What am I supposed to do with myself now?
The two days after the MLB All-Star game are the deadest of the dead on the American sports calendar. There are still some professional sports being played however, as the NBA has summer league preseason games in addition to MLS and the WNBA being in full swing. Still, if you’re looking for a real game from one of the four major professional leagues, you have to wait until MLB starts back up on Friday.
On to the links
Phillies news:
- Second-half Phillies storylines to watch, starting with the trade deadline. ($)
- Kyle Schwarber wasn’t the only Phillies representative at All-Star week, as bat boy Adam Crognale described his experience after winning a fan vote to be sent to Atlanta. ($)
- The key to the Phillies second half is simple: World Series or bust.
MLB news:
- The Royals and Pirates made a minor trade yesterday, but it sent Adam Frazier back to Kansas City.
- The All-Star game was anything but normal, so Jayson Stark broke down all the craziness in his special edition of Weird and Wild. ($)
- Nathan Eovaldi was in a similar boat to Cristopher Sánchez after an All-Star snub, so the Rangers did the same as the Phillies and gave him his bonus anyway.
- MLB and commissioner Rob Manfred are exploring the opportunity to allow players to participate in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
- Which All-Stars could be on the move at the trade deadline?
- FanGraphs needs your help with its outsourced trade value tool.