ESPN has reentered the fray for Major League Baseball broadcasting rights, several months after the network and the league mutually opted out of their current deal, which was originally set to expire in three years.

• This week, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred spoke with CNBC, revealing that three broadcast partners were negotiating for those expired rights, and that one of them -- along with NBC and Apple -- is ESPN, the current rightsholder of "Sunday Night Baseball," the Home Run Derby and the wild-card playoff round.

  Manfred elaborated that he'd like to finalize those rights, currently valued at $550 million a year for the next three years, within the next 30 days, and that the rights could be split between two bidders.

  "Our goal would be to accumulate all of our rights (national and local), go to the table, and develop in concert with the potential buyers packages that are most valuable to them," Manfred said. "I think our goals would be to have more national exposure, increase our reach.

  "In addition, we think we have a cluttered environment right now. There's a lot of places you have to go if you're a fan of a particular team, and we think that we should strive to create a more fan friendly environment."

  ESPN reentered the picture partially due to its desire to become a home for local distribution digitally of individual MLB teams, as several are in the process of disconnecting from regional sports networks -- opening the door for ESPN to fill that gap with its streaming services.

  That represents a drastic 180 for both ESPN and the MLB, after Manfred distributed a memo (acquired by The Athletic) critical of the network following their split this spring.

  "Unfortunately in recent years, we have seen ESPN scale back their baseball coverage and investment in a way that is not consistent with the sport's appeal or performance on their platform," the statement said in part. "Given that MLB provides strong viewership, valuable demographics, and the exclusive right to cover unique events like the Home Run Derby, ESPN's demand to reduce rights fees is simply unacceptable. As a result, we have mutually agreed to terminate our agreement."

  Per CNBC, ratings are up 6 percent for MLB games on ESPN this season, while the Home Run Derby was up 5 percent itself. The average MLB broadcast is attracting 1.71 million viewers, the highest average in eight years.

  MLB's other main broadcast partner on linear TV is Fox.

  --Field Level Media

Longtime right-hander Kyle Gibson announced his retirement on Thursday after 13 seasons in the majors.

• Gibson, 37, went 112-111 with a 4.60 ERA in 334 appearances (328 starts) with five teams. He won 10 or more games eight times during his career.

  Gibson opted out of a minor league contract with the Tampa Bay Rays on June 20. He said no other opportunities emerged and he reached the decision to retire.

  "I took my opt-out at the end of it because they didn't have a spot," Gibson said of the Rays' major league roster on his "Serving It Up" podcast. "They thought they might, then they didn't. It just so happened to line up with our family lake vacation, which was great ... and I kind of sat and waited. Didn't really hear from too many people. I really wanted to have a big-league opportunity."

  Gibson pitched for the Baltimore Orioles earlier this season and it didn't go well. He went 0-3 with a 16.78 ERA in four starts, giving up 29 hits and seven walks over 12 1/3 innings before being released on May 20.

  Gibson was a first-round pick (22nd overall) by the Minnesota Twins in 2009 and spent seven seasons (2013-19) with the team. He went 67-68 with Minnesota.

  Gibson spent the next 1 1/2 seasons with the Texas Rangers and was a member of the American League All-Star team in 2021. Shortly thereafter, he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies and spent 1 1/2 seasons with the National League team.

  Gibson won a career-best 15 games for Baltimore in 2023 and spent 2024 with the St. Louis Cardinals before returning to the Orioles this year.

  --Field Level Media

Marlins third baseman Connor Norby will be sidelined for six to eight weeks following wrist surgery, the Miami Herald reported Thursday.

• Norby, who landed on the 10-day injured list Sunday with left wrist inflammation, had a procedure in Arizona on Wednesday to repair a broken left hamate bone, per the report.

  Norby, 25, is batting .241 with six homers, 26 RBIs and seven stolen bases in 72 games in his first full season with the Marlins.

  Drafted in the second round by Baltimore in 2021, he was dealt from the Orioles to Miami at the July 2024 trade deadline with outfielder Kyle Stowers in exchange for left-hander Trevor Rogers.

  Norby is a career .239 hitter with 15 homers and 46 RBIs in 117 games with the Orioles (2024) and Marlins.

  --Field Level Media

Police in Scottsdale, Ariz., are investigating what they called a "high-dollar" burglary at a home owned by Ketel Marte of the Diamondbacks.

• Marte and his family were in Atlanta earlier this week, where he played in the MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday. The burglary is believed to have taken place the same night, The Arizona Republic reported.

  No one was home.

  Police said there were signs of forced entry. Jewelry was among the items found to be missing.

  Marte, 31, was the starter at second base for the National League in the All-Star Game. He was 1-for-2 with two runs driven in.

  --Field Level Media

The first "swing-off" in Major League Baseball All-Star Game history wasn't enough to save the Midsummer Classic from a 3 percent ratings drop.

• Tuesday night's game averaged a 3.8 rating and drew 7.19 million viewers on Fox, according to Nielsen, down from 7.44 million last year and the second-fewest on record for the event. It was 3 percent better than the record low of 7 million who tuned into the 2023 MLB All-Star Game.

  MLB's All-Star event still draws far better than its counterparts, with this year's NBA All-Star Game and the NFL's Pro Bowl Games each averaging 4.7 million viewers. Monday night's Home Run Derby drew 5.73 million viewers on ESPN.

  The All-Star Game itself peaked with 8.1 million viewers in the 9:15 p.m. ET quarter-hour, per SportsMediaWatch.com, making it the most-watched program on Fox since the Super Bowl. It also featured the first "swing-off" to determine the All-Star Game winner.

  Each player got three swings. Rooker launched two over the fence, while Stowers went 1-for-3. Arozarena then hit one, before Kyle Schwarber sent all three out to give the NL a 4-3 running lead entering the final round. Aranda then went 0-for-3, clinching the bizarre National League victory -- technically a 7-6 win -- the league's second All-Star Game triumph in three years after dropping the previous nine.

  A rule change in 2022 provided what was left of the 41,702 fans with a spectacle they likely weren't expecting when they entered Truist Park in Atlanta.

  "It was interesting," Schwarber said after being named the Phillies' first All-Star Game MVP since Johnny Callison in 1964. "Exciting, fun. There's a lot of guys who deserve this (trophy), but I'm glad it's going home with us to Philly."

  --Field Level Media

The Texas Rangers placed first baseman Jake Burger on the 10-day injured list Wednesday due to a left quadriceps injury.

• The move is retroactive to Sunday.

  Burger sustained the injury while running out a grounder during the top of the fifth inning of Friday's 7-3 win over the Houston Astros. He left the game before the bottom of the sixth.

  Burger, 29, was utilized as a pinch-hitter on Saturday and then scratched from Sunday's lineup after initially being listed as the designated hitter.

  Burger is batting .228 with 11 homers and 35 RBIs in 75 games this season.

  The Rangers didn't immediately make a corresponding move since their next game isn't until Friday due to the All-Star break. Texas will host the major league-leading Detroit Tigers in the opener of a three-game set.

  --Field Level Media

ATLANTA -- Even after an exciting, plucky Detroit Tigers team pushed their way into the postseason last year, it would have been far-fetched to predict the production they've engineered midway through 2025.

• At 59-38, Detroit owns the majors' best record and produced six All-Stars in Atlanta, the most of any team. And still, it doesn't seem the Tigers are being lauded as the title contenders that their numbers suggest.

  Detroit, which leads Minnesota by 11 1/2 games in the American League Central, is spearheaded by reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal and his 10-3 record, 2.23 ERA and league-leading 0.83 WHIP. Fellow All-Star Riley Greene has blasted 24 home runs, while a solid bullpen has helped the Tigers post four separate five-game winning streaks.

  And while DraftKings likes Skubal to repeat as the Cy Young (-200), the New York Yankees - with six less wins than Detroit - are still a favorite over the Tigers to become the American League team to win the World Series (+650 to +700).

  For a team on pace to win its most games since 1984 - when the Tigers went 104-58 on the way to the franchise's last World Series triumph - not much matters before October.

  "The goal, to me, of baseball is to win and win championships," Skubal said during the All-Star week press conference. "So as much as this is an honor and I appreciate this moment and I'm going to have a good time over the next couple days, my focus is on winning a championship, and that's what the game's about. So I don't really think that I've accomplished much until I win a championship."

  Sparking the team's turnaround from the dugout, former World Series champion manager A.J. Hinch knows better than the majority of members in the Tigers clubhouse what it takes to finish a season as the last team standing.

  "I am very proud of where we're at, at the midway point of the season," said Hinch, who managed the 2017 Houston Astros to the title. "When you start looking at the series that we've won, there are a lot more series won than lost, so I think we're in a good position to have a very special summer. We just have to do a lot of work to get there. We have a good team. We have a winning team that I'll feel can stack up against anybody."

  Although the club's All-Star hitters - Greene, Javier Baez, Gleyber Torres and Zack McKinstry combined to go 0-for-8, and Skubal and Casey Mize combined to allow three runs on four hits in 1 2/3 innings - the fact that Detroit, which lost 96 games three years ago, had players littered across the field is a testament to the present and future of what Tigers baseball has become.

  --Jack Batten, Field Level Media

The Texas Rangers thought starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi deserved a berth on the American League All-Star team, but he wasn't selected.

• They decided to pay the right-hander the $100,000 All-Star bonus called for in his contract anyway, ESPN reported Wednesday.

  Eovaldi, 35, is 7-3 on the season with a 1.58 ERA. He has struck out 94 batters over 91 innings in 16 starts and has a WHIP of 0.85.

  While the other starters selected to the American League squad exceeded 100 innings, Eovaldi missed almost a month with right triceps fatigue, limiting his innings.

  Jacob deGrom was the only representative for the Rangers in the All-Star Game but he didn't play. The right-hander pitched for the Rangers on Saturday, throwing 90 pitches over six innings.

  The 37-year-old deGrom has a 9-2 record with a 2.32 ERA over 112 1/3 innings and 19 starts.

  In a controversial selection, rookie Jacob Misiorowski of the Milwaukee Brewers was picked as a reserve for the National League squad despite making only five career starts. He is 4-1 with a 2.81 ERA in 25 2/3 innings.

  --Field Level Media

Chicago Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg said Wednesday he is "continuing to fight" cancer and is prioritizing time with those closest to him.

• He posted a letter addressed to his fans and extended baseball family on Instagram.

  "I wanted to share an update regarding my health," wrote Sandberg, 65. "It's been a challenging few months as I have been going through treatment on a regular basis.

  "While I am continuing to fight, I'm looking forward to making the most of every day with my loving family and friends.

  "I haven't been to Wrigley Field as much as I hoped in the first half but I'm watching every game and am excited for the second half."

  He threw out the first pitch, surrounded by fellow Cubs greats, before the team's home opener on April 4.

  In January 2024, Sandberg announced he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, then last August announced he was cancer-free. In December, he said the cancer had recurred and spread and vowed to "continue to be positive, strong, and fight to beat this."

  Sandberg spent 15 of his 16 major league seasons with the Cubs, along with 13 games at the start of his career for the Philadelphia Phillies (1981).

  Sandberg was the 1984 National League MVP, when he batted a career-high .314 with a major league-leading 19 triples and 114 runs scored as well as 19 home runs, 84 RBIs and 32 stolen bases.

  The second baseman also earned the second of his nine career Gold Glove awards that year. He was a 10-time All-Star selection and a seven-time Silver Slugger honoree, batting .285 with 282 home runs and 1,061 RBIs in his 2,164-game career.

  Sandberg, who was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005, also spent parts of three seasons (2013-15) as the Phillies' manager.

  --Field Level Media

The Kansas City Royals are bringing back veteran Adam Frazier, trading fellow infielder Cam Devanney to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange on Wednesday.

• Frazier, 33, signed as a free agent with the Royals before the 2024 season and with the Pirates before the 2025 season.

  Last season in Kansas City, Frazier hit a career-low .202 with four home runs and 22 RBIs in 104 games.

  In 78 games in Pittsburgh this season, he has rebounded with a .255 average, three home runs and 21 RBIs.

  Frazier was drafted by the Pirates in the sixth round in 2013 and has a career batting average of .263 with 963 hits and 360 RBIs with Pittsburgh (2016-21, 2025), San Diego Padres (2021), Seattle Mariners (2022), Baltimore Orioles (2023) and Royals. He was an All-Star in 2021.

  Devanney, 28, was picked by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 15th round of the 2019 draft. He has yet to make his MLB debut.

  In 69 games at Triple-A Omaha this season, Devanney hit .272 with 67 hits, 18 home runs and 55 RBIs.

  The Pirates assigned him to Triple-A Indianapolis.

  --Field Level Media

The 2025 Home Run Derby saw a 5 percent increase in viewership, though ratings for the event were still below most years since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Monday night's event, won by Seattle's Cal Raleigh over Tampa Bay's Junior Caminero, averaged a 2.7 rating and drew 5.73 million viewers. That is up from the 5.45 million who tuned in for Teoscar Hernandez's victory last year.

  However, both of those were down from the previous three years. The 2021 event won by the New York Mets' Pete Alonso drew 7.13 million viewers, followed by 6.88 million for Juan Soto winning the 2022 event while still with the Washington Nationals. Toronto's Vladimir Guerrero Jr. won the following year, drawing 6.11 million viewers.

  This year was the second-least watched Derby since 5.524 million viewers watched Giancarlo Stanton win in 2016 while with the Marlins, according to the Sports Business Journal. The 2024 Derby was the least-watched during that span, but it also competed with the Republican National Convention.

  Monday night's Derby peaked at 6.31 million viewers at 9:30 p.m. ET and was the most-watched program of the day across all of broadcast and cable television. ESPN2's "StatCast" version of the event was watched by 499,000 people.

  For comparison, this year's NBA All-Star Game and the NFL's Pro Bowl Games each averaged 4.7 million viewers -- and Tuesday night's MLB All-Star Game is expected to easily outpace both.

  --Field Level Media

MLB Players Association executive director Tony Clark doubled down on his opposition to a salary cap on Tuesday, saying during All-Star festivities in Atlanta that such a change to the game's economic structure would move the game "backward."

• Both Clark and commissioner Rob Manfred addressed several topics with members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America before Tuesday's All-Star Game. Manfred is reportedly pushing for a salary cap in the next collective bargaining agreement, calling for more competitive balance around the league.

  Clark and the players' union, meanwhile, remain vehemently against it.

  "(The owners) obviously have their interests, and those interests aren't much different from the interests they've had for the last three, four, five decades at this point," Clark said, according to Sports Business Journal. "Whereas the game is in a great place -- the game appears to be growing and moving in the right direction, with more attendance that we've had in a long time -- and more people are watching and streaming the games than we've ever had before.

  "You would think there would be an opportunity to talk about how to build rather than how to go backward. What the interests are that they have is taking the game backward."

  Clark even went as far to say that the concept of a salary cap could be considered "institutional collusion."

  "A cap is not about a partnership. A cap is not about growing the game," Clark said on Tuesday. "That's not what a cap is about. As has been offered publicly, a cap is about franchise values and profits. That's what a cap is about. If there are ways that we need to improve the existing system to polish some of the rough edges that otherwise exist, we have made proposals to do that. We will continue to make proposals to do that, and believe that that's the best way to go."

  The current MLB collective bargaining agreement is set to expire on Dec. 1, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. EST. If owners and the players' union can't come to an agreement, a lockout could potentially delay the 2027 season.

  --Field Level Media

It has been so long since Major League Baseball's All-Star Game was played north of the border, the American League squad included Carlton Fisk -- who's now 77 years old.

• Judging by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred's comments prior to Tuesday's All-Star Game in Atlanta, he has noticed the Toronto Blue Jays are overdue to host their first midsummer classic since 1991.

  "I've said before that a really significant factor in terms of All-Star Games is, when did you have the last one?" Manfred told reporters. "Obviously, they're kind of perking up to the top of the list based on time. I'd like to be back in Toronto."

  Starting with Tuesday's game, National League teams are hosting three consecutive All-Star Games. The Philadelphia Phillies secured the 2026 contest -- timed to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence -- and reports declared the Chicago Cubs have earned the nod for 2027.

  That could give American League cities the edge for 2028. A USA Today report suggested the Blue Jays, who recently completed a $400 million renovation of Rogers Centre, and the Baltimore Orioles are frontrunners to host that year. The Orioles welcomed the 1993 ASG to Camden Yards, so they, too, have been waiting more than 30 years for another chance.

  --Field Level Media

With the imminent sale of the Tampa Bay Rays in baseball's rearview mirror, another franchise transaction of the Minnesota Twins now assumes the spotlight.

• In October 2024, the three Pohlad brothers announced they would pursue a sale of the team, which their father Carl bought in 1984. They had expected to make an announcement by Opening Day 2025, but there has been no news, leading some to speculate that no parties are willing to meet the Pohlad's asking price.

  Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred dispelled that rumor when speaking at the annual pre-All-Star Game Baseball Writers Association of America press conference.

  "I know some things that you don't know," Manfred said. "I can tell you with a lot of confidence that there will be a transaction there, and it will be consistent with the kind of pricing that has taken place. There will be a transaction."

  The delay was triggered in June when likely buyer Justin Ishbia decided against the purchase and instead increased his minority share of his hometown Chicago White Sox from five percent to 35 percent. Ishbia is also a co-owner of the NBA's Phoenix Suns.

  "This is a small business, right? All those bankers out there -- there ain't that many of them, and they all talk to each other," Manfred said. "When it becomes clear that you have a leader in the clubhouse, everybody else kind of backs away, right? Because they kind of get a feel for the price, and unless they're prepared to top it, they're going to move on and do something else."

  Tampa Bay owner Stuart Sternberg recently agreed to $1.7 billion sale for his franchise and over one year ago, the Baltimore Orioles were purchased from the Angelos family for $1.725 billion.

  "We just need to be patient while they rework," said Manfred.

  --Field Level Media

The Tampa Bay Rays will continue to keep things intimate if they advance to the postseason, with commissioner Rob Manfred saying Tuesday the club would play at George Steinbrenner Field in October.

• "Our rule has always been that people play in their home stadiums during the World Series," Manfred told an assembled group of media members Tuesday in Atlanta. "And I'm not of a mind to change that rule. I understand it's a unique situation. It's different, but that's where they're playing. That's where they're going to play their games."

  The decision means the Rays would play playoff games in their current 10,046-seat venue, which is the New York Yankees' spring training home, as well as the home to the Single-A Tampa Tarpons.

  The Rays moved into the park this season after their home ballpark in St. Petersburg sustained heavy damage by Hurricane Milton last October.

  At 50-47, the Rays are 5 1/2 games out of first place in the American League East at the break. They are just 1 1/2 games out of a wild-card spot with 65 regular-season games remaining on their schedule.

  The Athletics are in a similar situation as the Rays, while playing in a minor league park at West Sacramento, Calif. Whereas the Rays could return to St. Petersburg as early as 2026, the A's will remain in West Sacramento until they move to Las Vegas, Manfred said Tuesday.

  The official ground-breaking ceremony for the Athletics' new ballpark in Las Vegas took place last month. The new venue is not expected to be ready until 2028.

  --Field Level Media

The Cleveland Guardians placed right-hander Paul Sewald on the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder strain, MLB.com reported Tuesday.

• The move will be retroactive to Saturday.

  Sewald, 35, is 1-1 with a 4.70 ERA in his first season with the Guardians. The former Seattle Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks closer is 21-26 with 86 saves and a 4.11 ERA in nine career MLB seasons with four clubs after starting his career with the New York Mets in 2017.

  No corresponding move was reported with the Guardians set to return from the All-Star break Friday at home against the Athletics.

  --Field Level Media

Four days after a surprising decision to add Milwaukee Brewers rookie right-hander Jacob Misiorowski to the National League All-Star roster, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred defended the move, noting that there was no denying the excitement surrounding the fireballer.

• Misiorowski, a 23-year-old who has stormed onto the MLB scene, was named to the NL All-Star team despite making just five appearances this season. It is a record low for an All-Star.

  For his part, Manfred said he selected the rookie based on "the excitement that was going to be generated," and, "the fan interest in seeing this guy."

  "He's a very, very good pitcher on a very, very good run right now," Manfred said at the annual Baseball Writers' Association of America meeting before the All-Star Game. "Do I understand five starts is short? Yeah, I do. And do I want to make that the norm? No, I don't. But I think it was the right decision given where we were."

  The 6-foot-7 Misiorowski has gone 4-1 this season with a 2.81 ERA and 33 strikeouts while allowing just 12 hits across 25 2/3 innings. He immediately grabbed national attention when, in his major-league debut, he fired consecutive pitches of 100.5 mph and 101.8 mph on his way to five no-hit innings.

  Still, many in MLB have pushed back on Misiorowksi's selection, pointing out that other players are more deserving of the All-Star spot. Some players have financial incentives in their contracts tied to All-Star roster selections.

  Misiorowski has perspective on the matter, understanding that the criticism is about the process and not him in particular.

  "I think it's one of those things that it's just that's the way it happened," Misiorowski told reporters on Monday. "It's not really anything I've done, and I'm not going to say no to MLB about coming to the game. So it just is what it is."

  --Field Level Media

Former MLB pitcher Dan Serafini was found guilty of first-degree murder in the 2021 shooting that claimed the life of his father-in-law and left his mother-in-law injured.

• The victims in the June 5, 2021, attack were Robert Gary Spohr, 70, who was found dead in a home in North Lake Tahoe, Calif., from a single gunshot. Also shot was his wife, Wendy Wood, then 68. She recovered from the injures but died by suicide one year later. The family cited the trauma of the attack as the reason for her death.

  Prosecutors said the fatal incident involved a $1.3 million ranch renovation project and presented text message evidence of the escalation of the disagreement and premeditation prior to the shooting. One text message sent prior to the attack read, "I'm going to kill them one day."

  Serafini and 33-year-old Samantha Scott were charged as co-defendants last year. In February, Scott pleaded guilty to an accessory charge and during the trial was introduced as a close friend of one of the Spohrs' daughters, Erin. Erin was married to Serafini and testified that they had an open marriage and was aware Scott was romantically involved with her husband.

  Erin Spohr testified that she did not believe Serafini murdered her father or shot her mother.

  Video surveillance from the home and surrounding area showed a man wearing a hood, face covering and a backpack walking to the Spohrs' home before the homicide. Evidence presented at the trial alleged Serafini was in the home nearly three hours before the attack.

  Information gathered during a two-year investigation led them to Serafini and Scott.

  Serafini is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 18 in Placer County, Calif.

  The Minnesota Twins selected Serafini, a native of the San Francisco area, with the No. 26 overall pick in the 1992 MLB Draft. He made his debut in 1996 and went on to appear in 104 games (33 starts) with the Twins, Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds and Colorado Rockies before his retirement in 2007.

  He had a 15-16 record with a 6.04 ERA and one save. He threw 263 2/3 innings and struck out 127 batters.

  --Field Level Media

The 2025 Major League Baseball draft has concluded with 615 players receiving that memorable phone call, a voice on the other end offering them the opportunity to pursue professional baseball.

• The vast majority of names are unfamiliar to casual fans, but there were a handful of young men who will try to follow in the spike-prints of MLB alumni.

  One of those players is Brady Counsell, son of current Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell. The Arizona Diamondbacks tabbed Counsell nearly right at the central point of the draft in the tenth round with pick No. 303.

  The younger Counsell completed his collegiate career at Kansas after competing for three seasons at Minnesota. He played both third base and left field for the Jayhawks and flashed his glove in both positions, posting a .992 field percentage and earning Rawlings Gold Glove honors, the first in school history.

  Counsell, who played just one season in Lawrence after transferring from Minnesota, had an outstanding year for the Jayhawks and helped the team set single season records in conference wins (20), conference series wins (seven) and road wins (20) as the team finished 43-17 and second in the Big 12 conference.

  The righty displayed power at the plate, hitting 12 home runs and driving in 57 runs for Kansas. He was tabbed Honorable Mention All-Big 12 in his lone season in Lawrence.

  It is a nice moment for the Counsells and long-time Diamonbacks fans as Craig was a member of the 2001 World Series team. He played in the desert for six seasons (2000-2003, 2005-2006), hitting .266 with 24 home runs and 193 RBI. It was his longest tenure for any of the six franchises he played for.

  After finishing his career with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2011, Craig Counsell managed that franchise from 2015-23, before taking over as the Cubs' manager in 2024.

  Another notable son-father draft story is that of Kaeden Kent, son of 2000 NL Most Valuable Player Jeff Kent. Kaeden was tabbed by the New York Yankees late in the third round (Pick No. 103). In three years at Texas A&M, the infielder hit .290 with 18 home runs and 100 RBI. He earned a spot on the 2024 College World Series All-Tournament team.

  The final player to receive a phone call was Shane Brinham, a pitcher from Handsworth Secondary School in Vancouver, British Columbia. That call came from the Los Angeles Dodgers.

  --Field Level Media

ATLANTA -- Cal Raleigh became the first catcher to win the Home Run Derby on Monday night, besting Junior Caminero 18-15 in the final round at Truist Park.

• Raleigh also became the first Seattle Mariners player to hoist the trophy since 1999, when Ken Griffey Jr. won his third title. Tampa Bay's Caminero, who was vying to become the youngest winner in Derby history at 22, fell just short as the Rays' first contestant since Randy Arozarena lost to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the 2023 final.

  Raleigh, the major league's leader in homers with 38, totaled 54 home runs on Monday. All was nearly lost in the opening round, as the Seattle star advanced to the semifinals on a tiebreaker, as his longest home run eclipsed Brent Rooker's by the narrowest of margins -- 470.61 feet to 470.53.

  With father Todd Sr. pitching and younger brother Todd Jr. behind the plate, it was a family affair for Cal, who added to his spectacular 2025 campaign.

  "It means the world," Raleigh said after the victory. "I could have hit zero home runs and had just as much fun. I just can't believe I won, it's unbelievable. ... Honestly (my brother) was hyping me up behind the plate. He was firing me up the whole time. I'd hit one good and he'd be like ‘Lets go!'... I don't know it, it just got me going and that's why I think I got in good spurts."

  In the semifinals, Byron Buxton -- facing Caminero -- followed his 21-homer first round with a seven spot in the second round. Caminero blew past that total, needing just 12 swings to reach eight homers and advance to the final round.

  On the other side of the four-man bracket, Raleigh outslugged Oneil Cruz 19-13, despite Cruz mashing a 498-foot shot.

  Cruz and Caminero hit 21 home runs in the opening round, with Cruz receiving the top seed based on the longest home run tiebreaker.

  Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood began the night with 16 home runs, including a 486-foot shot, before Rooker followed with 17.

  Rooker, whose night was cut short after suffering as close of a loss as you'll see, wasn't thrilled with the fashion in which he learned his outing was over.

  "You know, maybe if they have it to the decimal point, they should display that during the Derby and not wait till everyone's done to bring out that information," Rooker told reporters after his early exit. "That might be helpful."

  Tampa Bay star Caminero, using a bat with his face on it, then hit 11 of the first 14 pitches he saw over the fence, before totaling 21 in an impressive round.

  Pittsburgh Pirates slugger Cruz hit one of his 21 first-round homers 513 feet to right-center field, marking the farthest recorded home run in Truist Park history.

  Buxton of the Minnesota Twins had 20 homers and New York Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit just three.

  "I had a lot of fun. I enjoyed every second of it," Chisholm said, despite the lowest first round output since Troy Tulowitzki hit two in 2014. "You can't ask for a better feeling. I'm still an All-Star. I still hit in the Home Run Derby. Who could ask for a better experience than that?"

  Raleigh switched from the left-handed batter's box to the right with just over a minute left on his way to 17.

  To cap the first round, Atlanta first baseman Matt Olson recorded only 15 in his home park, leaving Cruz, Caminero, Buxton and Raleigh in the semifinals.

  --Jack Batten, Field Level Media

Milwaukee Brewers rookie Jacob Misiorowski didn't anticipate the blowback, but he understands why some are unhappy over his selection as an All-Star Game replacement after just five starts in the major leagues.

• "I think it's one of those things that it's just that's the way it happened," Misiorowski told reporters Monday, one day ahead of the All-Star Game in Atlanta. "It's not really anything I've done, and I'm not going to say no to MLB about coming to the game, so it just is what it is."

  Misiorowski broke Paul Skenes' record for the quickest trip from big-league debut to All-Star debut -- 11 games, set last year -- when he was named a replacement for Chicago Cubs pitcher Matthew Boyd on the National League roster.

  The flame-throwing right-hander debuted June 12 and is 4-1 with a 2.81 ERA and 33 strikeouts over 25 2/3 innings.

  His selection over more established starting pitchers ruffled some feathers, namely on the Philadelphia Phillies, who have a case for both Ranger Suarez (7-3, 1.94) and Cristopher Sanchez (8-2, 2.50) to have been picked. Nick Castellanos likened MLB to the Savannah Bananas exhibition team, and Trea Turner dropped an expletive while calling the decision "terrible" and a joke.

  "They're not happy," Misiorowski said. "They're not upset with me. There's nothing I did."

  He went on to add that the Phillies players inside the National League clubhouse this week have been "all nice to (him)."

  Skenes, for a comparison, made his MLB debut on May 11, 2024 and struck out 11 in six no-hit innings in his second career start. He was 6-0 with a 1.90 ERA when he was selected for the NL team and eventually named the starter.

  Skenes will start on the bump for the NL for the second year in a row.

  --Field Level Media

Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh is the latest player to commit to suiting up for the United States at the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

• Raleigh's commitment to Team USA, announced Monday, comes on the strength of a torrid first half of the MLB season. He set an American League record by hitting 38 home runs before the All-Star Game.

  Raleigh was named to his first All-Star Game and will participate in the Home Run Derby on Monday night.

  He also leads the major leagues with 82 RBIs and sports a .259 batting average. In parts of five MLB seasons, all with Seattle, Raleigh has amassed 131 homers, 87 doubles, 333 RBIs, a .226 average and a .478 slugging percentage over 558 games.

  Team USA already has superstar commitments from Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees, Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals and ace pitcher Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

  The World Baseball Classic will be played from March 5-17.

  --Field Level Media

Tampa Bay Rays owner Stu Sternberg has agreed in principle to a $1.7 billion deal to sell the franchise to a group led by a Florida-based developer Patrick Zalupski, The Athletic reported Monday.

• The deal is reportedly expected to be closed as early as September and will keep the franchise in the area, with Zalupski, a home builder in Jacksonville, having a strong preference to land in Tampa rather than St. Petersburg.

  Sternberg bought the Rays in 2004 for $200 million.

  According to Zalupski's online bio, he is the founder, president and CEO of Dream Finders Homes. The company was founded in December 2008 and closed on 27 homes in Jacksonville the following year. Now, with an expanded footprint to many parts of the United States, Dream Finders has closed on more than 31,100 homes since its founding.

  He also is a member of the board of trustees at the University of Florida.

  The new ownership group also reportedly includes Bill Cosgrove, the CEO of Union Home Mortgage, and Ken Babby, owner of the Akron RubberDucks and Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, both minor-league teams.

  A year ago, Sternberg had a deal in place to build a new stadium in the Historic Gas Plant District, a reimagined recreational, retail and residential district in St. Petersburg to replace Tropicana Field.

  However, after Hurricane Milton shredded the roof of the stadium last October, forcing the Rays into temporary quarters, Sternberg changed his tune, saying the team would have to bear excess costs that were not in the budget.

  In March, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and some other owners began to privately push Sternberg to sell the franchise, The Athletic reported.

  It is unclear what Zalupski's group, if it ultimately goes through with the purchase and is approved by MLB owners, would do for a permanent stadium.

  The Rays currently are playing at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, located at the site of the New York Yankees' spring training facility and home of their Single-A Tampa Tarpons.

  --Field Level Media

The New York Yankees claimed right-hander Rico Garcia off waivers from the crosstown Mets on Monday.

• The Mets designated Garcia for assignment last Friday after he allowed no runs in 4 2/3 innings over two relief outings.

  Garcia, 31, is 1-2 with a 6.47 ERA in 32 games (one start) over parts of five seasons six major league teams.

  --Field Level Media

The American League and National League announced their lineups for Tuesday's All-Star Game at Atlanta with Shohei Ohtani leading off for the NL and Gleyber Torres at the top for the AL.

• National League manager Dave Roberts, who is Ohtani's skipper with the Los Angeles Dodgers, opened his lineup for Tuesday just as he has done throughout the regular season with his designated hitter at the top. Ohtani was the NL's leading vote getter during Phase 1 of the balloting process.

  Ohtani will be followed by hometown favorite Ronald Acuna Jr. (left field) of the Atlanta Braves and Ketel Marte (second base) of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

  The Dodgers' Freddie Freeman (first base) will bat cleanup, followed by the San Diego Padres' Manny Machado (third base), the Dodgers' Will Smith (catcher), the Chicago Cubs' Kyle Tucker (right field), the New York Mets' Francisco Lindor (shortstop) and the Chicago Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong (center field).

  The Pittsburgh Pirates' Paul Skenes already has been named the NL's starting pitcher.

  Torres has been used mostly in the No. 2 spot this season by Yankees manager Aaron Boone, who is also the AL manager, but now moves up a spot. The Detroit Tigers' Riley Greene (left field) is batting second, followed by Aaron Judge (right field) of the Yankees, who led all players after Phase 1 of the voting.

  MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh (catcher) of the Seattle Mariners is in the cleanup spot, followed by the Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (first base), the Baltimore Orioles' Ryan O'Hearn (DH), the Tampa Bay Rays' Junior Caminero (third base), the Tigers' Javier Baez (center field) and the Athletics' Jacob Wilson (shortstop).

  The Tigers' Tarik Skubal already has been named the AL's starting pitcher.

  The American League has won 10 of the last 11 All-Star Games, with the National League winning only in 2023 at Seattle during the stretch.

  --Field Level Media