MLBits: Pettiness in D.C., Wander Franco Learns a Valuable Lesson, Cy Young Watch, Mookie Magic, More

The Nationals and Juan Soto are likely on the outs, but what they did to Soto this week seems pretty petty.

Pettiness in D.C., Latest on Soto Trade Market

Juan Soto and the Washington Nationals seem to be heading for divorce with contract negotiations at an impasse after Soto turned down a recent 15-year, $440 million offer from the Nats. So, the Nationals did the pettiest thing imaginable and refused to charter their young superstar a flight to the Home Run Derby in Los Angeles.

Soto flew in commercial, arrived in Los Angeles at 1:30 AM, and went on to win the Derby anyway.

Jon Heyman checked in with what he’s hearing about the Juan Soto trade market on Thursday, naming eight teams involved in the pursuit of Soto, a trade that isn’t likely to happen until the August 2 deadline.

This is an excellent time to remind everyone to verify their sources and ensure their B.S. detectors are tuned to high alert as it’s fake account/information season. Some of the attempts are realistic, or somewhat realistic, but then there’s attempts like this, which just make you wonder why even try if this is the effort you’re putting out:

That’s not even remotely believable …

Wander Franco’s Car Burglarized

I’m guilty of leaving valuables in my car from time to time. Sometimes I leave my golf clubs in there after playing a twilight round of 18. Sometimes I even leave my wallet in my center console. But never have I left $550,000 worth of anything in my car (not that I’ve ever had the opportunity to).

Tamps Bay Rays rookie Wander Franco recently learned a valuable lesson when he left over a half-million dollars worth of jewelry in his car while on a rehab assignment in Jacksonville, Florida. Arrest reports and court documents obtained by ESPN indicate that 24-year-old Kahlil Eugene Mathis was arrested on July 4 after police used a driver’s license and thumbprint given by Mathis at a local pawn shop where Mathis sold some of the stolen jewelry.

Police reports state that Mathis gained entry to Wander Franco’s SUV and made off with a safe containing the jewelry. Police located the safe in a bedroom closet about six miles from the Hotel where Franco was staying.

Mathis is currently in jail and facing the charges for the Franco burglary as well as a slew of other incidents between January and his recent arrest.

Mathis is facing “charges for nine separate incidents since January, including four felony burglary charges, the Franco break-in among them, according to Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office records. He has also been charged with 14 other felonies related to weapons, evidence tampering, resisting arrest, credit card fraud, and drugs, plus four misdemeanor charges, including assault. He has a court date scheduled for Aug. 1 and is being held on a $906,566 bond, according to the sheriff’s office.”

A real winner right there. Take your valuables inside, kids.

Odds and Ends …

  • Players mic’d up is the best content!
  • Here’s a look at the Cy Young watch as voted on by MLB.com writers. AL All-Star Game starter Shane McClanahan leads the way, with Justin Verlander, Dylan Cease, Alek Manoah, and Kevin Gausman rounding out the top five in the AL. Sandy Alcántara leads the way in the NL, with Corbin Burnes, Max Fried, Tony Gonsolin, and Carlos Rodón rounding the top five.
  • More hardware for Shohei! The two-way superstar took home ‘Best MLB Player’ and ‘Best Athlete, Male Sports’ at this week’s ESPY Awards.
  • Mookie Betts ended last night’s Giants-Dodgers game in style!
  • Trea Turner also busted out the leather with this smooth sliding catch in foul territory last night:
  • Updated 2022 World Series odds for the second half of the season. The Yankees are the heavy favorites, with the Dodgers, Astros, and Mets behind them.
  • Just two months after the Chicago White Sox cut bait with veteran southpaw Dallas Keuchel, he is again looking for a new home after the Arizona Diamondbacks DFA’d him on Wednesday. Keuchel allowed 20 earned runs in his four starts with the Diamondbacks.
  • Aaron Judge crushed home run No. 34 last night, and it was a BOMB 💣!
  • written by

    Patrick grew up in Chicago's Bridgeport and Garfield Ridge neighborhoods before moving to the Western Suburbs of Chicago before eventually relocating to the Las Vegas area with his family in 2023. He started with Bleacher Nation in 2021 and has spent time as a Staff Writer and on the Chicago Blackhawks beat. He is currently a writer and editor at Bleacher Nation covering the Chicago Bears and the NFL at large and the author of the Bleacher Nation Newsletter. Patrick is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA).

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