Chicago White Sox relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel recorded his 24th save on the season versus the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday. Kimbrel was called upon to protect a three-run lead and allowed one single in an otherwise perfect inning with one strikeout. Closer Liam Hendriks went 1 2/3 innings on Wednesday and was unavailable on Thursday. Kimbrel only allowed two runs and recorded 22 saves for the Chicago Cubs, but his time with the White Sox hasn't been as pretty. It was a good sign to see Kimbrel work a strong inning, but Hendriks is likely be the first name called in the ninth inning on most nights. Kimbrel has now recorded two saves with his new team and has a 5.23 ERA in 10 1/3 innings for the White Sox. For the season, the veteran is 2-4 with a 1.53 ERA to go along with 79 strikeouts in 47 innings. With Hendriks remaining the closer on most nights, Kimbrel's best value is in leagues that count holds.

Chicago White Sox relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel suffered a loss on Monday versus the Toronto Blue Jays. Kimbrel allowed a wild pitch with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning and that would give the Blue Jays a 2-1 lead and the victory. Kimbrel was dominant as the Cubs closer this season and allowed just two runs with them, but he has been shaky for the White Sox and has allowed six runs in just 9 1/3 innings thus far. Despite the recent struggles, Kimbrel still has plenty of value in leagues that count holds. The former closer is now 2-4 with a 1.57 ERA on the season.

Chicago White Sox relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel got lit up against the Chicago Cubs on Friday afternoon. Kimbrel was dealt from the Cubs to the White Sox during the trade deadline and his return to Wrigley Field was a not a kind one. Kimbrel entered the contest with only two runs allowed on the year, but that would change after Kimbrel served up a three-run home run to Andrew Romine in the bottom of the eighth inning. Kimbrel had an outing to forget on Friday and would finish with a line of four hits, three runs, zero walks and zero strikeouts in 2/3 of an inning. Kimbrel was dominant as the Cubs closer this season and managers should continue to have faith in the veteran. Kimbrel could still see some save chances and remains very valuable in leagues that count holds, but it appears that relief pitcher Liam Hendriks will continue to be the main option in the ninth inning moving forward for the White Sox. Kimbrel now owns a 1.14 ERA with 66 strikeouts in 39 1/3 innings.

NEW YORK (AP) — Joey Votto homered for the seventh straight game, one shy of a major league record, and the Cincinnati Reds beat the New York Mets 6-2 on Friday night. Jonathan India went deep twice for the Reds, including a leadoff shot that came on Carlos Carrasco’s first pitch with the Mets. Acquired from Cleveland in January, the veteran right-hander finally made his New York debut after recovering from a hamstring injury. It was an up-and-down day for the Mets, who made a big deal to get Javier Báez from the Chicago Cubs before baseball’s trade deadline — and then revealed injured ace Jacob deGrom will be shut down for two more weeks because of inflammation in his pitching elbow, making it unlikely he’ll rejoin the NL East leaders before September. Báez was acquired from the Cubs along with right-hander Trevor Williams for outfield prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong, the Mets’ first-round pick in the 2020 amateur draft. Báez is expected to join the Mets on Saturday and will play shortstop... [More]

Max Scherzer and Trea Turner wearing Dodger blue, Kris Bryant heading to the Golden Gate. Javier Báez joining the Mets, Craig Kimbrel crossing town to the White Sox, José Berríos moving north of the border. Now this truly was an All-Star trade deadline day. After a run-up that saw the likes of Nelson Cruz, Anthony Rizzo, Joey Gallo and Adam Frazier swapped, even more big names changed teams during a whirlwind Friday. From contenders boosting their roster to the also-ran Chicago Cubs and Washington Nationals gutting theirs, this was a monster day for moves. “They all feel busy, but today was nonstop,” said Cleveland president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti, who made three trades. “We executed a number of trades but there were probably at least another dozen other ones that we contemplated seriously at different points in time and exchanged different ideas,” he said. Several playoff chasers pursued arms, with Toronto landing Berríos, Philadelphia getting Kyle Gibson and Ian Kennedy,... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Joey Votto homered for the seventh straight game, one shy of a major league record, and the Cincinnati Reds beat the New York Mets 6-2 on Friday night. Jonathan India went deep twice for the Reds, including a leadoff shot that came on Carlos Carrasco’s first pitch with the Mets. Acquired from Cleveland in January, the veteran right-hander finally made his New York debut after recovering from a hamstring injury. It was an up-and-down day for the Mets, who made a big deal to get Javier Báez from the Chicago Cubs before baseball’s trade deadline — and then revealed injured ace Jacob deGrom will be shut down for two more weeks because of inflammation in his pitching elbow, making it unlikely he’ll rejoin the NL East leaders before September. Báez was acquired from the Cubs along with right-hander Trevor Williams for outfield prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong, the Mets’ first-round pick in the 2020 amateur draft. Báez is expected to join the Mets on Saturday and will play shortstop... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Javier Báez got his wish: He's headed to New York to play with Francisco Lindor. But first, the Mets are counting on their big-name newcomer to replace his good buddy at shortstop for a while. With the trade deadline fast approaching Friday, the NL East leaders acquired Báez and pitcher Trevor Williams from the Chicago Cubs for outfield prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong. Báez, a two-time All-Star and 2020 Gold Glove winner, gives New York an immediate fill-in for Lindor. The star shortstop, obtained from Cleveland in a blockbuster deal last winter, is sidelined with a strained oblique and not expected back until at least mid-to-late August. “I’m super excited. I couldn’t be happier," Lindor said. "I can’t wait for him to come out here and put on a show for everybody.” The flashy Báez, who can become a free agent after the season, is batting .248 with 22 home runs and 65 RBIs. He has a .775 OPS and 13 stolen bases in 16 tries, but also leads the National League with 131 strikeouts.... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Joey Votto homered for the seventh straight game, one shy of a major league record, and the Cincinnati Reds beat the New York Mets 6-2 on Friday night. Jonathan India went deep twice for the Reds, including a leadoff shot that came on Carlos Carrasco’s first pitch with the Mets. Acquired from Cleveland in January, the veteran right-hander finally made his New York debut after recovering from a hamstring injury. It was an up-and-down day for the Mets, who made a big deal to get Javier Báez from the Chicago Cubs before baseball’s trade deadline — and then revealed injured ace Jacob deGrom will be shut down for two more weeks because of inflammation in his pitching elbow, making it unlikely he’ll rejoin the NL East leaders before September. Báez was acquired from the Cubs along with right-hander Trevor Williams for outfield prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong, the Mets’ first-round pick in the 2020 amateur draft. Báez is expected to join the Mets on Saturday and will play shortstop... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Joey Votto homered for the seventh straight game, one shy of a major league record, and the Cincinnati Reds beat the New York Mets 6-2 on Friday night. Jonathan India went deep twice for the Reds, including a leadoff shot that came on Carlos Carrasco’s first pitch with the Mets. Acquired from Cleveland in January, the veteran right-hander finally made his New York debut after recovering from a hamstring injury. It was an up-and-down day for the Mets, who made a big deal to get Javier Báez from the Chicago Cubs before baseball’s trade deadline — and then revealed injured ace Jacob deGrom will be shut down for two more weeks because of inflammation in his pitching elbow, making it unlikely he’ll rejoin the NL East leaders before September. Báez was acquired from the Cubs along with right-hander Trevor Williams for outfield prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong, the Mets’ first-round pick in the 2020 amateur draft. Báez is expected to join the Mets on Saturday and will play shortstop... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Javier Báez got his wish: He's headed to New York to play with Francisco Lindor. But first, the Mets are counting on their big-name newcomer to replace his good buddy at shortstop for a while. With the trade deadline fast approaching Friday, the Mets acquired Báez and pitcher Trevor Williams from the Chicago Cubs for outfield prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong. Báez, a two-time All-Star and 2020 Gold Glove winner, gives New York an immediate fill-in for Lindor. The star shortstop, obtained from Cleveland in a blockbuster deal last winter, is sidelined with a strained oblique and not expected back until at least mid-to-late August. “I’m super excited. I couldn’t be happier," Lindor said. "I can’t wait for him to come out here and put on a show for everybody.” Báez, who can become a free agent after the season, is batting .248 with 22 home runs and 65 RBIs. He has a .775 OPS and 13 stolen bases in 16 tries, but also leads the National League with 131 strikeouts. He's made 18 errors... [More]

Max Scherzer and Trea Turner wearing Dodger blue, Kris Bryant heading to the Golden Gate. Javier Báez joining the Mets, Craig Kimbrel crossing town to the White Sox, José Berríos moving north of the border. Now this truly was an All-Star trade deadline day. After a run-up that saw the likes of Nelson Cruz, Anthony Rizzo, Joey Gallo and Adam Frazier swapped, even more big names changed teams during a whirlwind Friday. From contenders boosting their roster to the also-ran Chicago Cubs and Washington Nationals gutting theirs, this was a monster day for moves. “They all feel busy, but today was nonstop,” said Cleveland president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti, who made three trades. “We executed a number of trades but there were probably at least another dozen other ones that we contemplated seriously at different points in time and exchanged different ideas,” he said. Several playoff chasers pursued arms, with Toronto landing Berríos, Philadelphia getting Kyle Gibson and Ian Kennedy,... [More]

A look at what’s happening around the majors Saturday: ___ EIGHT IS ENOUGH Joey Votto has homered in seven straight games and the Cincinnati Reds star can match a major league record by going deep against the New York Mets. Votto connected for a solo shot to center field off Mets reliever Drew Smith during Cincinnati's 6-2 victory Friday night at Citi Field. The six-time All-Star and 2010 NL MVP became the eighth player to homer in at least seven straight games and first since Kendrys Morales did it for the Toronto Blue Jays in August 2018. Dale Long (1956), Don Mattingly (1987) and Ken Griffey Jr. (1993) are the only players to go deep in eight consecutive games. Votto has nine homers and 15 RBIs during his streak, which began last Saturday and includes just one hit that wasn’t a home run — an infield single against the Chicago Cubs on Thursday. ___ REVISED ROSTERS Plenty of big-name players are in different uniforms this weekend after a whirlwind of activity before MLB's trade deadline... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Javier Báez got his wish: He's headed to New York to play with longtime pal Francisco Lindor. But first, the Mets are counting on their big-name newcomer to hold down the fort at shortstop for a while. With the trade deadline fast approaching Friday, the Mets acquired Báez and pitcher Trevor Williams from the Chicago Cubs for outfield prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong. Báez, a two-time All-Star and 2020 Gold Glove winner, gives New York an immediate fill-in for Lindor. The star shortstop, obtained from Cleveland in a blockbuster deal last winter, is sidelined with a strained oblique and not expected back until at least mid-to-late August. Báez, who can become a free agent after the season, is batting .248 with 22 home runs and 65 RBIs. He has a .775 OPS and 13 stolen bases in 16 tries, but also leads the National League with 131 strikeouts. He has made 18 errors in 88 games. “We think he adds a lot — brings a ton of energy to our team," Mets acting general manager Zack Scott... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo wore his 2019 World Series ring Friday as a reminder of the annual goal for his franchise. There won't be another one this season, with only a handful of players still left from that championship won less than two years ago. The Nationals this week traded eight players, and among those dealt to contenders were Max Scherzer, a two-time NL Cy Young winner in Washington, and All-Star shortstop Trea Turner. “It’s a difficult decision to make, but oftentimes a decision is made for you,” said Rizzo, whose team is now near the bottom of the NL East standings. “This year it was, and we recognized where we were and what work we had in front of us. We decided to begin a building process that will allow us to compete at the highest level.” The complete teardown of that title team from baseball's last full 162-game season came even swifter than that of the Chicago Cubs. In their own selloff before Friday's deadline, the Cubs traded away... [More]

Max Scherzer and Trea Turner wearing Dodger blue, Kris Bryant heading to the Golden Gate. Javier Báez joining the Mets, Craig Kimbrel crossing town to the White Sox, José Berríos moving north of the border. Now this truly was an All-Star trade deadline day. After a run-up that saw the likes of Nelson Cruz, Anthony Rizzo, Joey Gallo and Adam Frazier swapped, even more big names changed teams during a whirlwind Friday. From contenders boosting their roster to the also-ran Chicago Cubs and Washington Nationals gutting theirs, this was a monster day for moves. “They all feel busy, but today was nonstop,” said Cleveland president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti, who made three trades. “We executed a number of trades but there were probably at least another dozen other ones that we contemplated seriously at different points in time and exchanged different ideas,” he said. Several playoff chasers pursued arms, with Toronto landing Berríos, Philadelphia getting Kyle Gibson and Ian Kennedy,... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago White Sox acquired closer Craig Kimbrel from the crosstown Cubs on Friday, a move that should give the AL Central leaders a fearsome bullpen for their playoff push. The White Sox already had one of baseball's best closers in All-Star Liam Hendriks. Now the South Siders add Kimbrel, who has a 0.49 ERA and 23 saves in 25 opportunities for the Cubs this season and leads NL relievers in strikeout rate and opponents' batting average. Kimbrel ranks ninth with 371 career saves during his 12 years in the majors. White Sox manager Tony La Russa said he had a plan for how to use both closers, but was not ready to divulge specifics. “On any given day, one may be available, the other one may not be,” general manager Rick Hahn said. “It puts us in a position where we have a very dynamic and impactful bullpen regardless of the situation that arises in each game.” The White Sox paid quite a price to get Kimbrel: They sent second baseman Nick Madrigal, a budding star who is out... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Mets acquired flashy shortstop Javier Báez and pitcher Trevor Williams from the Chicago Cubs on Friday for outfield prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong. Báez, a two-time All-Star and 2020 Gold Glove winner, gives the NL East leaders an immediate fill-in for injured buddy Francisco Lindor at shortstop. Lindor is sidelined with a strained oblique and isn't expected back until at least mid-to-late August. Báez, who can become a free agent after the season, is batting .248 with 22 home runs and 65 RBIs. He has a .775 OPS and 13 stolen bases in 16 tries, but also leads the National League with 131 strikeouts. He has made 18 errors in 88 games. When Lindor returns, Báez could move to second base or third. Williams also is a significant part of the deal for the Mets, who were eager to reinforce a thin starting rotation depleted by injuries. The right-hander is 4-2 with a 5.06 ERA in 13 games (12 starts) this season, his first with the Cubs after spending his first five years... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago White Sox acquired closer Craig Kimbrel from the crosstown Cubs on Friday, a move that should give the AL Central leaders a fearsome bullpen for their playoff push. The White Sox already had one of baseball's best closers in All-Star Liam Hendriks. Now the South Siders add Kimbrel, who has a 0.49 ERA and 23 saves in 25 opportunities for the Cubs this season and leads NL relievers in strikeout rate and opponents' batting average. Kimbrel ranks ninth in history with 371 saves in his 12 years in the majors. The White Sox paid quite a price to get him: They sent second baseman Nick Madrigal, a budding star who is out for the season with a torn right hamstring, to the Cubs along with right-handed reliever Codi Heuer. “We viewed Craig as the premier relief pitcher available at this trade deadline, and so we knew the cost would be steep in terms of parting with young talent,” White sox general manager Rick Hahn said in a statement. “But we recognize the special opportunity... [More]

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel has been traded to the Chicago White Sox, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. There is currently no word yet on what the return for the Cubs will be. Kimbrel has been one of the best closers in baseball for some time, and over 39 appearances this year, he is 2-3 with a 0.49 ERA, 0.709 WHIP and 46.7 percent strikeout rate over 36 2/3 innings of work. This will make things interesting for the White Sox, as Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that Kimbrel and current closer Liam Hendriks are now expected to share closing duties going forward which will be somewhat of a hit in value to both Hendriks and Kimbrel.

The Chicago White Sox are in the midst of discussions with the Chicago Cubs to potentially acquire relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel, according to David Kaplan of NBC Sports Chicago. This comes a day after the White Sox acquired relief pitcher Ryan Tepera from their crosstown rivals, as they continue to look for bullpen help. There is no imminent deal, and Kaplan adds that the price will be steep for Kimbrel and that there are several suitors for him, but this would be a huge acquisition for the White Sox if they can make a deal. Managers should continue to keep an eye out for updates over the next few hours.