The Sportsletter - Deadline Day ⏱️

BY JEFF YODER

AUG. 2, 2022  |  SUBSCRIBE  |  REFER  |  WEB VIEW

Good Morning,

The MLB's trade deadline is finally here. Monday brought out the buyers and sellers we were waiting to see, and two American League contenders kept adding firepower. Plus, Deshaun Watson's suspension has been handed down.

Letter Rip!

MLB

MLB Trade Deadline Day

Photo: Scott Taetsch / Getty Images

Astros Get Mancini, Yankees Nab Pitchers & Braves Lock Up Austin Riley

The two top teams in the American League made a splash on the eve of the MLB trade deadline. Both the Yankees and Astros stole the headlines on Monday with the Astros acquiring Trey Mancini and Christian Vazquez and the Yankees swiping a pair of arms from the Athletics. The Braves also signed their budding superstar to a massive extension. Here’s the latest before today’s deadline (6:00 pm ET).

Latest MLB Acquisition News

Astros Acquire Mancini & Vazquez: Houston made two splashes on Monday and filled two holes in the roster by acquiring 1B Trey Mancini from the Orioles and C Christian Vazquez from the Red Sox in separate deals.

Yankees Add Pitchers: The Yanks have been one of the busiest deadline buyers, and Monday was no exception. They swung a deal to bolster their pitching staff with right-handers Frankie Montas and Lou Trivino from the Athletics in exchange for four prospects.

Braves Lock Up Riley: In the midst of an earth-shattering season for Austin Riley, Atlanta gave their rising star a 10-year, $212 million extension. Riley just finished one of the best months in Braves franchise history, batting .423 with 11 home runs.

Cardinals Get Quintana: The St. Louis Cardinals reportedly made a deal for Pirates lefty Jose Quintana late Monday night, although details of the trade haven’t been finalized. The 33-year-old former all-star would add depth to the Cards’ rotation.

Padres Make Run at Ohtani: Few expected the Angels to actually part ways with Shohei Ohtani, and it looks like they won’t. That didn’t stop the Padres from making calls.

Other Trade Deadline Deals

Red Sox Acquire Tommy Pham From Reds

Braves Acquire Robbie Grossman From Tigers

White Sox Acquire Jake Diekman From Red Sox

Tracking Every Trade Deadline Deal

Trade Deadline: Today (6:00 pm ET)

MLB Quick-Hitters

Aaron Judge Hits 43rd Home Run of the Season

Gio Urshela Hits 10th-Inning Walk-Off HR for Twins

NFL

Watson Gets 6-Game Suspension

Photo: Nick Cammett / Getty Images

Arbitrator Suspends Browns QB Deshaun Watson for First 6 Games of 2022 Season

The decision has been made. On Monday, Sue L. Robinson — an appointed disciplinary officer by the NFL and NFLPA — handed down a six-game suspension to Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson for violating NFL conduct policies. Watson had 25 civil lawsuits filed against him since March of 2021 for acts of inappropriate behavior and sexual assault with multiple massage therapists over a number of years. Even though most of the lawsuits have been settled, his punishment on the field was the next step.

What Comes Next?

The NFLPA won’t appeal the ruling, and they’ve urged the NFL to do the same. The fate of the appeal lies in the hands of commissioner Roger Goodell. The six-game suspension seems quite laughable to many considering the expected one-year suspension, but the Browns will now lean on Jacoby Brissett to open the season after shipping Baker Mayfield to Carolina. The Deshaun Watson era in Cleveland will wait until Week 7, but the legal battles aren’t done yet.

The Browns signed Watson to a five-year, $230 million contract after trading six draft picks, including three 1st-rounders, to the Texans back in March.

Additional Storylines

FTW: The Next Steps of the Deshaun Watson Suspension, Explained

SI: Deshaun Watson Suspension Shows Staggering Weakness by Roger Goodell

CBS Sports: Deshaun Watson Drama Not Over: QB’s Ban Could Lengthen if NFL Appeals

THE STORYLINES

⚾️ MLB Power Rankings

With Major League Baseball's 2022 trade deadline on Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET, teams are jockeying to make deals for the stretch run. The Los Angeles Dodgers have gone 7-3 since the All-Star break to move ahead of the New York Yankees for the top ranking. (USA Today)

🏀 Honoring Bill Russell’s Legacy

For 13 years Bill Russell terrorized opponents on the court, collecting 12 All-Star nods, five MVP awards and 11 NBA championships. For his efforts, the Celtics enshrined Russell’s No. 6 among those that will never be worn again. (Sports Illustrated)

🏈 NFL MVP Betting Odds

Football is officially back, baby! And when it comes to gambling, NFL MVP is one of the most fun futures bets you can make. The last nine MVPs have been quarterbacks, and in the last 15 years, a signal-caller has been named the League's Most Valuable Player 14 times. (FOX Sports)

📰 THE HEADLINES

• PGA Tour Increases Prize Money to Record $415 Million Next Season (B/R)
• NBA Investigating Tampering in Knicks Signing of Jalen Brunson (ESPN)
• USMNT’s Weston McKennie Suffers Shoulder Injury With Juventus (SI)
• Braves Designate Robinson Cano for Assignment After Trade (CBS Sports)

Support The Sportsletter Team

Writer & Editor: Jeff Yoder

Content Intern: Marissa Kasch

Product Manager: Matthew Cahill

Lead Designer: Joe Stella

Technical Lead: Kevin Lonergan

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