, potential Golden Boot winners, or elite club talent — but it’s rich in historical hatred. That has transformed a relatively ho-hum Group Stage match into must-watch television when it comes to drama.

As it stands, both teams are tied with three points in Group J after beating Jordan and losing to Argentina. The only thing keeping Austria ahead is their 0 goal differential, to Algeria’s -2. This makes the math pretty darn easy for Saturday night: If Algeria wins, they’re through to the knockout round, if Austria either wins or ties, then they’re through. The drama comes from a similar scenario that happened in 1982 when Austria and Algeria shared a group, and an incident that’s so infamous it has its own title in three different languages, translating as: “The Disgrace of Gijón,” “The Shame of Gijón,” and “The Match of Shame.”

The 1982 World Cup in Spain was the first cup Algeria ever qualified for. Little was expected out of the debuting nation, especially when it was announced they would share Group 2 with Austria, Chile, and powerhouse West Germany. Written off by everyone outside of Algiers, things took a dramatic turn in the opening game when Algeria stunned West Germany in one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history. The 2-1 win was so unimaginable that it was compared to South Korea’s win over Italy at the 1966 World Cup for the greatest upset of all time.

It immediately made Algeria stand out, and it seemed plausible they might actually be able to put up a fight. The team lost 2-0 to Austria in their second game, but fought back to beat Chile 3-2. At the time a win was worth two points and a draw was one, which left Algeria second in the standings behind Austria with one game to play. They would need to wait to see what happened between West Germany and Austria to decide their fate.

We don’t need to hundreds of years of world history to understand the relationship with Austria and Germany outside of the fact they were allies for generations, and the two German-speaking nations faced off in the final match of the group. The group had four possible outcomes depending on what happened.

  1. Austria wins, meaning that Austria and Algeria advance
  2. Austria and Germany tie, meaning that Austria and Algeria advance
  3. West Germany wins by fewer than three goals, meaning Austria and West Germany advance
  4. West Germany wins by four goals or greater, meaning West Germany and Algeria advance

There was one scenario, No. 3, that would cause both nations to guarantee they would advance. West Germany had to win the game, but not beat Austria so badly that it took their goal differential below Algeria. The Disgrace of Gijón was on.

It’s unclear when the teams made a non-aggression pact, but it was clear from the kickoff that this wasn’t going to be a normal game. West Germany scored within the first 10 minutes with relative ease, then the game ground to a halt. For 80 minutes, the sides passed the ball inside their own half — often kicking back to the keeper who would then deliver a long ball into the other side of the field, at which point the other team would just pointlessly pass the ball around. If anyone found themselves close to a scoring opportunity they would wildly shoot the ball off target, just to preserve the 1-0 score until the final whistle.

There was so much disgust from everyone observing that there were in-game protests. Booing rang out through the stadium as fans realized what Austria and West Germany were doing, while German radio announcer Eberhard Stanjek refused to commentate the game any longer. It was similarly decried in Austria, where TV announcer Robert Seeger told viewers to turn off the game.

After 90 minutes it was over. West Germany won 1-0, meaning they would go through to the knockout round with Austria. Algeria was left holding the bag, being eliminated by goal differential. Algeria appealed to FIFA, but the governing body said that neither team had broken the rules — even if they had gone against the spirit of the game.

This brings us to Saturday night. 34 years of anger over “The Disgrace of Gijón” has a chance to be rectified with vengeance. If Algeria beats Austria, they will advance and eliminate the team that screwed them over in 1982. Sure, the players on both teams might not remember — but Algerians do, and this would be a small measure of justice. That mans the game on Saturday night means much, much more than a simple Group Stage game, it’s for national pride.

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Captain Shubman Gill said India failed to field its best combination in the ODI ​series against England because of frequent injuries to players, a ‌concern the team must address before next year’s ​World Cup.

India was without its premier all-rounder ⁠Hardik Pandya, and his replacement Nitish Kumar Reddy also missed the tour of England with a quadriceps injury. Seamer Harshit Rana ‌and all-rounder Washington Sundar also picked up injuries at different stages of the tour while pace ‌spearhead Jasprit Bumrah missed Sunday’s decider, which England ‌won ⁠by 26 runs to seal a 2-1 ⁠series victory.

“If you look at the first squad, we had announced (for the series), from that minimum five players did not play this match,” ​Gill said after the loss at Lord’s.

“If one player is injured, you look at playing another combination, two players are injured you look at playing another combination, but if after ‌every match some player is missing then somewhere ​we are missing a trick.

“If you keep the World Cup as the goal where we ⁠have to play 11 matches in a row, here we have players not being able to finish a two-to-three-match ‌series.

“So there is some limitation where our players are not being able to play continuously, they play one or two matches, they suffer a niggle and then we are forced to play a different combination which we originally did not plan to play … as a ‌group we need improve our fitness.”

England racked up 387-3 against ​India’s depleted attack, while the tourists managed 360-7 in reply.

“Our bowling is a little bit inexperienced,” ⁠Gill said.

“We were put under the pump in this match ⁠and we didn’t respond well. We didn’t start well in the powerplay. We gave away too ‌many loose balls and then were always chasing the game trying to take wickets, create something which ​didn’t happen for us.”

Published on Jul 20, 2026

#Shubman #Gill #World #Cup #play #matches #players #unable #complete #games">Shubman Gill: In World Cup, we will play 11 matches and here players are unable to complete 3 games Captain Shubman Gill said India failed to field its best combination in the ODI ​series against England because of frequent injuries to players, a ‌concern the team must address before next year’s ​World Cup.India was without its premier all-rounder ⁠Hardik Pandya, and his replacement Nitish Kumar Reddy also missed the tour of England with a quadriceps injury. Seamer Harshit Rana ‌and all-rounder Washington Sundar also picked up injuries at different stages of the tour while pace ‌spearhead Jasprit Bumrah missed Sunday’s decider, which England ‌won ⁠by 26 runs to seal a 2-1 ⁠series victory.“If you look at the first squad, we had announced (for the series), from that minimum five players did not play this match,” ​Gill said after the loss at Lord’s.“If one player is injured, you look at playing another combination, two players are injured you look at playing another combination, but if after ‌every match some player is missing then somewhere ​we are missing a trick.“If you keep the World Cup as the goal where we ⁠have to play 11 matches in a row, here we have players not being able to finish a two-to-three-match ‌series.“So there is some limitation where our players are not being able to play continuously, they play one or two matches, they suffer a niggle and then we are forced to play a different combination which we originally did not plan to play … as a ‌group we need improve our fitness.”England racked up 387-3 against ​India’s depleted attack, while the tourists managed 360-7 in reply.“Our bowling is a little bit inexperienced,” ⁠Gill said.“We were put under the pump in this match ⁠and we didn’t respond well. We didn’t start well in the powerplay. We gave away too ‌many loose balls and then were always chasing the game trying to take wickets, create something which ​didn’t happen for us.”Published on Jul 20, 2026 #Shubman #Gill #World #Cup #play #matches #players #unable #complete #games

Deadspin | IndyCar Series race at Nashville postponed to Monday NTT IndyCar Series Santino Ferrucci’s car his pushed back to the garage during a weather delay at the Music City Grand Prix at Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tenn., Sunday, July 19, 2026 The Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix was postponed to Monday at 3 p.m. ET after inclement weather delayed the start of the race Sunday evening before a second round of storms made racing impossible. The 12th race of the IndyCar season was slated for Sunday at Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tenn. The official X account of the IndyCar Series initially posted that the race, scheduled for a 5:30 p.m. start, was on hold until the end of the FIFA World Cup final. Fox broadcasts both the World Cup and the IndyCar series, and the Spain-Argentina final required extra time and went past 5:30 ET before Spain prevailed 1-0. Then came the rain. Race organizers worked to dry the track after a storm passed through the Nashville area, and because the track has floodlights, there was a chance to fit in the race Sunday night. But another powerful storm ripped through. As a Fox host describing the scene put it, “The dry track has been utterly sodden in a sudden and almighty deluge.” Andretti Global driver Kyle Kirkwood will hold pole position when drivers bring their cars to the starting line Monday afternoon. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #IndyCar #Series #race #Nashville #postponed #MondayNTT IndyCar Series Santino Ferrucci’s car his pushed back to the garage during a weather delay at the Music City Grand Prix at Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tenn., Sunday, July 19, 2026

The Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix was postponed to Monday at 3 p.m. ET after inclement weather delayed the start of the race Sunday evening before a second round of storms made racing impossible.

The 12th race of the IndyCar season was slated for Sunday at Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tenn.

The official X account of the IndyCar Series initially posted that the race, scheduled for a 5:30 p.m. start, was on hold until the end of the FIFA World Cup final. Fox broadcasts both the World Cup and the IndyCar series, and the Spain-Argentina final required extra time and went past 5:30 ET before Spain prevailed 1-0.


Then came the rain. Race organizers worked to dry the track after a storm passed through the Nashville area, and because the track has floodlights, there was a chance to fit in the race Sunday night.

But another powerful storm ripped through. As a Fox host describing the scene put it, “The dry track has been utterly sodden in a sudden and almighty deluge.”

Andretti Global driver Kyle Kirkwood will hold pole position when drivers bring their cars to the starting line Monday afternoon.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #IndyCar #Series #race #Nashville #postponed #Monday">Deadspin | IndyCar Series race at Nashville postponed to Monday NTT IndyCar Series Santino Ferrucci’s car his pushed back to the garage during a weather delay at the Music City Grand Prix at Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tenn., Sunday, July 19, 2026 The Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix was postponed to Monday at 3 p.m. ET after inclement weather delayed the start of the race Sunday evening before a second round of storms made racing impossible. The 12th race of the IndyCar season was slated for Sunday at Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tenn. The official X account of the IndyCar Series initially posted that the race, scheduled for a 5:30 p.m. start, was on hold until the end of the FIFA World Cup final. Fox broadcasts both the World Cup and the IndyCar series, and the Spain-Argentina final required extra time and went past 5:30 ET before Spain prevailed 1-0. Then came the rain. Race organizers worked to dry the track after a storm passed through the Nashville area, and because the track has floodlights, there was a chance to fit in the race Sunday night. But another powerful storm ripped through. As a Fox host describing the scene put it, “The dry track has been utterly sodden in a sudden and almighty deluge.” Andretti Global driver Kyle Kirkwood will hold pole position when drivers bring their cars to the starting line Monday afternoon. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #IndyCar #Series #race #Nashville #postponed #Monday

With the MLB trade deadline fast approaching and intrigue swirling everywhere around where-oh-where Tarik Skubal will go, I thought we could have a little more fun than the tried-and-true ranking of trade candidates (which I have already done) and revive one of the greatest forms our beloved sports media ever took: the mega preview.

Anyone else remember those old Sports Illustrated MLB preview issues with their 40-odd pages of info on every team, what to watch that season, cool graphics, cutouts and photos with flashy presentation and peak magazine aesthetic? It might have just been because I was 10, but I lived for this stuff.

So in my never-ending battle against those that would leave the mega preview to die alongside many other forms of written sports content, we’re bringing it back… digitally… with significantly fewer graphics… and a much smaller production staff (me)… and we can’t cover every team here because, ya know, priorities… but the energy of the mega preview will abound like Christmas cheer when Buddy the Elf starts to sing. There will be categories; there will be fun everywhere you look. After all, the mega preview is worth preserving, even in formaldehyde.

Q: Will the Detroit Tigers, who have surged since the beginning of June, actually trade Tarik Skubal?

A: I find it kind of hard to believe they won’t. The Tigers have apparently set an “outrageous” price for Skubal for interested teams, which may read like they will only trade him for an absolute heist. As they should, given the two weeks they have to induce some team to panic and trade the farm for a guy on an expiring contract. But leverage is fickle, and the Tigers may realize that come August 3, they may wind up keeping Skubal for an already-doomed run and lose him for nothing this winter. That will be a tough pill to swallow.

A: That’s an almost impossible question to answer. On one hand, you have the teams you’d expect him to probably sign with next offseason: the Los Angeles Dodgers, sure, but reports suggest the Chicago Cubs, Tampa Bay Rays and Atlanta Braves are strong candidates to go all in with Skubal. I particularly like the Braves as a landing spot, as that rotation is not as good as it looks on paper.

Q: But could he end up with [insert your favorite team]?

A: Yes, provided they are any type of contender, though there are a few teams I don’t think could or would produce a Skubal package. The San Diego Padres are not really tracking to make the postseason and are clean out of elite prospects to trade, even though they would usually be a prime suspect to go in on a big name. Nor is my favorite team (the Boston Red Sox) being run in a way that suggests they’re going to go all-in on a rental, no matter how well they’ve played pre-deadline. But you can rationalize quite a lot of teams, particularly some fringe actors who wouldn’t really expect to re-sign Skubal. Dare to dream!

The MLB trade deadline rules because every team can get involved. According to FanDuel, there are 15 entire teams with between 10-1 and 50-1 World Series odds, which may seem long but actually suggests a high level of parity… behind the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are teetering on the edge of having minus odds to win it all. But every team in that group can talk themselves into being a buyer, and every other team probably feels like a seller. So who are the splashiest participants?

1. Detroit Tigers — what the Tigers do (or do not) do will define this deadline, as whatever contender adds Skubal to their rotation will immediately vault into supercontender status. He’s that game-changing.

2. Washington Nationals — the Nationals possess two top-tier young position players: James Wood and CJ Abrams, and while I don’t think they are likely to trade Wood (I know, scintillating analysis), anything is possible with Abrams. This team has major building blocks for the future and could set themselves up well for the future with a good deadline.

3. New York Yankees — I can’t see the Yankees standing pat at this deadline with how the American League is just sitting there for them to take. They have a lot of holes in the roster, especially with their injuries.

4. Boston Red Sox — a team that was going to be one of the deadline’s biggest sellers has turned this whole thing around and now looks like a potential buyer, though it could still go either way. Relief pitching always sells like hotcakes at the deadline, and the single-best reliever on the market was Aroldis Chapman. Do the Red Sox believe enough in this utility-laden roster to hang onto a 38-year-old closer when they could get major value in return?

5. Minnesota Twins — how often do you get to run back-to-back fire sales? The Twins could really make the deadline interesting if they chose to make Byron Buxton available, and Joe Ryan could finally be heading for greener pastures after he was nearly traded last year. Those would easily be two of the biggest non-Skubal names.

6. San Francisco Giants — Rafael Devers has perhaps revived his stature as an elite hitter, but the Giants are still cooked as far as 2026 goes. They have a lot of tradable players, from Jung Hoo Lee to Luis Arraez and Matt Chapman. If the Giants have talked themselves into this Devers power spike and want to keep his gargantuan contract on the books, great. If they think instead that this is an aberration that has salvaged his trade value, they could maybe try to offload his contract much like Boston did a year ago.

A paragraph of the best trade assets you’ve never heard of (or at least haven’t thought about in a while)

Reid Detmers is not a name I had anywhere near any of my radars after he was moved the Los Angeles Angels bullpen last season for unclear reasons. I wrote a whole analysis of Detmers and why he’s considered so valuable despite his 4.39 ERA, and I think he could be a really impactful player in a better environment and could command a shockingly high price because of his age. Speaking of the bullpen, I also like Rico Garcia from the Baltimore Orioles, who has kinda just been mowing dudes down all year on a team that’s going nowhere fast. And while you may have heard of them, a pair of New York Mets pitchers in Clay Holmes (a starter) and AJ Minter (a reliever) feel like mortal locks to be dealt with how poorly this Mets season has gone.

One final perplexing player for the road

I’m curious about everything going on with Mickey Moniak and the Colorado Rockies. Here is a former number-one overall draft pick with serious pull-side power who’s 28 and has bounced around the league so much you’d think he was running from something. He’s come into his own in the mile-high air, and was seriously hot to start the season before cooling off a bit. There are red flags everywhere with Moniak, given his stats on the road pale in comparison to his Colorado numbers, but he has the bat speed and hard-hitting profile that could work for a lot of teams. But he strikes out too much, doesn’t walk enough and really only hits to one side of the field. He may not cost that much because of the risk, but could pay off big time for someone willing to take it.

#MLB #trade #deadline #preview #Tarik #Skubal #buyers #sellers #sleepers">MLB trade deadline preview: Tarik Skubal, buyers, sellers, and sleepers With the MLB trade deadline fast approaching and intrigue swirling everywhere around where-oh-where Tarik Skubal will go, I thought we could have a little more fun than the tried-and-true ranking of trade candidates (which I have already done) and revive one of the greatest forms our beloved sports media ever took: the mega preview.Anyone else remember those old Sports Illustrated MLB preview issues with their 40-odd pages of info on every team, what to watch that season, cool graphics, cutouts and photos with flashy presentation and peak magazine aesthetic? It might have just been because I was 10, but I lived for this stuff.So in my never-ending battle against those that would leave the mega preview to die alongside many other forms of written sports content, we’re bringing it back… digitally… with significantly fewer graphics… and a much smaller production staff (me)… and we can’t cover every team here because, ya know, priorities… but the energy of the mega preview will abound like Christmas cheer when Buddy the Elf starts to sing. There will be categories; there will be fun everywhere you look. After all, the mega preview is worth preserving, even in formaldehyde.Q: Will the Detroit Tigers, who have surged since the beginning of June, actually trade Tarik Skubal?A: I find it kind of hard to believe they won’t. The Tigers have apparently set an “outrageous” price for Skubal for interested teams, which may read like they will only trade him for an absolute heist. As they should, given the two weeks they have to induce some team to panic and trade the farm for a guy on an expiring contract. But leverage is fickle, and the Tigers may realize that come August 3, they may wind up keeping Skubal for an already-doomed run and lose him for nothing this winter. That will be a tough pill to swallow.A: That’s an almost impossible question to answer. On one hand, you have the teams you’d expect him to probably sign with next offseason: the Los Angeles Dodgers, sure, but reports suggest the Chicago Cubs, Tampa Bay Rays and Atlanta Braves are strong candidates to go all in with Skubal. I particularly like the Braves as a landing spot, as that rotation is not as good as it looks on paper.Q: But could he end up with [insert your favorite team]?A: Yes, provided they are any type of contender, though there are a few teams I don’t think could or would produce a Skubal package. The San Diego Padres are not really tracking to make the postseason and are clean out of elite prospects to trade, even though they would usually be a prime suspect to go in on a big name. Nor is my favorite team (the Boston Red Sox) being run in a way that suggests they’re going to go all-in on a rental, no matter how well they’ve played pre-deadline. But you can rationalize quite a lot of teams, particularly some fringe actors who wouldn’t really expect to re-sign Skubal. Dare to dream!The MLB trade deadline rules because every team can get involved. According to FanDuel, there are 15 entire teams with between 10-1 and 50-1 World Series odds, which may seem long but actually suggests a high level of parity… behind the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are teetering on the edge of having minus odds to win it all. But every team in that group can talk themselves into being a buyer, and every other team probably feels like a seller. So who are the splashiest participants?1. Detroit Tigers — what the Tigers do (or do not) do will define this deadline, as whatever contender adds Skubal to their rotation will immediately vault into supercontender status. He’s that game-changing.2. Washington Nationals — the Nationals possess two top-tier young position players: James Wood and CJ Abrams, and while I don’t think they are likely to trade Wood (I know, scintillating analysis), anything is possible with Abrams. This team has major building blocks for the future and could set themselves up well for the future with a good deadline.3. New York Yankees — I can’t see the Yankees standing pat at this deadline with how the American League is just sitting there for them to take. They have a lot of holes in the roster, especially with their injuries.4. Boston Red Sox — a team that was going to be one of the deadline’s biggest sellers has turned this whole thing around and now looks like a potential buyer, though it could still go either way. Relief pitching always sells like hotcakes at the deadline, and the single-best reliever on the market was Aroldis Chapman. Do the Red Sox believe enough in this utility-laden roster to hang onto a 38-year-old closer when they could get major value in return?5. Minnesota Twins — how often do you get to run back-to-back fire sales? The Twins could really make the deadline interesting if they chose to make Byron Buxton available, and Joe Ryan could finally be heading for greener pastures after he was nearly traded last year. Those would easily be two of the biggest non-Skubal names.6. San Francisco Giants — Rafael Devers has perhaps revived his stature as an elite hitter, but the Giants are still cooked as far as 2026 goes. They have a lot of tradable players, from Jung Hoo Lee to Luis Arraez and Matt Chapman. If the Giants have talked themselves into this Devers power spike and want to keep his gargantuan contract on the books, great. If they think instead that this is an aberration that has salvaged his trade value, they could maybe try to offload his contract much like Boston did a year ago.A paragraph of the best trade assets you’ve never heard of (or at least haven’t thought about in a while)Reid Detmers is not a name I had anywhere near any of my radars after he was moved the Los Angeles Angels bullpen last season for unclear reasons. I wrote a whole analysis of Detmers and why he’s considered so valuable despite his 4.39 ERA, and I think he could be a really impactful player in a better environment and could command a shockingly high price because of his age. Speaking of the bullpen, I also like Rico Garcia from the Baltimore Orioles, who has kinda just been mowing dudes down all year on a team that’s going nowhere fast. And while you may have heard of them, a pair of New York Mets pitchers in Clay Holmes (a starter) and AJ Minter (a reliever) feel like mortal locks to be dealt with how poorly this Mets season has gone.One final perplexing player for the roadI’m curious about everything going on with Mickey Moniak and the Colorado Rockies. Here is a former number-one overall draft pick with serious pull-side power who’s 28 and has bounced around the league so much you’d think he was running from something. He’s come into his own in the mile-high air, and was seriously hot to start the season before cooling off a bit. There are red flags everywhere with Moniak, given his stats on the road pale in comparison to his Colorado numbers, but he has the bat speed and hard-hitting profile that could work for a lot of teams. But he strikes out too much, doesn’t walk enough and really only hits to one side of the field. He may not cost that much because of the risk, but could pay off big time for someone willing to take it. #MLB #trade #deadline #preview #Tarik #Skubal #buyers #sellers #sleepers

which I have already done) and revive one of the greatest forms our beloved sports media ever took: the mega preview.

Anyone else remember those old Sports Illustrated MLB preview issues with their 40-odd pages of info on every team, what to watch that season, cool graphics, cutouts and photos with flashy presentation and peak magazine aesthetic? It might have just been because I was 10, but I lived for this stuff.

So in my never-ending battle against those that would leave the mega preview to die alongside many other forms of written sports content, we’re bringing it back… digitally… with significantly fewer graphics… and a much smaller production staff (me)… and we can’t cover every team here because, ya know, priorities… but the energy of the mega preview will abound like Christmas cheer when Buddy the Elf starts to sing. There will be categories; there will be fun everywhere you look. After all, the mega preview is worth preserving, even in formaldehyde.

Q: Will the Detroit Tigers, who have surged since the beginning of June, actually trade Tarik Skubal?

A: I find it kind of hard to believe they won’t. The Tigers have apparently set an “outrageous” price for Skubal for interested teams, which may read like they will only trade him for an absolute heist. As they should, given the two weeks they have to induce some team to panic and trade the farm for a guy on an expiring contract. But leverage is fickle, and the Tigers may realize that come August 3, they may wind up keeping Skubal for an already-doomed run and lose him for nothing this winter. That will be a tough pill to swallow.

A: That’s an almost impossible question to answer. On one hand, you have the teams you’d expect him to probably sign with next offseason: the Los Angeles Dodgers, sure, but reports suggest the Chicago Cubs, Tampa Bay Rays and Atlanta Braves are strong candidates to go all in with Skubal. I particularly like the Braves as a landing spot, as that rotation is not as good as it looks on paper.

Q: But could he end up with [insert your favorite team]?

A: Yes, provided they are any type of contender, though there are a few teams I don’t think could or would produce a Skubal package. The San Diego Padres are not really tracking to make the postseason and are clean out of elite prospects to trade, even though they would usually be a prime suspect to go in on a big name. Nor is my favorite team (the Boston Red Sox) being run in a way that suggests they’re going to go all-in on a rental, no matter how well they’ve played pre-deadline. But you can rationalize quite a lot of teams, particularly some fringe actors who wouldn’t really expect to re-sign Skubal. Dare to dream!

The MLB trade deadline rules because every team can get involved. According to FanDuel, there are 15 entire teams with between 10-1 and 50-1 World Series odds, which may seem long but actually suggests a high level of parity… behind the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are teetering on the edge of having minus odds to win it all. But every team in that group can talk themselves into being a buyer, and every other team probably feels like a seller. So who are the splashiest participants?

1. Detroit Tigers — what the Tigers do (or do not) do will define this deadline, as whatever contender adds Skubal to their rotation will immediately vault into supercontender status. He’s that game-changing.

2. Washington Nationals — the Nationals possess two top-tier young position players: James Wood and CJ Abrams, and while I don’t think they are likely to trade Wood (I know, scintillating analysis), anything is possible with Abrams. This team has major building blocks for the future and could set themselves up well for the future with a good deadline.

3. New York Yankees — I can’t see the Yankees standing pat at this deadline with how the American League is just sitting there for them to take. They have a lot of holes in the roster, especially with their injuries.

4. Boston Red Sox — a team that was going to be one of the deadline’s biggest sellers has turned this whole thing around and now looks like a potential buyer, though it could still go either way. Relief pitching always sells like hotcakes at the deadline, and the single-best reliever on the market was Aroldis Chapman. Do the Red Sox believe enough in this utility-laden roster to hang onto a 38-year-old closer when they could get major value in return?

5. Minnesota Twins — how often do you get to run back-to-back fire sales? The Twins could really make the deadline interesting if they chose to make Byron Buxton available, and Joe Ryan could finally be heading for greener pastures after he was nearly traded last year. Those would easily be two of the biggest non-Skubal names.

6. San Francisco Giants — Rafael Devers has perhaps revived his stature as an elite hitter, but the Giants are still cooked as far as 2026 goes. They have a lot of tradable players, from Jung Hoo Lee to Luis Arraez and Matt Chapman. If the Giants have talked themselves into this Devers power spike and want to keep his gargantuan contract on the books, great. If they think instead that this is an aberration that has salvaged his trade value, they could maybe try to offload his contract much like Boston did a year ago.

A paragraph of the best trade assets you’ve never heard of (or at least haven’t thought about in a while)

Reid Detmers is not a name I had anywhere near any of my radars after he was moved the Los Angeles Angels bullpen last season for unclear reasons. I wrote a whole analysis of Detmers and why he’s considered so valuable despite his 4.39 ERA, and I think he could be a really impactful player in a better environment and could command a shockingly high price because of his age. Speaking of the bullpen, I also like Rico Garcia from the Baltimore Orioles, who has kinda just been mowing dudes down all year on a team that’s going nowhere fast. And while you may have heard of them, a pair of New York Mets pitchers in Clay Holmes (a starter) and AJ Minter (a reliever) feel like mortal locks to be dealt with how poorly this Mets season has gone.

One final perplexing player for the road

I’m curious about everything going on with Mickey Moniak and the Colorado Rockies. Here is a former number-one overall draft pick with serious pull-side power who’s 28 and has bounced around the league so much you’d think he was running from something. He’s come into his own in the mile-high air, and was seriously hot to start the season before cooling off a bit. There are red flags everywhere with Moniak, given his stats on the road pale in comparison to his Colorado numbers, but he has the bat speed and hard-hitting profile that could work for a lot of teams. But he strikes out too much, doesn’t walk enough and really only hits to one side of the field. He may not cost that much because of the risk, but could pay off big time for someone willing to take it.

#MLB #trade #deadline #preview #Tarik #Skubal #buyers #sellers #sleepers">MLB trade deadline preview: Tarik Skubal, buyers, sellers, and sleepers

With the MLB trade deadline fast approaching and intrigue swirling everywhere around where-oh-where Tarik Skubal will go, I thought we could have a little more fun than the tried-and-true ranking of trade candidates (which I have already done) and revive one of the greatest forms our beloved sports media ever took: the mega preview.

Anyone else remember those old Sports Illustrated MLB preview issues with their 40-odd pages of info on every team, what to watch that season, cool graphics, cutouts and photos with flashy presentation and peak magazine aesthetic? It might have just been because I was 10, but I lived for this stuff.

So in my never-ending battle against those that would leave the mega preview to die alongside many other forms of written sports content, we’re bringing it back… digitally… with significantly fewer graphics… and a much smaller production staff (me)… and we can’t cover every team here because, ya know, priorities… but the energy of the mega preview will abound like Christmas cheer when Buddy the Elf starts to sing. There will be categories; there will be fun everywhere you look. After all, the mega preview is worth preserving, even in formaldehyde.

Q: Will the Detroit Tigers, who have surged since the beginning of June, actually trade Tarik Skubal?

A: I find it kind of hard to believe they won’t. The Tigers have apparently set an “outrageous” price for Skubal for interested teams, which may read like they will only trade him for an absolute heist. As they should, given the two weeks they have to induce some team to panic and trade the farm for a guy on an expiring contract. But leverage is fickle, and the Tigers may realize that come August 3, they may wind up keeping Skubal for an already-doomed run and lose him for nothing this winter. That will be a tough pill to swallow.

A: That’s an almost impossible question to answer. On one hand, you have the teams you’d expect him to probably sign with next offseason: the Los Angeles Dodgers, sure, but reports suggest the Chicago Cubs, Tampa Bay Rays and Atlanta Braves are strong candidates to go all in with Skubal. I particularly like the Braves as a landing spot, as that rotation is not as good as it looks on paper.

Q: But could he end up with [insert your favorite team]?

A: Yes, provided they are any type of contender, though there are a few teams I don’t think could or would produce a Skubal package. The San Diego Padres are not really tracking to make the postseason and are clean out of elite prospects to trade, even though they would usually be a prime suspect to go in on a big name. Nor is my favorite team (the Boston Red Sox) being run in a way that suggests they’re going to go all-in on a rental, no matter how well they’ve played pre-deadline. But you can rationalize quite a lot of teams, particularly some fringe actors who wouldn’t really expect to re-sign Skubal. Dare to dream!

The MLB trade deadline rules because every team can get involved. According to FanDuel, there are 15 entire teams with between 10-1 and 50-1 World Series odds, which may seem long but actually suggests a high level of parity… behind the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are teetering on the edge of having minus odds to win it all. But every team in that group can talk themselves into being a buyer, and every other team probably feels like a seller. So who are the splashiest participants?

1. Detroit Tigers — what the Tigers do (or do not) do will define this deadline, as whatever contender adds Skubal to their rotation will immediately vault into supercontender status. He’s that game-changing.

2. Washington Nationals — the Nationals possess two top-tier young position players: James Wood and CJ Abrams, and while I don’t think they are likely to trade Wood (I know, scintillating analysis), anything is possible with Abrams. This team has major building blocks for the future and could set themselves up well for the future with a good deadline.

3. New York Yankees — I can’t see the Yankees standing pat at this deadline with how the American League is just sitting there for them to take. They have a lot of holes in the roster, especially with their injuries.

4. Boston Red Sox — a team that was going to be one of the deadline’s biggest sellers has turned this whole thing around and now looks like a potential buyer, though it could still go either way. Relief pitching always sells like hotcakes at the deadline, and the single-best reliever on the market was Aroldis Chapman. Do the Red Sox believe enough in this utility-laden roster to hang onto a 38-year-old closer when they could get major value in return?

5. Minnesota Twins — how often do you get to run back-to-back fire sales? The Twins could really make the deadline interesting if they chose to make Byron Buxton available, and Joe Ryan could finally be heading for greener pastures after he was nearly traded last year. Those would easily be two of the biggest non-Skubal names.

6. San Francisco Giants — Rafael Devers has perhaps revived his stature as an elite hitter, but the Giants are still cooked as far as 2026 goes. They have a lot of tradable players, from Jung Hoo Lee to Luis Arraez and Matt Chapman. If the Giants have talked themselves into this Devers power spike and want to keep his gargantuan contract on the books, great. If they think instead that this is an aberration that has salvaged his trade value, they could maybe try to offload his contract much like Boston did a year ago.

A paragraph of the best trade assets you’ve never heard of (or at least haven’t thought about in a while)

Reid Detmers is not a name I had anywhere near any of my radars after he was moved the Los Angeles Angels bullpen last season for unclear reasons. I wrote a whole analysis of Detmers and why he’s considered so valuable despite his 4.39 ERA, and I think he could be a really impactful player in a better environment and could command a shockingly high price because of his age. Speaking of the bullpen, I also like Rico Garcia from the Baltimore Orioles, who has kinda just been mowing dudes down all year on a team that’s going nowhere fast. And while you may have heard of them, a pair of New York Mets pitchers in Clay Holmes (a starter) and AJ Minter (a reliever) feel like mortal locks to be dealt with how poorly this Mets season has gone.

One final perplexing player for the road

I’m curious about everything going on with Mickey Moniak and the Colorado Rockies. Here is a former number-one overall draft pick with serious pull-side power who’s 28 and has bounced around the league so much you’d think he was running from something. He’s come into his own in the mile-high air, and was seriously hot to start the season before cooling off a bit. There are red flags everywhere with Moniak, given his stats on the road pale in comparison to his Colorado numbers, but he has the bat speed and hard-hitting profile that could work for a lot of teams. But he strikes out too much, doesn’t walk enough and really only hits to one side of the field. He may not cost that much because of the risk, but could pay off big time for someone willing to take it.

#MLB #trade #deadline #preview #Tarik #Skubal #buyers #sellers #sleepers

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