Slovenia’s Tadej Pogačar won the 2024 Tour de France with yet another commanding stage victory during Sunday’s time trial.

Pogačar is now the first man in the 21st century to win both the Giro D’Italia and Tour de France in the same season after winning six individual Tour stages along his way to the overall victory. The Slovenian won his third Tour de France following his victories in 2020 and 2021. He has now successfully reclaimed the title from rival Jonas Vingegaard, the 2022 and 2023 champion. 

‘I cannot describe how happy I am after two hard years in the Tour de France,’ Pogačar said after his victory. ‘This year everything (went) to perfection, I’m out of words.

‘This is the first Grand Tour where I was totally confident every day,’ Pogačar added.

After three weeks of exhilarating competition between the sport’s greatest rivalry in Pogačar and Vingegaard, historic moments and over 2,000 miles of racing, this year’s final stage was historic as it switched Paris’ Champs-Élysées for the Promenade des Anglais. This year was the first time the finish line was not in or near Paris because the city is hosting the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

The time trial included a 21-mile ride from Monaco to Nice, France, with rolling hills and an overall elevation gain of 695m − not a negligible figure but significantly less inclined than the recent mountainous stages. Pogačar led rivals Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel through every checkpoint of today’s time trial. This year was the first time since 1989 that the competition ended with a time trial.  

Although Vingegaard did not achieve a coveted three-peat, his inspiring runner-up performance was an extraordinary feat considering he returned to competition after having suffered serious injuries that hospitalized him for 12 days in April.

Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel rounded out the general classification podium following a third-place finish in today’s time trial. This result is an outstanding achievement for the 24-year-old who made his Tour de France debut this year. Evenepoel also won the white jersey, awarded to the best young rider, with a commanding lead. He will surely be one to watch in the future.

Looking forward, Pogačar said he will now turn his focus to the World Road Championships in September, where he will take on reigning World Champion Mathieu van der Poel of the Netherlands. 

‘Van der Poel looks really good in the World Championships jersey, but I want to take it from him this year,’ Pogačar said. ‘We’ll see.’

Here are the final general classification standings for the 2024 Tour de France:

Here are the final jersey standings for the 2024 Tour de France:

Yellow (general classification): Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates)Green (points classification): Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty)White (young rider classification): Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep)Polka dot (mountains classification): Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost)Yellow numbers (teams classification): UAE Team Emirates

Here are the rankings for Stage 21 of the Tour de France:

Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) 45min 24secJonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) +1min 2secRemco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick Step) +1min 13secMatteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) +2min 7secJoão Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) +2min 17secDerek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech) +2min 31secMikel Landa (Soudal-Quick-Step) +2min 41secHarold Tejada (Astana Qazaqstan) +2min 50secSantiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious) +2min 53secAdam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) +2min 56sec

Slovenia’s Tadej Pogačar wins the time trial and the 2024 Tour de France

Tadej Pogačar is your 2024 Tour de France Champion. Just when you thought Pogačar could not be any more dominant, the Slovenian beat rival Jonas Vingegaard and World Time Trial Champion Remco Evenopoel to win the final stage of the Tour de France and seal his general classification victory. The Slovenian is now the only person in the 21st century to win the Giro D’Italia and Tour de France in the same season.

Pogačar looks unstoppable 

Pogačar is on the brink of victory having just passed through the third and final checkpoint over a minute faster than rival Vingegaard.

American Matteo Jorgenson overtakes Harold Tejada as Stage 21 leader

Jorgenson has improved upon Harold Tejada’s time to become the current leader of today’s time trial in 47 minutes and 32 seconds despite a minor crash along the route. The general classification riders are still on the course and are on track to beat Jorgenson’s time. 

Tadej Pogačar extends lead over Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel

Pogačar passed through the second checkpoint 24 seconds ahead of Vingegaard and 51 seconds ahead of Evenepoel. The Slovenian is on track to win his sixth stage of the Tour on his way to officially winning his third Tour de France yellow jersey.

Tadej Pogačar establishes early lead over Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel

Pogačar led the golden trio through the first checkpoint, reaching the mark seven seconds ahead of Vingegaard and 26 seconds ahead of Evenepoel. These margins are currently too slim to make a difference in the general classification standings. 

Richard Carapaz caps off successful Tour de France with polka-dotted jersey win

Carapaz has finished the time trial within the time limit, concluding a successful Tour de France and officially securing the polka-dotted jersey, which recognizes the field’s best climber. He is the first Ecuadorian man to win this jersey.

Slovenia’s Tadej Pogaçar starts final stage looking to win his third Tour de France 

Yellow jersey wearer Tadej Pogaçar of UAE Team Emirates has officially started the final stage of what is likely to be his third Tour de France victory. Pogaçar has had such a dominant Tour that he should win the general classification standings barring any disaster such as a serious fall. 

Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard begins 

The 2022 and 2023 Tour de France Champion has started the time trial. The current runner-up in the yellow jersey standings, Vingegaard trails Pogaçar by over five minutes. Although only a catastrophe from Pogaçar could hand Vingegaard the win, the Dane has much to be proud of after returning to competition following serious injuries from a crash in April. 

Remco Evenpoel is off!

Belgium’s Evenepoel of Soudal-QuickStep has started the time trial as the favorite to win today’s stage with the best time trial ability on paper. The white jersey wearer is the reigning World Time Trial Champion and edged out Tadej Pogačar to win the only other time trial of this Tour de France. Evenepoel is currently in third place in the general classification standings, approximately eight minutes behind lead Tadej Pogačar. Although he most likely will not be able to catch Pogačar or Vingegaard, he should be in a good position to defend his third-place podium position as well as his white jersey, which signifies the best young rider of the Tour.

Matteo Jorgenson falls

Jorgenson appeared to slip while zooming around a bend but promptly got up and resumed cycling. He appears to be okay. 

Hometown hero Romain Bardet finishes his Tour de France

France’s Romain Bardet of Team dsm–firmenich PostNL has officially concluded what is expected to be his last Tour de France. The hometown favorite finished to resounding cheers to cap off one of the most successful French cycling careers of this generation. Although Bardet will finish outside of the top 10 in the general classification standings, Bardet got his storybook ending with a victory during the first stage of the Tour.

American Matteo Jorgenson starts time trial

The first of the general classification leaders are off 

Italy’s Giulio Ciccone of Lidl-Trek was the first of the top 10 general classification leaders to start the time trial. The race is heating up as the rest of the top contenders prepare to tackle the course.

Richard Carapaz sets off

Ecuador’s Richard Carapaz of EF Education–EasyPost has started the time trial. If he finishes within the time limit, he will officially become the first Ecuadorian to win the polka-dotted jersey that signifies the Tour’s best climber. He was already named the super-combative rider of the Tour earlier this morning.

Wout van Aert finishes an underwhelming Tour de France 

Wout van Aert of Visma-Lease a Bike has finished his 2024 Tour de France with a time of 53 minutes and 38 seconds in the time trial, good for 74th place so far in today’s standings. The 29-year-old Belgian was the first of the realistic contenders for today’s stage win to set off. Van Aert has won nine individual Tour stages during his career, including two individual time trials, but did not come away with a stage victory this year despite several top-10 finishes.

American Neilson Powless finishes Tour de France with fourth-fastest time trial so far

Harold Tejada overtakes Lenny Martinez in Stage 21 standings

Harold Tejada of Astana Qazaqstan has improved on Frenchman Lenny Martinez’s time to take a 10-second lead. The Colombian now leads today’s time trial standings with a mark of 48 minutes and 14 seconds. The field’s best general classification riders are still to come.

Mark Cavendish gives emotional interview

Cavendish spoke to the media after he finished the time trial. 

‘It was just about enjoying it,’ Cavendish said of today’s stage. ‘There’s no pressure for me today, which is strange for a final stage of the Tour. I knew my family were waiting at the finish and I was just absorbing it. I think I got all the emotions out of the way yesterday and I could really just enjoy today.’

Cavendish also confirmed that today’s stage was ‘likely’ his last professional race and reflected on his career. 

‘I feel very lucky to have had the career I’ve had, to work with the people I have, to meet the people I have and be able to live the dream,’ Cavendish said. ‘You see the success, you see the photos of wins, videos of wins, but it’s rare people see everything that goes in behind, everything that makes it. It’s taught me a lot about myself, it’s taught me a lot about how to be a father, and that’s the biggest thing I take from the sport.’

What is the green jersey in the Tour de France?

The green jersey is awarded to the best overall rider in the points classification. Points are awarded at stage finishes and intermediate sprints during stages, so the jersey usually designates the best overall sprinter of the Tour. Eritrea’s Biniam Girmay was awarded the green jersey this year.

Why is the Tour de France not finishing in Paris?

The Tour de France will not finish in or near Paris for the first time in history because of the ongoing preparations for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Instead, the race will finish in the southeastern French city of Nice. The finish line is located at the Promenade des Anglais − Nice’s version of Paris’ Champs-Elysée, the traditional finish of the tour.

Read more about the historic decision here.

Biniam Girmay officially makes history as first Black green jersey winner

After finishing Stage 21 within the time limit, Biniam Girmay of Eritrea and Intermarché-Wanty is officially the first Black rider in history to win the points classification. Girmay has had a stellar Tour de France, establishing himself as the best sprinter of the field with his three stage victories and green jersey win, even after suffering injuries that required stitches during Stage 16. 

Jasper Philipsen finishes his Tour de France

Choosing to contest the stage with a road bike instead of a time trial bike, Belgium’s Jasper Philipsen has finished the time trial in 52 minutes and 55 seconds. After a disappointing start to the competition, Philipsen turned his fortunes around, winning three sprint stages, but ultimately lost his battle for the green jersey to Eritrea’s Biniam Girmay.

Mark Cavendish finishes final Tour de France

One of the greatest sprinters in history has officially said farewell to cycling’s most iconic competition. Great Britain’s Mark Cavendish, 39, crossed the Tour de France finish line for the final time in a time of 54 minutes and 38 seconds. The Brit was set to retire at the end of last season but returned for a final Tour de France after he crashed out of last year’s race. Cavendish finally got his fairytale ending to his inspiring career during this year’s Stage 5, where he sprinted to victory for a record-breaking 35th career Tour de France stage win. It’s safe to say Cavendish accomplished what he came for (and more). 

Biniam Girmay has started!

Green jersey wearer Biniam Girmay of Eritrea is now on the course. Girmay has had a breakout performance during this year’s competition, picking up three stage wins with his fierce sprint finishes. Despite a crash during Stage 16 that left Girmay needing stitches, the Eritrean edged out Jasper Philipsen for the green jersey (points classification). All Girmay needs to do is complete the trial within the time limit and he will become the first Black rider in history to win the green jersey accolade. 

Polka-dotted jersey wearer Richard Carapaz wins super-combative rider award

After votes from a jury and the public, Ecuador’s Richard Carapaz has been named the super-combative rider of this year’s Tour de France. Carapaz made history as the first Ecuadorian to win an individual Tour stage with his Stage 17 victory and the first to win the mountains classification after yesterday’s final group racing stage. 

And they’re off!

Italy’s Davide Ballerini was the first to set off on the course, just ahead of his Astana Qazaqstan teammate Mark Cavendish, who is beginning his final Tour de France stage of his illustrious, record-breaking career.

Start times finalized

There will be a staggered start to the individual time trial with 90 seconds between each rider. The cyclists will start in reverse order of the general classification standings, with yellow jersey wearer Pogačar beginning the stage last at 12:45 p.m. ET. Italy’s Davide Ballerini will be the first to start at 8:40 am ET.

Tour de France general classification standings after Stage 20

Here’s what the general classification standings look like heading into the final stage.

Tour de France jersey standings after Stage 20

Here’s what the individual jersey leaderboard looks like heading into the final stage. Barring any catastrophe from the leaders, these standings are unlikely to change unless the leaders fail to finish the time trial.

Yellow (general classification): Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates)Green (points classification): Biniam Girmay (Intermarché – Wanty)White (young rider classification): Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep)Polka dot (mountains classification): Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost)Yellow numbers (teams classification): UAE Team Emirates

Jorge Polanco and Luke Raley hit home runs as the Seattle Mariners snapped a five-game skid and moved into a virtual tie for first place in the American League West with a 6-4 victory against the visiting Houston Astros on Sunday afternoon.

Right-hander Bryan Woo (4-1) pitched 5 2/3 innings for the victory. He allowed two runs on four hits, with no walks and five strikeouts.

Andres Munoz struck out the side in the ninth for his 16th save of the season.

Yordan Alvarez hit for the cycle and Jeremy Pena also homered for the Astros, who had taken over the division lead by winning the first two games of the series.

Alvarez became just the second player in the 25-year history of T-Mobile Park to accomplish the feat after Oakland’s Miguel Tejada in 2001. Alvarez singled in the first inning, homered off the facade of the upper deck in the fourth, tripled to center in the sixth and doubled down the right field line in the eighth.

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The Mariners won despite center fielder Julio Rodriguez leaving in the sixth inning with an apparent right ankle injury. Rodriguez crashed into the outfield wall trying to track down Alvarez’s run-scoring triple. Rodriguez initially had the ball in his glove, but it popped out as he hit the wall.

Rodriguez crumpled to the warning track and immediately grabbed his ankle. After receiving medical attention, Rodriguez was able to walk off the field on his own with a slight limp. Servais told reporters after the game that X-rays were negative and Rodriguez was dealing with ‘a little bit of an ankle sprain.’

The Mariners took the lead in the second off right-hander Ronel Blanco (9-5). With one out, Josh Rojas hit a ground-rule double to right-center and Mitch Haniger walked. An out later, Dylan Moore lined a two-run triple to left.

The Astros cut their deficit in half in the fourth as Alvarez hit his 20th homer of the season.

The Mariners got that run back in the bottom half of the inning as Polanco led off by going deep to right.

The Astros made it 3-2 in the sixth as Mauricio Dubon led off with a double and scored on Alvarez’s two-out triple.

Raley hit a three-run shot with two outs in the bottom of the inning after singles by Polanco and Haniger to give Seattle a 6-2 lead.

Pena led off the seventh by going deep to left.

Alvarez doubled with one out in the eighth and scored on Chas McCormick’s two-out single to center.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — An illness kept Lamar Jackson from attending the Baltimore Ravens’ first training camp practice of the 2024 season.

Jackson’s absence did not stop head coach John Harbaugh from defending the two-time MVP from the various criticisms the quarterback has received since the Ravens fell to the Kansas City Chiefs in last season’s AFC championship game. Harbaugh went so far as to say Jackson will be ‘recognized as the greatest quarterback ever to play in the history of the National Football League.’

‘For whatever reason – there’s a lot of great things said about Lamar – but there’s a lot of stuff that’s said that you have to just scratch your head about and wonder ‘What’s that person’s even thinking?” Harbaugh said during an impassioned two-minute speech. ‘But we take it personally.’

FOX NFL analyst Mark Schlereth made waves over the Fourth of July weekend by claiming Jackson had failed to develop wide receivers during his six-year career – on top of a 2-4 postseason record.

The comments apparently caught the attention of Ravens brass and Harbaugh.

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‘I read the stuff. I see the guys say what they say on the shows … the good ones, I just scroll past because that’s candy, that’s not real,’ Harbaugh said. ‘But it’s the bad ones – I read it right away. I don’t let it go.’

To Harbaugh, it’s unfair that Jackson continues to receive the same scrutiny since he was a junior in high school.

‘The success he’s had in the National Football League, and it still comes up,’ Harbaugh said. ‘He’s still growing, he’s got a growth mindset. He’s going to get better and better, no doubt. But what does he have to do to prove himself to some people, right?’

Baltimore believed in Jackson enough to create an offense for him in 2019, Harbaugh said, which was his first MVP campaign. When that system no longer worked, they created a new one for him in 2023 under offensive coordinator Todd Monken. Again, Jackson won MVP and the Ravens were the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

But it was another season without Jackson’s ultimate goal: the Lombardi Trophy. Until he hoists it, the doubters and critics will find screen time on Harbaugh’s phone.

‘That’s the vision,’ Harbaugh said of winning a Super Bowl. ‘It’s going to happen by Lamar, his work ethic and his brilliant talent – by all of us pouring into that effort together as a team.

‘That’s how it’s going to happen. And I believe it like we’ve already seen it.’

His minor league baseball team relocated to another country against his wishes and professional sports outlawed in his native Cuba following a Communist revolution, Roberto ‘Bobby’ Maduro finally gave up his dream.

The Cuban entrepreneur’s family had already fled to the United States, and Maduro left Havana by plane on April 16, 1961 – hours before the ill-fated Bay of Pigs invasion – knowing he would never get the chance to bring a major league team to Havana.

But this wasn’t the end of Maduro’s baseball story, one that remains unfamiliar to many baseball fans.

A group of baseball historians is trying to change that. They – and some former major league players – believe Maduro’s body of work makes him worthy of Hall of Fame consideration.

‘I always saw him as a visionary type of person,’ Lou Hernández told USA TODAY Sports about Maduro, who owned the Havana Sugar Kings of the Class AAA International League from 1954-60.

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‘He always saw the internationalization of the game as a way of broadening it and promoting it. … In a way he was sort of a forerunner for the globalization that we see in modern baseball today.’

Author of ‘Bobby Maduro and the Cuban Sugar Kings,’ Hernández is one of the historians who this past week submitted a packet of information to the Hall of Fame, endorsing Maduro’s inclusion on the ballot of Classic Baseball Era finalists, which is expected to be announced a few days after the last game of the 2024 World Series.

Tony Pérez, Cookie Rojas endorse Bobby Maduro for Hall of Fame

The packet contains 15 signed endorsements, including letters from Hall of Famer Tony Pérez and former major league player, manager and coach Cookie Rojas, who played for the Sugar Kings in 1959-60.

‘As owner of the Sugar Kings, Mr. Maduro was directly responsible for many Cuban prospects reaching the major leagues, of which I was one,’ Rojas wrote.

Wrote Pérez: ‘Bobby Maduro helped pave the way for me into organized baseball and eventually to the Hall of Fame.’

The vote by the Classic Baseball Era Committee will take place and be announced in December.

‘I feel like we’ve got a pretty good chance right now,’ Anthony Salazar, chair of the Society for American Baseball Research’s Latino Baseball Research Committee, told USA TODAY Sports.

If Maduro, who died in 1986, were to make it onto the ballot, ‘It would be something that would give me great pride,’ Maduro’s son Jorge told USA TODAY Sports. ‘It’s incredible, the accomplishments of that man. He dedicated his entire life to baseball. … It would be a tremendous recognition and he would very much deserve it.’

Bobby Maduro’s tumultuous time in Cuba

The bulk of Maduro’s time as a baseball team owner coincided with perhaps the most vibrant era for the Cuban Winter League, followed by the most volatile time for the country.

Along with business partner Miguelito Suárez, Maduro built El Gran Stadium of Havana, which became the home for the Cuban League from 1946 to 1961.

Already a co-owner of the Cienfuegos team in the Cuban League, Maduro bought the Havana Cubans of the Class B Florida International League and moved the franchise to the International League in 1954 as the Cuban Sugar Kings, although they appeared in the standings in U.S. newspapers as Havana.

The team’s motto: ‘Un paso mas y llegamos‘ – ‘One more step and we arrive’ – alluding to Maduro’s goal of seeing a major league team in Havana.

During the Sugar Kings’ early years, Fidel Castro was mounting a revolution against Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista, with violence periodically breaking out in Havana, including a 1957 attack on the Presidential Palace in attempt to kill Batista.

Such incidents prompted repeated calls to relocate the Sugar Kings. Maduro often had to assuage concerns from league president Frank Shaughnessy and fellow team owners, who at times threatened to refuse to play games in Havana.

After Castro overthrew Batista on Jan. 1, 1959, gunfire erupted around Gran Stadium in celebration of the anniversary of Castro’s revolutionary 26th of July Movement. Stray bullets grazed Sugar Kings shortstop Leo Cárdenas and Frank Verdi of the Rochester Red Wings. Neither was seriously wounded but the Red Wings refused to finish the series.

Remarkably, the Sugar Kings completed that season, winning the International League championship and then beating the American Association champion Minneapolis Millers in a dramatic seven-game Junior World Series played mostly in Havana.

Turmoil in Havana only escalated during the 1960 season, and weeks after a June explosion at a munitions dump at Havana Harbor rocked the city, Shaughnessy ordered the Sugar Kings be relocated to Jersey City over Maduro’s objections – while the team was in the middle of a four-city, 14-game road trip.

Bobby Maduro’s baseball résumé

After Maduro left Cuba in 1961, he regained control of his franchise, which had become the Jersey City Jerseys, and eventually worked in the commissioner’s office.

Although much of his career was focused on baseball outside the U.S., Maduro had a wide breadth of accomplishments:

Built and co-owned El Gran Stadium of Havana, today called Estadio Latinoamericano.Helped negotiate the Cuban League’s entry into organized baseball in 1947.Helped establish the framework for Caribbean Series in 1948.Co-owner of Cienfuegos of the Cuban Winter League (1949-53).Owner of the Class B Havana Cubans of the Florida International League in 1953.Owner of Havana Sugar Kings of the Class AAA International League and minor league affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds (1954-60).Launched Los Cubanitos, a Cuban youth league modeled after Little League with 5,000 participants (1954-60).Owner of minor league Jersey City Jerseys (1960-61), Jacksonville Suns (1962-63).GM of Jacksonville Suns (1964-65).Latin American scout for the St. Louis Cardinals (1964-65).Director of Inter-American Relations (1965-78) under MLB commissioners William Eckert and Bowie Kuhn, serving as cultural liaison between MLB and Caribbean leagues.Founded short-lived Inter-American League (1979).Inaugural class of the Latino Baseball Hall of Fame in the Dominican Republic in 2010.

‘Bobby Maduro was a pioneer in our Latino baseball community, and what he accomplished has been nothing short of an incredible feat in the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s,’ Salazar said. ‘You’ve got an incredible track record of selfless acts and creating pathways for Latino ballplayers and baseball in general.’

Hurdles to inclusion on Hall of Fame ballot

Yet, Maduro’s résumé is not well-known among modern baseball followers, which Monte Cely, who has attended 11 Caribbean Series since 2011, acknowledged might be the biggest hurdle.

‘Awareness is certainly a big issue,’ he told USA TODAY Sports of the efforts to get Maduro on the ballot. Cely said this most recent effort has been aided by feedback from prior committee voters.

‘One key item was, can you make a comparison or contrast to anyone that’s currently in the Hall of Fame?’ Cely said. ‘And fortunately, one of our endorsers did just that.’

Thomas E. Van Hyning, who has written two books about the Puerto Rican winter league, wrote in his endorsement letter that Maduro’s contributions to the game “mirror” that of Hall of Famer Alex Pompez, owner of the New York Cubans of the Negro Leagues who was inducted by a special committee vote in 2006.

‘If you look at the executives that are in the Hall of Fame, Alex Pompez is probably the closest analogy,’ Cely said. ‘Bobby Maduro’s very unique in terms of his breadth of accomplishments, but Pompez is probably the closest executive in terms of comparing accomplishments, etc.’

Another concern is the 2022 changes that restructured the committees into two – one for players and another for managers, executives and umpires – Contemporary Baseball Era (from 1980) ballots and one Classic Baseball Era ballot (before 1980).

‘So, now you’ve got just one ballot that goes out every three years that’s everybody 1980 and before,’ Cely said. ‘So, access to that ballot could be a little more crowded.’

Jorge Maduro’s biggest concern? Time.

‘He (Bobby Maduro) died so many years ago,’ Jorge said. ‘My only concern is that a lot of time has passed and that makes it harder for people to recognize what he did, but he deserves it.’

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. − There are less than 10 shopping days remaining before the trade deadline with no one having any idea what’s actually available to buy.

Are All-Star first baseman Pete Alonso and the New York Mets’ veteran starters available, or are they staying put?

Are the Rangers playing Texas Hold ‘Em or can you really bid on starters with glossy playoff résumés like Max Scherzer and Nathan Eovaldi?

Will the Chicago Cubs be begging for offers for center fielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger or telling their loyal fanbase they’re all in?

Never has there been seen so much uncertainty this close to the trade deadline, several executives say, with teams literally waiting until the final few hours before the July 30 deadline whether they plan to be buyers or sellers.

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‘With just very few exceptions right now, almost everybody is in a hold,’ Jerry Dipoto, Mariners president of baseball operations, said on Seattle radio Wednesday. ‘Because what you see when you pick up the paper and look at the standings, or flip on a site and check out where teams stand, almost everybody in baseball is within three games of a playoff spot it seems. …

‘There are a lot of teams that have a chance at the halfway mark, and that’s going to make the trade deadline a little more complicated than it usually is.’

Indeed, there are only five teams who are really out of playoff contention right now: the Chicago White Sox, Colorado Rockies, Miami Marlins, Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Angels.

So how can you really buy when there’s no inventory?

‘I think we’re going to see teams just stand pat and go with what they have,’ one National League executive said. ‘The asking price is so high, you may be better off just staying pat and taking your chances.’

There is no Justin Verlander-type pitcher on the market unless the Detroit Tigers are out of their minds and trade Cy Young contender Tarik Skubal. There is no Juan Soto-type impact hitter on the market unless the Toronto Blue Jays have a change of heart and trade Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

There still may be plenty of trades in the next week, but precious little sizzle.

The best pitcher expected to be dealt will be White Sox ace Garrett Crochet.

And the most concerns surrounding a player will be Garrett Crochet.

So many questions, so few concrete answers, with every game until July 30 determining teams’ strategy on how they’ll handle the deadline.

The trade deadline highlights the early top storylines of the second half.

Who will be the most aggressive teams at the deadline?

The New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres.

The Dodgers, after spending $1.3 billion in free agency this winter, know that anything less than a World Series championship will be an absolute failure.

The Yankees, after trading away a good chunk of their future for slugger Juan Soto, and getting another MVP season out of Aaron Judge, need to play at least late into October or will consider the season a waste of time.

The Mariners, a team that scares everyone with that starting rotation, can’t go into August without acquiring at least one premium bat, whether it’s Jazz Chisholm, Luis Robert Jr., Isaac Paredes or Alonso. This is a team that has struck out more times than anyone in baseball (1,013 at the All-Star break), ranking last with a .219 batting average and 28th in runs scored (3.87), slugging percentage (.367) and OPS (.667).

Padres GM A.J. Preller, who gambled and lost when they acquired Soto, now must make the postseason or he could be looking for a new job with the ownership no longer protecting him after Peter Seidler’s passing.

What will the Blue Jays do at the deadline?

The Toronto Blue Jays, baseball’s most underachieving team, will do plenty of selling at the deadline before they do some firing in the offseason.

They are expected to trade pitcher Yusei Kikuchi, center fielder Kevin Kiermaier, catcher Danny Jansen and DH Justin Turner – and could entertain offers for Chris Bassitt and Kevin Gausman.

But are they willing to go all of the way and trade Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette too?

Highly unlikely.

They still want to keep the team together one more year, but if they’re still underperforming a year from now, they’ll be dumped at next year’s trade deadline.

Are the Astros all in?

The Houston Astros were buried, losing 24 of their first 36 games, 12-24 in early May, 10 games out of first place on June 18 – but look who’s now tied for first place.

They went 17-6 head into the All-Star break while the Mariners went 8-15.

The Astros, with their starting rotation hammered by injuries all season long, ranking just 17th in ERA, still badly need reinforcements.

Astros GM Dana Brown vows they will be aggressive, yet with a weak farm system, and up against the luxury tax, can they really afford anyone besides a cheap rental?

Can Aaron Judge break his AL home run record?

Judge, with 34 homers and 85 RBI, is only the fourth player in major league history to produce those numbers before the All-Star break, joining Mark McGwire (37 homers, 87 RBI), Luis Gonzalez (35, 86) and Chris Davis (37, 93).

Two years ago, Judge set the AL home-run record with 62 long balls.

He could break it this season.

This is a guy who was hitting .197 with six homers and a .725 OPS on May 2, but in the next 63 games hit .367 with 28 homers and a 1.324 OPS.

So, yes, anything is possible.

Can the Red Sox make the postseason?

The Boston Red Sox have massively exceeded expectations with a 31-18 record since May 19, and are sitting in the final wild-card spot.

Take a bow manager Alex Cora, who will be the hottest free agent of the winter.

Who could have imagined that Tanner Houck would be a Cy Young candidate, Ceddanne Rafaela would be a Rookie of the Year candidate and Jarren Duran would be the All-Star MVP.

‘Everybody in that clubhouse,’ Cora told reporters, ‘believes we can pull this off.’

Forget the white flag that was supposed to come at the trade deadline.

The Red Sox, who are 28-12 against sub-.500 teams, are going for the flag they can hang at Fenway Park.

‘We can win the division,’ Cora says.

They’ll certainly be tested immediately out of the gate the second half with seven of their first 10 games against the Dodgers, Yankees and Mariners, and 22 of their first 31 games against teams with a winning record.

Will the White Sox end up with the worst record in baseball?

The Chicago White Sox had their worst record (27-71) in franchise history after 98 games, losing more games than any team at the All-Star break. But the question historians want to know is whether they will topple the 1962 Mets (40-120-1) for the worst record in baseball history.

The White Sox are on pace to lose 117 games, but when you consider they plan to gut their roster at the trade deadline, shopping anyone and everyone, they’re certainly giving themselves every opportunity for infamous history.

Their Magic Number is 16 victories to avoid history.

Can the Guardians keep winning?

It’s hard to believe the Cleveland Guardians, the youngest team in baseball, have the AL’s second best record (59-38) despite a rotation that ranks only 13th in the league with a 4.52 ERA.

Who could have imagined they would make up for their pitching deficiencies with the fifth-best offense in the league with Steven Kwan hitting a major-league leading .351, Jose Ramirez second in the AL in RBI, Josh Naylor third and DH David Fry making the All-Star team?

The same team that was last in homers last season now rank seventh.

Cleveland’s biggest challenge may be fortifying its bullpen, which easily has the lowest ERA (2.62 ERA) in the league, with the Yankees being the second-best (3.46), but has pitched the fourth-most innings in the league. Hunter Gaddis, Scott Barlow and closer Emmanuel Clase all rank in the top five in appearances.

Will this be the first year a DH wins the MVP award?

In other words – does Shohei Ohtani win the NL MVP?

He’s hitting .315 with 29 homers and 23 stolen bases, leading the league in homers, runs scored, slugging percentage and OPS. He could be the first player in history to hit 50 homers and steal 40 bases the same season.

The closest a DH came to winning the MVP was David Ortiz, who finished runner-up in 2005, and Edgar Martinez who finished third in 1995. Ohtani is the favorite at this juncture, battling with first baseman Bryce Harper of the Phillies and DH Marcell Ozuna of Atlanta.

Can the Yankees recover?

The Yankees looked like the best team in baseball, jumping out to a 49-22 record, and then looked like one of the worst teams by finishing the first half with a 9-18 stretch.

They were cruising along with the most runs (359), second-most homers (105) and the second-best OPS (.771), and suddenly stopped hitting with Anthony Volpe and Alex Verdugo badly struggling and Giancarlo Stanton going on the injured list.

It wasn’t just their offense, either, that tanked.

Their starting rotation had a 2.78 ERA, best in the major leagues through June 14, and then cratered with an MLB-worst 6.20 ERA.

They have the fourth-easiest remaining schedule in the second half, but if they want to be playing deep into October, they have no choice but to get help.

Will the Dodgers live up to expectations?

You don’t drop $1.3 billion over the winter and expect anything less than a World Series championship.

Yet, for a team absolutely loaded with talent, they have far too many questions to be comfortable.

How’s Clayton Kershaw going to pitch when he comes back? Will Walker Buehler ever regain his form?

What happens when Mookie Betts returns, and where is he playing? Can the bottom of the order improve?

Is the bullpen built for a long October?

So many questions, with time running out for answers.

Anything less than a World Series championship would be one of the most disappointing seasons in Dodgers history.

Around the basepaths

– The Yankees, for the first time, are willing to include No. 1 prospect Spencer Jones in a trade for White Sox ace Garrett Crochet or Tigers Cy Young candidate Tarik Skubal.

The White Sox, however, are holding out for a bigger package from the Yankees and others.

– The Los Angeles Dodgers have spoken to the White Sox about a blockbuster that would include Crochet, center fielder Luis Robert and perhaps reliever Michael Kopech, too.

– The Detroit Tigers are engaged in talks with the Baltimore Orioles and Dodgers for Skubal.

It’s a longshot that Skubal will be traded, but the Tigers are listening, and have told teams they will move him only if they are overwhelmed by an offer.

Certainly, the Orioles have the talented prospects to pull off a deal, centering around Jackson Holliday, and may become the World Series favorites if they acquire Skubal to team with Corbin Burnes at the top of the rotation.

– The Boston Red Sox and Yankees have had talks with the Chicago Cubs about starter Jameson Taillon, but the Cubs are undecided whether they will be buyers or sellers.

– The Philadelphia Phillies have no interest in Miami Marlins center fielder Jazz Chisholm, have shied away from Chicago White Sox outfielder Tommy Pham and don’t believe that Oakland A’s outfielder Brent Rooker is a fit.

– Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette has told friends that he would welcome a trade, while first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. badly wants to stay in Toronto and is open to signing a long-term extension.

– The best reliever available on the market, executives say, is Marlins closer Tanner Scott. Scott is yielding a 1.30 ERA and has struck out 46 batters in 41 ⅔ innings.

The Phillies are keeping a close eye on Scott with closer Jose Alvarado’s recent struggles (4.35 ERA) and badly want another late-inning reliever.

– If the Mets stumble out of the gate the second half – or even try to be a buyer and seller simultaneously – they will have some attractive trade pieces in starters Jose Quintana, Luis Severino and Sean Manaea.

– Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Joey Votto, who has not played a game for the Blue Jays this season with ankle and back issues, is telling friends that he expects to return to the big leagues in August. He certainly would like to be active when the Blue Jays host the Cincinnati Reds, the only major-league team he has played for in his career, on Aug. 19-21.

– Colorado Rockies All Star third baseman Ryan McMahon has been assured by Rockies GM Bill Schmidt that he will not be traded.

– Dodgers three-time Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw is expected to make his 2024 debut within the next 10 days.

– The Seattle Mariners blew a 10-game lead in just 24 games, the quickest a team has lost a 10-game lead in the divisional era. The previous record was the Angels’ 10-game lead vanishing in 33 games in 1995.

– Perhaps no player is more important to a team’s chances for the postseason than Padres pitcher Dylan Cease, who is 9-8 with a 3.76 ERA, and leads the league with 159 strikeouts. The Padres need him to be their ace the second half with Yu Darvish on the restricted list and Joe Musgrove still hurt.

– The St. Louis Cardinals have strong interest in White Sox veteran starter Erick Fedde.

– While GMs are more reluctant than ever to give up prized prospects for a short-term fix for the pennant race, players will tell you that there’s no greater adrenaline boost than seeing a new player walker through the clubhouse door.

‘We got to the deadline and didn’t get anybody,’ Mets DH J.D. Martinez told Newsday of his 2021 Red Sox. ‘We needed help and we had to grind all the way back. Fortunately, we snuck into the wild card, but we saw teams all around us get better and we didn’t. …

‘I remember how demoralizing it was for the team, doing the opposite thing. Obviously, there’s a price and a cost. That has to be reasonable. But it’s definitely big. I know teams feel it, clubhouses feel it.’

– This was the fewest amount of high school players selected in the draft this year than any in the first 20 rounds in the draft’s history.

– Has there ever been a greater starting rotation on the injured list than the Dodgers in baseball history?

Clayton Kershaw, Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Walker Buehler, Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin and Emmet Sheehan.

– RIP Pat Daugherty, the beloved former Colorado Rockies scouting director and special assistant. The funeral services are Monday in Aurora, Colo.

– For the first time in more than a half-century, the Athletics are not listed on the baseball schedule as ‘OAK.’ Instead, the 2025 schedule has ‘ATH’ representing the franchise, which is spending the next three seasons playing at the Giants’ Triple-A ballpark in Sacramento while constructing their new ballpark in Las Vegas.

– Cubs ace Shota Imanaga is thrilled that the team will open the 2025 season against the Dodgers at the Tokyo Dome.

‘In Japan, that’s where I grew as a player and the fans kept rooting for me,’ Imanaga told reporters. ‘So I want to show them how I grew over here. … I want to prepare so that I’m not an embarrassment or anything for them.’

– There were 23 pitches recorded at 100 mph or higher at the All-Star Game, eight by Athletics closer Mason Miller.

– RIP Pat Williams, the former longtime NBA executive and Orlando Magic co-founder, who was trying to bring a baseball expansion franchise to Orlando. Williams, 84, died of complications from viral pneumonia.

– It’s incredible that four Hall of Famers all grew up within a 3 ½-mile radius in St. Paul, Minnesota: Dave Winfield, Paul Molitor, Jack Morris and now Joe Mauer.

The only other entire city that tops St. Paul is Mobile, Alabama, with Hank Aaron, Satchel Paige, Willie McCovey, Billy Williams and Ozzie Smith.

– MLB is exploring the possibility of permitting its players to play in the 2028 Olympics, thrilling Phillies star Bryce Harper.

‘You want to grow the game, right?,’ Harper said. ‘Why not grow it at the peak of (sports)? Growing up, playing Junior Olympics, putting the nation’s colors on your chest, there’s nothing like it. No greater feeling than your country winning and hearing the anthem last. I’m hoping we can get something done. It’s tough, logistically, but it would be a lot of fun to get baseball there and have the best players there, representing their country.’

– The San Diego Padres are aggressively looking for help, but are telling teams that prized catching prospect Ethan Salas is untouchable.

– Finally! The Tampa Bay Rays, at last, have a deal for a new ballpark with the St. Petersburg City Council approving a $1.3 billion stadium as part of a $6.5 billion redevelopment on the site. Rays owner Stuart Sternberg hugged St. Pete mayor Ken Welch after the vote.

All that remains now to make it official is a vote from the Pinellas County Commission to spend $312.5 million of tourist tax revenue on the stadium.

– NL pitchers who fear Coors Field, take note:

San Francisco Giants starter Kyle Harrison became the first visiting pitcher in Coors Field history to have two scoreless starts of at least five innings in the same season. He is undefeated in four career starts with a 2.45 ERA at Coors Field, the lowest by any visiting pitcher with multiple starts.

– There are six players in MLB history who have hit at least 350 home runs with their first coming off a future Hall of Famer:

Willie Mays (660 homers) hit his first off Warren Spahn.Darrell Evans (414) hit his first off Bob Gibson.Harold Baines (384) hit his first off Jim PalmerFrank Howard (382) hit his first off Robin RobertsLuis Gonzalez (354) hit his first off Greg MadduxEllis Burks (352) hit his first off Don Sutton.

Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, who has 335 career homers, will soon be join the list, hitting his first career homer off Roy Halladay.

– Tough year for interpreters: The Chicago Cubs fired right fielder Seiya Suzuki’s long-time interpreter, Toy Matsushita, during the All-Star break. They replaced him with Shota Imanaga’s interpreter, Edwin Stanberry, and video coordinator Nao Masamoto.

– The Milwaukee Brewers are going to have a couple of key acquisitions join them later this month without doing a thing.

All-Star closer Devin Williams, who has been out all season with stress fractures in his back, has begun his rehab assignment and should be ready in a few weeks. He would resume in his role as closer while Trevor Megill, who saved 18 games in 20 opportunities, will return to his setup role.

The Brewers also are expected to have starter DL Hall rejoin the rotation after being out since April 20 with a left knee sprain, along with starter Joe Ross and reliever Jared Koenig.

‘That’s a lot coming our way,’ Brewers manager Pat Murphy says. ‘That’s our trade deadline.’

– You looking for early holiday gifts? The Heritage Auction Summer Platinum Sports Auction is offering Babe Ruth’s “Called Shot’ 1932 World Series jersey for an estimated $30 million.

Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — Jim Leyland’s family and friends, well-aware of how emotional he is, aren’t quite sure how Leyland will get through his Baseball Hall of Fame speech Sunday.

Ahead of the ceremony in Cooperstown, his daughter sat him down and gave him a present.

Kellie Leyland presented her dad with a white handkerchief to wear in his suit pocket. But if he opens it during his speech, there’s a little message for him.

“There’s no crying in baseball.’’

Leyland, 79, nearly cried telling the story.

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Leyland will join Adrian Beltre, Todd Helton and Joe Mauer on stage during the Hall of Fame induction ceremony Sunday (1:30 p.m. ET, MLB Network), and may be the star of the show.

Home run champion Barry Bonds, who has never attended a Hall of Fame induction ceremony, is coming to Cooperstown to pay homage to Leyland.

Gary Sheffield, who won a World Series championship with Leyland in Florida, arrived to town Saturday to be with Leyland, while also attending his first induction ceremony.

“When you weigh all of the outstanding managers during my generation,’’ Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa said, “I think Jim’s the best of all of us. You weren’t going to out-manage Jim.’’

Go ahead, you try to find any manager, any coach, any player, and they’ll all share their respect and admiration for the man.

Bonds stayed.

And forever earned his respect.

“You know, the one thing I learned real quick about Jim is that he established that, ‘I’m the leader here, and everything that I say and do is a reflection of me,” Sheffield said. ‘And all of the coaches were a reflection of him.

“So, whenever he had a team meeting, getting on everybody, he would leave the room after cursing everyone out. And then the coaches would say, ‘Stay here, he’s not done.’ And then right on cue, he’d come back, he finishes, he’d leave again. We’d start to get up, and no, no, no, Jim comes back again. He’s not done. He’d do that about three times.

“Then, you see him 10 minutes later, and he’s talking to me like it never happened. That’s what made him so special.

“I just have so much respect for him. He’d get on you when he needed to get on you, but he’d also treat guys the way you’re supposed to be treated.’’

Leyland, one of only four Hall of Fame managers who never played in the major leagues, led his teams to eight postseason berths, three pennants and a World Series championship. He won 1,769 games over 22 seasons, and 44 postseason games, tied for 10th all-time.

And he was a three-time Manager of the Year winner.

Leyland got his break in 1982. La Russa, then the new Chicago White Sox manager who had managed against Leyland since 1979 in the minors, offered Leyland a job to be his third-base coach. Leyland stayed on La Russa’s coaching staff for four seasons, interviewed for several managerial jobs, including with the Houston Astros, but didn’t land one. He received a call from the Pirates in 1985 with GM Syd Thrift asking for permission to interview him for their managerial job.

“I actually thought it was one of my brothers kidding around,’’ Leyland said, “because they always got on me about being a bridesmaid and never getting the job. So when he said, ‘This is Syd Thrift,’ I said, ‘Yeah, and I’m Casey Stengel.”

Leyland, once he was convinced it wasn’t a prank call and that the Pirates were really serious about him managing, took his first big-league job and never looked back. After 11 seasons in Pittsburgh, Leyland joined the Florida Marlins and led them to the 1997 World Series title. He went off to Colorado in 1999, but abruptly quit after the season, completely exasperated trying to win in the mile-high altitude.

“That was very tough on him,’’ La Russa said. “That took so much out of him. I didn’t know if he’d manage again.’’

La Russa talked Leyland into joining him with the St. Louis Cardinals as a scout, which lasted until 2006 when general manager Dave Dombrowski — who was the GM of the Marlins when Leyland was there — needed another manager, this time with the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers’ postseason drought ended in Leyland’s first season and the team won the American League pennant. Leyland led the Tigers to three more playoff appearances and another pennant in 2012. He retired after the 2013 season.

“Jim was just the total package you are looking for in a manager,’’ Dombrowski said. “His knowledge of the game, his understanding of the communication of players and front office, and very much a people person. He understood every aspect of the game: development, winning, the growth of players, manager. He was so sincere and spoke from the heart. He was so respected, loved his guys. He had an unusual way that he could request players to play the game the right way.

“He can be rough and tough on a guy, but at the same time, they knew that he loved them.’’

And they loved him right back.

Leyland was an old-school manager, but he welcomed the new-school analytics too … he just didn’t brag about it.

“I think that gets overstressed sometimes, to be honest with you,’’ Leyland said. “Most people call it analytics. I call it information. When I managed, we had all the information that was available. There’s more of it today.

“Some of it’s very good. And some of it’s probably reading material, to be honest with you.

“You can plan for a game, but you can’t script the game.’’

Really, the most difficult challenge Leyland had was playing games against La Russa, his closest friend in baseball.

They came from different backgrounds, with La Russa being a bonus baby, playing in the major leagues and becoming a lawyer. Leyland, who never went to college, also never played higher than Class AA.

“I think it actually helped me in my managerial career that I wasn’t a good player,’’ Leyland said, “because I realized how hard it was to play the game.’’

Leyland and La Russa talked two or three times a week, bouncing ideas off one another, asking each to critique their managerial decisions. They would talk about baseball sometimes until 2 a.m., whether it was the middle of a season or Christmas Day.

“Tony has meant everything to me,’’ Leyland said. “He’s even helping me now with my Hall of Fame speech.’’

Leyland practiced his speech in front of La Russa, who gave him pointers, told him what to cut out, what to add, and even gave notes on his delivery.

“Wait until you hear it,” La Russa said. “It’s brilliant. You’re going to love his speech”

And, you know what, there could be some tears rolling down those cheeks, too. But Leyland isn’t about to apologize.

He’s been emotional his whole life, and now with the entire baseball world celebrating his success, he’d be shocked if he doesn’t shed tears.

“I will tell you this,’’ Leyland said. “I watched most of the speeches that have been given here. And I’m not the only guy that is going to shed a tear in Cooperstown, I can tell you that. I saw some pretty big-time players get a little emotional.

“(Hall of Fame third baseman) George Brett gave me great advice. He said, ‘Hey, if you don’t get emotional over something like this, you’re probably not human.’

“I don’t want to embarrass myself, but I’m not going to be ashamed.’’

Follow Bob Nightengale on X: @BNightengale