Thursday, May 2
Shohei Ohtani taken off the market, Angels make moves in an attempt to make a run
27Jul By James MastrucciNo Comments
Beyond Believeland

Shohei Ohtani taken off the market, Angels make moves in an attempt to make a run

After plenty of speculation and possibly coming to the realization that there was no way to positively spin trading a generational superstar, Shohei Ohtani is no longer an option for any team that may make an inquiry. Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci reported this new development Wednesday night. This is despite heavy interest from several clubs trying to pry the two-way superstar away from Los Angeles. It does not stop at taking Shohei Ohtani off the market, as the Angels have found themselves in a position to buy at the deadline. That process began shortly after the report about Ohtani no longer being available. The Angels went out and acquired Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez from the Chicago White Sox to improve their pitching staff. Do not expect the improvements to stop the...
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Analyst doubles down on unnecessary Donovan Mitchell speculation
27Jul By James MastrucciNo Comments
Cavs, Featured

Analyst doubles down on unnecessary Donovan Mitchell speculation

It is another day in the NBA offseason that features unnecessary speculation about the future of Donovan Mitchell in Cleveland. A conversation between ESPN's Tim McMahon, Tim Bontemps, and Brian Windhorst produced some interesting and superfluous quotes. First up is Bontemps. …I don't think there's any chance he signs an extension there ever. And if it was up to me, I would trade Donvan Mitchell today…they'll get a lot more for him w/ 2 summers left than they will w/ 1…Now I also am fully aware that's not what they're gonna do and I understand why… Tim Bontemps on Donovan Mitchell If that name sounds familar that is because it is. Bontemps also spread some very premature trade speculation about Donovan Mitchell not too long ago. This just appears to be a continuance of his pre...
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JB Bickerstaff overlooked in coach rankings
26Jul By James MastrucciNo Comments
Cavs

JB Bickerstaff overlooked in coach rankings

Is JB Bickerstaff one of the best coaches in the league? Not necessarily. Then again barely cracking the Top 20 seems to be a bit disrespectful, but that is where he appeared in a recent list ranking NBA head coaches. Checking in at number 19 is Bickerstaff. This does seem quite low when comparing last season's success combined with the talent gap between Cleveland and those teams who made deeper playoff runs. When it comes to evaluating the ability of a coach, it should be those who can get more with less that should be favored higher. Is JB Bickerstaff without his faults? No, but this applies to most, if not all coaches. Some of those are just general shortcomings in the way he approaches the game. Others come from areas of weakness on the roster that were hopefully addressed th...
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Shohei Ohtani rumors: Two teams have contacted Angels
25Jul By James MastrucciNo Comments
Beyond Believeland

Shohei Ohtani rumors: Two teams have contacted Angels

The Los Angeles Angels are uncertain about which direction they will take with the upcoming trade deadline, but that has not stopped contending teams from calling about the availability of Shohei Ohtani. The Baltimore Orioles and Arizona Diamondbacks have contacted the Angels according to MLB Network's Jon Morosi. Morosi had the following to say about the inquiries. Both clubs’ interest has been described as due diligence; both teams have the young talent base conducive to making a trade. Jon Morosi on Shohei Ohtani rumors This does seem to be the early stages of a potential deal involving Shohei Ohtani. It is wise to get the conversations started now with the deadline being a week away. Any potential deal of Ohtani will be quite complex and have a lot of moving parts. As Morosi no...
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Dylan Windler signs two-way deal with New York
25Jul By James MastrucciNo Comments
Cavs

Dylan Windler signs two-way deal with New York

Dylan Windler has found a new home in New York. The former Cavs first round draft pick has agreed to a two-way deal according to reports. The Cavaliers not retaining Windler is hardly a surprise considering how they approached free agency. Cleveland was aggressive in finding players who would see minutes over the now former Cavalier. The minutes were simply not going to be available to Winder in Cleveland and it makes sense that he has signed elsewhere. Things never quite worked out for Dylan Windler in Cleveland. A combination of injuries and underwhelming performance was the overarching theme of Windler's stint as a Cavalier. The 26-year old forward only appeared in 84 games over three years for Cleveland. This is due to a lengthy, almost never-ending injury history that consiste...
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Reds trade rumor: Cincinnati willing to trade Jonathan India
24Jul By James MastrucciNo Comments
Beyond Believeland

Reds trade rumor: Cincinnati willing to trade Jonathan India

In what came as a surprise to most, the Cincinnati Reds are reportedly willing to trade second baseman Jonathan India. This is a according to a report from MLB Network's Mark Feinsand. Feinsand had the following to say in regards to what he is hearing. "they are willing to trade 2021 NL ROY Jonathan India for young, controllable starting pitching per sources. Cincinnati has a glut of young infielders (Steer, De La Cruz, McLain, Encarnacion-Strand) with more on the way (Marte, Arroyo, Collier)". It is not exactly shocking to see the Reds be looking for young, controllable starting pitching. The Reds are a team in the mix for postseason play with the fourth-best record in the National League. Finding a way to upgrade a pitching staff that has given up the fifth-most home runs shou...
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Justin Verlander on the move? Trade rumor has Mets starter heading to the Bay Area
23Jul By James MastrucciNo Comments
Beyond Believeland

Justin Verlander on the move? Trade rumor has Mets starter heading to the Bay Area

Justin Verlander only has a handful of starts under his belt with the New York Mets, but he may be on the move. According to MLB Network's Jon Morosi, Verlander is drawing interest from the San Francisco Giants should he be willing to waive his no-trade clause. While the Giants are looking to be aggressive before the upcoming trade deadline, Verlander waiving his no-trade clause is far from a guarantee. There is a reason why Verlander has the clause in his contract in the first place as he would prefer to control any future landing spot. Additionally, the Mets would also have to punt the rest of the 2023 season and move on from potentially having Verlander in their rotation for next season. This is a likely scenario considering where they are in the standings currently. New York has n...
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Cavs named as one of NBA’s most improved teams
23Jul By James MastrucciNo Comments
Cavs

Cavs named as one of NBA’s most improved teams

The relative aggressiveness of the Cleveland Cavaliers this offseason has not gone unnoticed. The Cavs had some very clear needs entering this offseason and have made moves in order to address them. These efforts caught the attention of Dan Favale of Bleacher Report as he named Cleveland as one of the six teams that improved the most this offseason. Favale notes that the Cavs had two goals they needed to accomplish this offseason. "upgrade their shooting on the wings without torpedoing the defense, and deepen the front-line rotation behind Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen." Dan Favale on Cleveland's needs Bringing in Max Strus and Georges Niang were Cleveland's way of addressing those needs. While neither player is anything resembling a star, that is not what the Cavs needed at t...
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Cavs in Top-10 of NBA Power Rankings
22Jul By James MastrucciNo Comments
Cavs

Cavs in Top-10 of NBA Power Rankings

The Cleveland Cavaliers were active in making changes to their roster for the upcoming season. With those changes the Cavs are considered a Top-10 team in the NBA. This is according to the latest power rankings from Zach Harper appearing on The Athletic. Cleveland checks in at ninth, barely cracking the Top-10. This is a slight drop from where they were at the end of the regular season as they were sixth at the time. The Cavs current ranking has them in what is considered a "Tier 3 Playoff Hopeful". While this seems a bit harsh for a team that has clearly improved this offseason, moving on from players with no future in Cleveland. Being able to add Max Strus, Georges Niang, and Ty Jerome while retaining Caris LeVert seems like a solid step in the right direction for the Cavs. Thes...
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Emoni Bates can be big part of Cavs future, it may just take some time
20Jul By James MastrucciNo Comments
Cavs

Emoni Bates can be big part of Cavs future, it may just take some time

When the Cleveland Cavaliers selected Emoni Bates in the second round of the 2023 NBA Draft they knew it was going to take a bit of time for him to become fully acclimated to the NBA. Even with the potential extended timeline, Bates can still be a big part of Cleveland's future. Bates gave a glimpse of what could be on the horizon during the Cavs run to the Summer League title. Averaging 17.2 points and six rebounds per game, Bates was able to be a big time contributor. The rookie was able to make an impact from deep, averaging three makes on seven attempts. This is exactly the type of production Cleveland has been missing from their complimentary players. Being able to convert at this rate would be a game changer once Bates gets his chance. While the performance of Emoni Bates in ...
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