Brian Gutekunst’s first round draft picks have been a mixed bag of hits and misses.

The Green Bay Packers’ general manager has connected far more than he’s whiffed, though, in Round 2. And that bodes well for Green Bay this season in a year it needs Gutekunst to shine.

The Packers sent their first round draft pick to Dallas in the Micah Parsons trade, meaning Green Bay won’t select until pick No. 52.

If Gutekunst can strike gold in Round 2, though, as he has a handful of times in his first eight drafts, the Packers should land an immediate contributor.

Here’s a look at Gutekunst’s second round picks. By subjective count, five were outstanding selections, two were solid picks, two were disappointments, and the jury remains out on one.

Here’s a look at Gutekunst’s second round picks.

THE HITS

ELGTON JENKINS

2019, No. 44 overall

The skinny: During his seven seasons in Green Bay, Jenkins was named to two Pro Bowls and the 2019 Pro Football Writers Association All-Rookie Team. He started 94 games at four different positions and played in 96 career games with the Packers.

In 2020, Jenkins became Green Bay’s first offensive lineman since the 1970 merger to start a game at guard, center and tackle. Jenkins was released on March 9 and signed with Cleveland two days later.

CHRISTIAN WATSON, WR

2022, No. 34

The skinny: Watson made a magnificent recovery from a torn ACL late in the 2024 season and looked like a legitimate No. 1 receiver after returning midway through the 2025 campaign.

Watson has blazing speed, which has helped him average 17.0 yards per catch during his career. He’s extremely bright and a consistent presence in the locker room. Watson will become a free agent in March, 2027, and the Packers would love to lock him up for the next few seasons.

JAYDEN REED, WR

2023, No. 50

The skinny: Reed led the Packers in receptions and receiving yards each of his first two seasons. Reed also became the only receiver in team history to post 900-plus yards from scrimmage in each of his first two years.

Reed played just seven games and had only 19 catches in 2025, though, due to injuries. Now, entering a contract year, Reed will try rebounding and earning a big payday — in Green Bay or somewhere else.

EDGERRIN COOPER, LB

2024, No. 45

The skinny: Cooper has had a terrific start to his Green Bay career and could have Pro Bowls and All-Pro selections in his future.

Cooper was the only player in the NFL with at least 75 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, three sacks, an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery during his 2024 rookie season. He wasn’t quite as impactful in 2025, but had a grade of 75.7 from Pro Football Focus that ranked 17^th among 88 qualifying linebackers.

JAVON BULLARD, DB

2024, No. 58

The skinny: Bullard is a rising player who the Packers have used primarily as their nickel corner. In 2025, Bullard’s coverage grade of 67.2 ranked 32nd among 98 qualifying safeties, according to Pro Football Focus.

Bullard's 0.63 yards allowed per coverage snap last season also ranked among the best in the league. Bullard’s run defense needs improvement, but overall, he’s been a late second round find.

THE SO-SO PICKS

AJ DILLON, RB

2020, No. 62

The skinny: Dillon rushed for nearly 1,600 yards, caught 62 passes and had 14 total touchdowns in the 2021 and 2022 seasons combined. In that time, he didn't miss a game, but also produced few explosive plays.

Dillon suffered a neck injury, though, in Aug. 2024 and never played for Green Bay again. Dillon, nicknamed “Quadzilla” due to his muscular quadriceps, played seven games for Philadelphia last season and signed a free agent deal with Carolina last month.

JOSH MYERS, C

2021, No. 62

The skinny: Myers was an iron man, starting 50 of his final 51 games in Green Bay. He played 99.73% of the snaps in 2022, 99.4% in 2023 and 93.0% in 2024.

The Packers were never sold on Myers, though, and made little effort to resign him in free agency in March, 2025. That move backfired, though, when Elgton Jenkins flopped at center and free agent Aaron Banks struggled taking over for Jenkins at left guard.

While Myers certainly wasn’t elite, the Packers definitely missed him after he was gone.

THE MISSES

JOSH JACKSON, CB

2018, No. 45

The skinny: Gutekunst’s first second round pick was his worst.

Jackson was the fourth cornerback taken in the 2018 draft, but never played to that lofty draft standing

Jackson’s most significant playing time came as a rookie, when he made 10 starts and had 10 passes defensed. Jackson’s playing time declined in 2019 and 2020, he was traded to the New York Giants in 2021 for cornerback Isaac Yiadom, and never played in another NFL game.

LUKE MUSGRAVE, TE

2023, No. 42

The skinny: Musgrave was off to a terrific start as a rookie, catching 34 passes in his first 10 games. In a Week 11 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, though, Musgrave suffered a lacerated kidney and has never matched his rookie production.

Musgrave played just seven games in 2024 due to an ankle injury that required surgery. Musgrave was a bit player, at best, in 2025 until standout Tucker Kraft suffered a torn ACL in Week 9. Even with Kraft sidelined, Musgrave had just 16 catches in Green Bay’s final 10 games.

Musgrave has all the physical gifts to excel, but his production has never matched his potential.

THE JURY’S STILL OUT

ANTHONY BELTON, OL

2025, No. 54

The skinny: Belton took over the starting right guard spot in late-November and was so-so, at best.

The massive Belton (6-6, 336) earned an overall grade of 50.0 from Pro Football Focus, which was just 71st among 81 qualified offensive guards. Belton’s run blocking was slightly better than his pass blocking, but were both subpar.

Belton has upside, though, and the Packers believe he can take a major jump in Year 2.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com

Unlike other majors The Masters doesn’t lend itself to the underdog story very often. The big players show up on the big stage and dominate the winner’s circle at Augusta. Once a decade, a longshot finds his way into the Green Jacket.
A few notables are Danny Willett in 2016, Trevor Immelman in 2008 and Larry Mize in 1987. It was Mize who famously chipped in to beat Greg Norman in a playoff. These guys are or were legit pros but not known to the casual fan. Most every player in the Masters field would be deserving champions due to the fact that the list of contestants is so exclusive. You must be somebody to compete.

Comparatively speaking this Masters looks to be full of players who could pull of the upset. I’ve got a short list of the most likely-and profitable- candidates to surprise the golf world. Odds from Caesar’s Sportsbook as of April 8th.

Akshay Bhatia +3500 to win

Far from an unknown, Bhatia is an intriguing player to watch this week. He’s a lights out putter who is sneaky long off the tee. If he keeps the driver in play this week you’ll see a lot of him over the weekend. His inexperience at Augusta may keep him from winning but that doesn’t scare me off. Good value bet to top 10 (+750) also.

Robert McIntyre +2700 to win

This guy is a pitbull. He isn’t flashy and doesn’t do everything particularly great. He’s steady as they come and doesn’t shrink in the moment. No surprise if you see him on the first page of the leaderboard at any point this week. When he is you’ll get tired of the announce team calling him Bobby Mac pretty quickly. The top ten play at +235 is a little low. Keep an eye on that number as the week progresses. He will play his way into that position late.

Gary Woodland +8000 to win

If you’ve been paying attention you know his story. The former U.S. Open champion is back after a serious health scare and his recent admission of PTSD. He won recently so his comeback is to this point a successful one. Long off the tee, solid short game and proving that his heart and mental state are on form. One of my sentimental choices this week. I see him either threatening the top 10 (or better) or missing the cut. His game is sharp, are his emotions and mental health? I hope so. Let’s go Gary.

Fred Couples +150000 to win

A couple of reasons why he’s on this list. This may be the last time we see Freddie tee it up at Augusta. He’s also not the longest shot to win. I’ve been betting on him at this tournament for many years. He won’t win, let’s be real. He’s in his mid 60’s, can’t hit it long anymore and his putting is, well, a weakness. But $20 is a sentimental, nostalgic nod to one of the best performers at Augusta ever. True he’s only won once, but he made cuts and contended often. He and Arnold Palmer are my two golf heroes. Here’s to hoping Couples makes the cut, turns back time and authors the greatest sports story ever told.

Bonus prediction

Xander Schauffele to record the low round of the tournament (+2800)

This article was originally published on Forbes.com

If Sundays have become the day for coaching changes late in the 2025-26 season and Mondays are about dismissing general managers, the Seattle Kraken have taken a shot at claiming Wednesday for changes at the team president level.

On Apr. 8, the team announced that president of hockey operations Ron Francis will be leaving the organization at the end of this year.

Francis, now 63, has been a key leader in Seattle since the early days after the NHL’s 32nd franchise was officially awarded in December of 2018. A decorated player with two Stanley Cups and multiple individual awards, Francis was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007. After spending more than a decade working his way up the executive ranks with the Carolina Hurricanes after his playing career ended, he signed on as the first GM of what was still known as NHL Seattle in July 0f 2019. Francis had a hand in everything from the team branding to the build-out of Climate Pledge Arena and the team’s practice facility, the Kraken Community Iceplex, as well as the roster and coaching staff.

Last summer, he was elevated to the role of president of hockey operations while his former assistant GM, Jason Botterill, took over as general manager and executive vice president of hockey operations. Botterill has also been with the team since its inception.

According to Wednesday’s team statement, 49-year-old Botterill will now lead Seattle’s hockey operations. Francis will not be replaced.

Following in the expansion shadow of the Vegas Golden Knights was never going to be an easy path for the Kraken. The Golden Knights were a smash hit out of the box in 2017. They reached the Stanley Cup Final in their first season, missed the playoffs just once in their first five seasons and won it all in Year 6.

That season, 2022-23, was Seattle’s second, and marked the team’s only playoff appearance to date. The Kraken may have thrown an assist in the direction of their expansion cousins by taking out the defending championship Colorado Avalanche in a Game 7 overtime upset in Round 1, then pushing the dangerous Dallas Stars to seven games before falling in Round 2.

From there, the Golden Knights were able to take out the Stars in six games in the Western Conference Final, then defeat the Florida Panthers in five to take the Cup.

The Kraken were unable to build on that playoff momentum. They’re now on their third coach in three years after Dave Hakstol was replaced by Dan Bylsma for the 2024-25 season, then Bylsma was replaced by Lane Lambert just one year later.

Lambert got off to a good start this season. At U.S. Thanksgiving, the Kraken were one point out of first place in the Pacific Division with a record of 11-6-6. At the Olympic break in February, they remained in third place in the division with a record of 27-20-9.

At the trade deadline, Botterill appeared to fill a team need for scoring effectively when he acquired winger Bobby McMann from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a fourth-round draft pick and a conditional second. But even though McMann has been Seattle’s top scorer since his acquisition, with eight goals in 13 games, the team has floundered.

Seattle’s record of 3-11-2 from the Mar. 6 deadline to the Apr. 8 announcement on Francis’s future is the worst in the league at just a .250 points percentage, and the Kraken are now nine points out of a wild-card spot, poised to miss the playoffs for a third-straight season.

The Kraken had hoped to be further along by now, especially because a major force in their market could change the landscape going forward.

Sports fans in the region were burned badly by the departure of the NBA’s Seattle Supersonics in 2008 but their long-held hope that they’d be considered for an NBA expansion franchise got real in March, when the board of governors officially authorized the exploration of new franchises in both Seattle and Las Vegas.

If the NBA does return to Seattle, the Kraken will no longer be the shiny new toy. They deliver a first-class game experience at Climate Pledge Arena but at some point, they’re going to need to start delivering more on-ice excitement, and more wins, if they want to hold fans’ attention in what is already a very saturated sports market.

The Kraken have five games remaining in their 2025-26 season. They’ll play the first three at home, starting with the Golden Knights arriving on Thursday with a 4-0 record since installing John Tortorella behind their bench on Mar. 29. Seattle’s final two games of the year will be played on the road, in Vegas on Apr. 15 and at Ball Arena in Denver on Apr. 16.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com

Last Thursday, the Atlanta Braves beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 17-2. It was, by all accounts, a butt whooping. But upon closer inspection, was it?

As Ben Lindbergh pointed out in Episode 2462 of the Effective Wild podcast, just one at-bat changed everything about this game. And this inning (the fifth) and this game could be a microcosm of the “new baseball,” something that would be unrecognizable to fans just a generation ago (let alone 50 or 75 years in the past).

Here is how that fifth inning unfolded, which started with the Braves leading 2-1:

Second baseman Ozzie Albies led off and was called out on strikes on a 3-2 pitch. However, he tapped his helmet, compelling an ABS challenge, and was proven correct. As such, rather than one out and none on, there were no outs and one on.

Michael Harris II followed with a line out to center.

Dominic Smith walked, which moved Albies to second.

Mauricio Dubón then hit a ball to ten-time Gold Glove third baseman Nolan Arenado, who booted it, thus loading the bases. Does Arenado make this error ten years ago when he had a .973 fielding percentage and made only five fielding errors all season?

Ronald Acuña Jr. followed with a walk of his own, which gave the Braves their third run.

Catcher Drake Baldwin then hit a ground ball to Arenado, who started an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play. But Atlanta challenged the call at first, and won, leaving runners on the corners with two outs, and the Braves now leading 4-1.

Matt Olson followed with a double to right; Atlanta 5, Arizona 1.

After a pitching change, third baseman Austin Riley slashed a ball down the left field line for a double, scoring two.

Mike Yastrzemski then walked on a 3-2 pitch.

Albies, batting for the second time in the inning, lofted a soft flyball to left field that fell in front of Jordan Lawlar, for yet another run.

Harris, who made the first out of the fifth many moons ago, got redemption, doubling on a sharp line drive to left, scoring both Yastrzemski and Albies, which gave the Braves a 10-1 lead.

Dom Smith, also batting for the second time in the frame, gave Arenado one more shot, and the third baseman made good, tossing to first to end the inning.

51 pitches were thrown by Arizona pitchers in the fifth – 44 after Albies went from striking out to walking and starting the onslaught.

Prior to this season, when the ABS challenge system was instituted, Albies would have recorded the first out of the inning (rather than getting a base on balls). And Baldwin’s ground ball to Arenado, which resulted in a force out at second base (here for the second out), would have ended the inning, with no runs scored. Add to the mix that the possibility that Albies may have objected vociferously to a pitch clearly outside the strike zone and got himself thrown out for arguing balls and strikes, making him unavailable for the remainder of what was then a one-run game.

Prior to 2014, when replay review was instituted for plays other than home runs (which started in 2008), the inning would have ended with Baldwin’s ground ball to third, and the Braves leading 3-1.

The Braves tacked on two more runs in the sixth, and then five more in the ninth off catcher James McCann, who took the hill for the D’Backs in the blowout. Position players have always pitched in non-competitive games or in a pinch, but their usage has exploded, jumping by nearly 500% since 2016 (according to FanGraphs, in 2016, position players accounted for 0.16% of all relief appearances, while in 2025, they accounted for 0.76%). And while there were only 61 such appearances last season, regardless of the score, it would have been unheard of for a catcher to throw the ninth inning in say, 1986.

However, love it or hate it, this is baseball in 2026. We have the ABS system and replay reviews and non-pitchers throwing garbage-time innings.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com

The Pittsburgh Pirates aren’t pinching pennies anymore.

They agreed this week to pay 19-year-old shortstop Konnor Griffin a reported $140 million over nine years. It is the largest and longest deal in club history, topping the $106.75 million Bryan Reynolds received three years ago.

Widely viewed as the top prospect in baseball, Griffin started the year in the minors but was quickly promoted to Pittsburgh. Written into the starting lineup for the first time on April 3, he collected an RBI double in his first at-bat.

Drafted ninth overall but first by the Pirates in the 2024 amateur draft, Griffin tore through the minors like an F-5 tornado in a Kansas wheat field. Never mind that he was just a high school player at the time of the draft.

Playing on three levels of the minors last summer, he hit a combined .333 with 21 home runs, 94 runs batted in, and 65 stolen bases.

Those numbers excited the Pirates, who haven’t had a winning record since 2018 or a playoff appearance since 2015. Any hopes they had last season collapsed when the club finished last in the majors in home runs, runs scored, and on-base plus slugging (OPS).

The team finished 71-91, costing manager Derek Shelton his job and finishing 26th in attendance, drawing just 1,525,025 to PNC Park, arguably the most photogenic in the majors.

Winter moves to bolster the offense brought veterans Marcell Ozuna, Brandon Lowe, and Ryan O’Hearn but the team believes the untested Griffin can mean much more. That’s why his new contract will carry him through 2034.

At an annual average of $15,555,555, according to Roster Resource, he’ll make more than any other Pirate, just ahead of pitcher Mitch Keller, who is earning $15,400,000.

“This is an unusual and dramatic step for the Pittsburgh Pirates,” chairman Bob Nutting told the local media. “I’m excited. I hope our fans are excited. And I hope the city is excited.”

The consensus Minor League Player of the Year for 2025, Griffin is considered a five-tool player.

“Speed, power, arm strength, he’s got it all,” gushed manager Don Kelly. “He’s got the personality. He’s humble. He’s the best.”

Griffin is basking in the same spotlight that shined on teammate Paul Skenes the last two years. He not only started consecutive All-Star Games for the National League but also won the NL’s Cy Young Award for 2025.

“The Pirates have believed in me for a long time,” Griffin said. “For two years, they allowed me to progress through the minor leagues, let me become the player that I am. I’m thankful to be here for another nine years. The stability is really important to me and my family. It’s a great opportunity.”

Griffin is the latest of nearly a dozen blue-chip prospects signed to massive contract extensions with virtually no major-league experience.

Among the others are Colt Emerson (Mariners), who got eight years at $95 million; Cooper Pratt (Brewers), recipient of $50.75 million over eight years; and Jackson Chourio (Brewers), given $82 million in an eight-year deal.

Also on that elite list are Colt Keith (Tigers), Luis Robert, Jr. (White Sox), Julio Rodriguez and Evan White (Mariners), Eloy Jimenez (White Sox); Scott Kingery (Phillies), Jon Singleton (Astros), Samuel Basallo (Orioles); Roman Anthony and Kristian Campbell (Red Sox); and Brandon Lowe (Rays).

The flurry of lucrative long-term contracts for talented but inexperienced rookies reflects management’s concern over changes to the Basic Agreement between players and owners. After the current contract expires in December – probably preceded and accompanied by acrimonious negotiations – changes to free agency and service time are probable. Contracts signed now, however, would not be affected.

No matter how good a player is, however, long-term signings are gambles – especially for rookies. While players are giving up years of free agency, they are getting guaranteed dollars.

Not all such signings are wise investments. Wander Franco, signed to an 11-year, $182 million pact guaranteed through 2032, ran into legal problems that led to his suspension. Jimenez, Kingery, Lowe, and Robert Jr. were all traded when they failed to live up to their initial promise.

The Pirates anticipate no such problems with Griffin.

“We’re going to do a lot of great things with the players we have,” Griffin beamed after his signing became official. “I want to be part of it. I want to continue to be part of the building of winning playoff baseball.

“This is a great place for me and a great place for my family. I couldn’t be more proud.”

He needed only a week in Triple-A to merit a promotion to Pittsburgh.

“Since the day Konnor signed,” said general manager Ben Cherington, “he has met every challenge from a baseball perspective. He’s always put the team first, representing himself, his family, and the organization in the most first-class manner. He has earned our trust.”

He has also earned a place in the lineup, where he’s arguably the best teenaged shortstop since future Hall of Famer Robin Yount broke in with the 1974 Milwaukee Brewers.

Konnor Griffin will celebrate his 20th birthday on April 24.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com

The Green Jacket is the most widely recognized honor bestowed on the winner of golf’s annual Masters Tournament, having been awarded every year since 1949, when Sam Snead was the first recipient.

But it’s far from the only award handed out to Masters participants after the season’s first major championship. And it’s also not the rarest.

In addition to the much-desired Green Jacket – single breasted, single vent, with brass buttons and adorned with an Augusta National logo on the left chest pocket -- the Masters champion since 1993 has received a sterling replica of the permanent Masters Trophy as well as a gold medal emblazoned with “Augusta National Golf Club” and a representation of the historic clubhouse. The winner also has his name engraved on the permanent Masters Trophy that remains at the club.

The runner-up also has their name memorialized on the permanent Masters Trophy and receives both a silver medal and a silver salver. The medal – also featuring the club’s name and clubhouse – has been presented to the second-place finisher at the Masters since 1951. The salver, a formal tray with no handles, was added as an award in 1978.

The amateur participant with the lowest 72-hole score receives a silver cup. This year, there are six amateurs in the 91-player field, among them U.S. Amateur Champion Mason Howell, who is scheduled to play alongside reigning Masters champion Rory McIlroy (and Cameron Young) during the first two rounds. Other amateurs in the 2026 field include U.S. Amateur runner-up Jackson Herrington, British Amateur champion Ethan Fang, Asia-Pacific Amateur champion Fifa Laopakdee, Latin American champion Mateo Pulcini, and U.S. Mid-Amateur champ Brandon Holtz. Last year, none of the five amateurs made the 36-hole cut for weekend play, so the silver cup wasn’t presented.

Masters Awards

For more than half a century (since 1954), Masters participants have received additional awards for a variety of accomplishments and feats.

The most common achievement is an eagle, or score of 2-under-par on a given hole, for which players get a pair of crystal highball glasses – with the Augusta National logo, naturally. The most eagles made in a single tournament was 47, in 2015, and there were 27 eagles last year. Jack Nicklaus holds the Masters record with 24 career eagles (including three on par 4s), while three players share the record of four eagles in a single tournament. The last to do so was Tiger Woods, who received eight crystal glasses for his feat in 2010.

The player with the lowest score for each competition round receives an ornate crystal vase.

The prize for a hole-in-one, meanwhile, is a large crystal bowl.

There have been 34 aces in tournament history, from Ross Somerville’s hole-out with a mashie niblick on the par 3 16^th hole in 1934 to the most recent by Stewart Cink with an 8-iron, also on the 16^th hole, in 2022. The 16^th hole, which is named Redbud and plays fully over a pond, has been the home to 24 holes-in-one over the history of the Masters, more than twice as many as the other three par 3 holes in total. While the 6^th hole at Augusta National has seen six holes-in-one during Masters play and the 12^th has had three, there has only been a single score of 1 posted on the 4th hole, that by Jeff Sluman with a 4-iron from 213 yards in 1992.

The rarest of Masters awards is the even larger crystal bowl for a double eagle, or 3-under-par on a single hole.

This has only occurred four times in the tournament’s history, most notably Gene Sarazen’s hole-out on the par-5 15^th in 1935 – an albatross called the “shot heard ‘round the world" that’s considered by some to be the most famous shot in Masters history. It came during just the second playing of the Masters, helping Sarazen erase a three-shot final-round deficit and tie for the lead. He went on to win in a playoff and achieve a feat now known as the career Grand Slam, with wins in all four majors.

However, the first crystal bowl for a double eagle wasn’t awarded until 1967, when Bruce Devlin made one during the first round on the par-5 8^th hole. The club’s first chairman, Clifford Roberts, announced that a special trophy would be ordered for Devlin, but one would first be delivered to Sarazen. Jeff Maggert (13^th hole in 1994) and Louis Oosthuizen (2^nd hole in 2012) are the only other golfers to receive the tournament’s rarest award. Oosthuizen’s dramatic hole-out for 2 from 253 yards early in the final round helped get him into a playoff with Bubba Watson, but it wasn’t quite enough to win him the most prestigious of all the prizes at the Masters.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com

The New York Mets underwent some big roster changes before this season began and they appear to be paying off.

Though the baseball season is fewer than a dozen games in, the Mets have seized the top spot in the National League East division and appear well equipped to return to the playoffs after missing them last year.

But as the team adjusts to its new personnel, fans might want to check in on how some former players are faring.

All-Star closer Edwin Diaz leads the National League with four saves as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Pete Alonso has struggled to a .186 batting average with the Baltimore Orioles and Brandon Nimmo is leading the Texas Rangers with 14 hits so far.

MORE FROM FORBESRed Sox ‘Working Through’ Roman Anthony Issue After Brutal MistakeBy Peter Chawaga

Former New York Mets Starter Cuts Ties With Los Angeles Angels

Meanwhile, a pitcher who played for the Mets from 2021 to 2024, has cut ties with his latest team after becoming an unfortunate big-league roster casualty.

On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Angels announced that Joey Lucchesi had cleared waivers, was outrighted to Triple-A and elected free agency as a result.

Mets fans will recall Lucchesi as part of a three-time trade that sent Endy Rodriguez and David Bednar to the Pittsburgh Pirates and Joe Musgrove to the San Diego Padres, among other personnel moves. Lucchesi landed in queens after three years with the Padres.

Lucchesi was a nine-game starter from the Mets in the 2023 campaign, when he maintained a 2.89 ERA with 32 strikeouts in 46.2 total innings. But he only made two starts in 2024 and left the Mets after that season.

MORE FROM FORBESDodgers’ $240 Million Superstar Praises Blue Jays Gesture After InjuryBy Peter Chawaga

New York Mets’ Former Trade Acquisition Cut From American League Team As Infection Forces Shuffle

Lucchesi served as a reliever for the San Francisco Giants last year, then joined the Angels for a brief stint before a roster shuffle pushed him off the big-league roster last week.

“Lucchesi was pushed off the roster after Sunday’s scheduled starter, Ryan Johnson, was scratched with a viral infection,” Anthony Franco wrote for MLB Trade Rumors. “The Halos tabbed prospect George Klassen for a spot start. They needed active and 40-man roster space to bring him up, leaving Lucchesi as a tough luck roster casualty.”

After eight years of big-league experience, it seems like Lucchesi could be reaching the end of his big-league opportunities. But as a free agent, he will be searching for a new opportunity that could lead to a return to the majors, though his brief stint with the Angels wasn’t very encouraging.

“Lucchesi allowed five of six hitters to reach in his season debut,” Franco added. “He followed up with a pair of scoreless outings but walked at least one batter in all of his appearances. He wound up issuing five free passes (four walks and a hit batter) across 2.1 innings.”

This article was originally published on Forbes.com

Earlier this week we discussed Seattle’s long-term contract with shortstop Colt Emerson. Well, the Brewers were not to be outdone. Shortly after the ink on that contract was dry, Milwaukee signed their potential shortstop of the future, Cooper Pratt, to an eight-year deal worth more than $50 million. Sure, this about half of what Seattle guaranteed Emerson, but that may be because Pratt’s future value (per FanGraphs) is 45. He was originally a sixth round pick in 2023, and signed for just $1.35 million (by comparison, Emerson was a first-round pick and signed for $3.8 million).

What makes Pratt’s extension so interesting is that he is represented by über-agent Scott Boras, who nearly always brings his clients to free agency and allows the market to set their value. But, the 21-year-old pushed for the extension, telling reporters:

“Just the security I’ll have the opportunity to set up like I’ll never have to worry about anything like that, pretty much, the rest of my life. I can just play and play the game like how it’s supposed to be played, not think about it as much and also be able to take care of my family for generations.”

The deal also includes two club options for 2034 and 2035 at $6.3 million each.

Pratt is somewhat the opposite of Emerson in that he is an elite fielder but has struggled with the bat. Last year at Double-A, he hit just .238 with a .691 OPS. But the Brewers were impressed by his low strikeout rate (15.2%) and nice walk rate (12.7%). Keith Law of The Athletic, when ranking Pratt 99^th in his Top-100 prospects, wrote that Pratt “needs to grow into some more power. If he can hit the ball harder on a more consistent basis, he’ll be an above-average regular at shortstop because of all of his other skills, even if he maxes out at 10-12 homers a year.”

The long-term deal with Pratt is somewhat of a duplicate of what the club did with Jackson Chourio back in 2023, when they signed him to an $82 million extension (over eight years) before he made his MLB debut. Chourio has rewarded that confidence by giving the team two seasons with an OPS+ of 118 and 113. After two big league seasons, his slash line is .272/.317/.463, and he has become a mainstay in the outfield on two division-winning teams.

At present, per FanGraphs positional power rankings, Milwaukee ranks 25^th at shortstop. Joey Ortiz, Jett Willams (acquired from the Mets as part of the Freddy Peralta trade), Brice Turang (who is quickly becoming the best defensive second baseman in the game), and David Hamilton, represent the current depth chart for the Brewers at shortstop, meaning, as with Colt Emerson, the door is open for Pratt to push his way to the big leagues in short order.

Pratt says that he spoke with manager Pat Murphy and president of baseball operations Matt Arnold during spring training, and then consulted with his teammates, including veteran Christian Yelich, to make sure he was in the right place, in the right frame of mind, and making the right type of deal. “It was hard, but ultimately, hearing everything that had to be said was very beneficial. Hopefully it turns out to be a win-win for both the organization and me.”

Historically, Milwaukee has done more with less, spotted talent before others, and made the most of deals like this. Said differently, bet against the Brewers (and Pratt) at your peril.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com