[majormet]

Busy day as we get close to the trading deadline in 2025.

Dave Shean of the San Jose Skeeters hits for the cycle today as the Skeeter won a wild 9-8 game over the Billings Beacons in 13 innings. Billings cored 4 in the top of the 13th and San Jose retaliated with 5 in the bottom of the inning. This was a dream game for Shean as he hits the walk off grand slam with San Jose trailing 8-5 in the bottom of the 13th, Shean drove in 5 runs and has 7 RBI's for the season since coming over from the Kansas City Royals in the Hunter Renfroe trade.

It was a milestone day for Anthony Rizzo of the New York Mets as he launched his 300th career homer today at Citifield in an 8-4 loss to the Washington Nationals. Rizzo hits the big homer in the first inning off of dominant Dave Righetti, who improved to 15-6 with the win. Rags is looking for his 3rd straight 20 win season. Rizzo has 34 homers on the season and is in his 6th year with the Mets, after organically landing on the Chicago Cubs for the 2019 season.

Tennis pro and first baseman John Isner has decided to call it quits and will retire with the Staten Island Blue Jackets. Isner is 38 years old and has played for a lot of teams but had 3 years with the Philadelphia Phillies between 2020 and 2022. He has 188 homers and 907 hits so 200 homers is a possibility but he has only 13 hit this year, he drilled 35 in 2022.

The Los Angeles Angels went all in today trading for outfielder Josh Hamilton from the San Diego Padres. Hamilton will move north on the Pacific Coast Highway in exchange for RP Marcus Walden, and P Dick Burns. San Diego GM Bill Trimborn said he needed to get rid of Hamilton, would not disclose any reasons. Rumors of drug use were quickly defused by San Diego manager Jim Bonnett. Hamilton had 27 homers and 75 RBI's at the time of the trade. Angels are 80-41 in 4th place in the AL Pacific trailing the Fresno Bashers by 6 games.

Roy Smalley is on the move as the Billings Beacons dealt him to the Jacksonville Beach Bums for 1B Art Shires and RP Bill Bailey. Smalley was batting .171 this year in Billings and hit .183 in 2024 for the Milwaukee Brewers. Meanwhile Shires has been the starting first baseman in Jacksonville with a .262 batting average. Jacksonville may be 14 games out in the tough AL Atlantic but at 78-43 they may think they have wild card aspirations.

Cleveland Indians are trying to put away the AL Central and made a trade today to get 3B Carlos Sanchez and SP Tyler Matzek from the Bakersfield Red Aces. Cleveland gives up C Bruce Maxwell in the trade. Sanchez was a mainstay of the Chicago Cubs from 2019-2024 with 966 career hits. Cleveland is protecting a 7 game lead over the 2nd place Chicago White Sox

In an odd New England trade, the Boston Red Sox land centerfielder Ginger Beaumont in a trade with the Providence Chargers. Red Sox had to part with reliever Charlie Dewald RP Nick Cullop. Beaumont was only hitting .228 this year in Providence so this is a change of scenery type trade. Red Sox are 66-55 and are 15 games behind the New York Yankees in the AL East.