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Good morning! It’s great to be back with you. Coming up: 

Last Call: What’s left for MLB trades?

Just 12 hours separate the time this email landed in your inbox and MLB’s trade deadline at 6 p.m. ET today. It’s easy to wonder if there will be any intrigue at all, with the market’s biggest name already settling into his new Dodger home.

Let’s catch up on yesterday’s deals before we get to today: 

Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman is heading to the Cubs in a deal that officially signals how quickly things can change in pro sports. Less than a year ago, Gausman was an anchor for a Toronto team that pushed the Dodgers to seven games in the World Series. Now the Jays are sellers, and according to our experts, didn’t even get a good return for the pitcher.
The Yankees acquired Nationals infielder Luis García Jr., who’s having a monster season in the nation’s capital. García adds instant power to a Yankees lineup sorely missing it without Aaron Judge. And, to continue a theme here, our writers say Washington didn’t get enough talent back.
Earlier in the afternoon, the Rays traded for Mets starter Freddy Peralta, another lesson in how things can go awry. The Mets have the league’s second-highest payroll and are sellers at the deadline. This is a good deal for Tampa, too. 

Late last night, the Braves traded for Giants pitcher Tyler Mahle to fill a hole in the rotation. It’s a fine deal. But there are still plenty of notable names out there today: 

On our Big Board, Nos. 2-10 are still available, though that abstract label changes by the hour until 6 p.m. strikes. See that full list here. If I’m making a bet, Angels shortstop Zach Neto moves before the day’s done.
A team whose haul I already love? The White Sox, who already acquired a top-line pitcher and could have more moves in the bag today. It’s always a fun, giddy feeling for a team to be ahead of its own schedule and suddenly find itself aggressive as a buyer/contender when no one expected it entering the year. Read more on that reality here. 

We have a live blog up all day. The “Rates and Barrels” crew is also going live at 4 p.m. ET on both our site and YouTube. 

Happy deadline day. Let’s keep moving:

News to Know

Pau Barrena / AFP via Getty Images

UEFA threatens FIFA
Europe’s governing soccer body has promised legal action over FIFA’s failed private investment plan, informing both FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Joshua Kushner, who runs the private investment fund involved, to preserve documents pertaining to the matter. This entire saga will have a long tail. Messy, messy, messy.

Polk retires
Ja’Lynn Polk, a second-round NFL Draft pick just two years ago, is heading to the reserve/retired list, per an announcement from the Saints, who signed him this offseason. New England selected Polk out of Washington in the 2024 draft, but the 24-year-old struggled to find his place in the Pats’ offense. Now he’s already out of the league. Read more on where things went wrong.

More news:

Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski called the Angels’ mound “awful” and labeled it an injury risk. See his full comments.
Full circle: Jadeveon Clowney signed a one-year deal with the Texans, who drafted him No. 1 in 2014.
Michael Thorbjornsen, another young golf star, won the Rocket Classic yesterday with a final-round 63. It was his first PGA Tour win.
Across the sea, it was Shiho Kuwaki who prevailed in a thrilling sudden-death playoff to win the British Open, her first major. The golf was fantastic here.
Start digging my grave: Kristina Liutova, 16, won the Memphis Classic to become the first WTA Tour champion born in the 2010s. Lord.

📰 Find more news here 24/7.

Ends: Old guys mellow out

AP Photo / Gene J. Puskar

The saga of Aaron Rodgers is unique to the player. Over the past half-decade, there has been a general annoyance with Rodgers, as multiple offseasons played out as a quasi reality show, filled with open-ended comments and thoughts before ultimately making a decision about his future. I was among those slightly peeved at his antics. 

And then, as Pittsburgh’s season ended last year, annoyance turned to sadness. For whatever foibles Rodgers has produced — and there are plenty — he remains one of the best quarterbacks to ever play football. In his prime, there was no one with Rodgers’ arm talent and panache. He felt like the pinnacle of the position in an era with Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees. 

Rodgers, 42, is back for a final season. He has a new coach in Pittsburgh, 62-year-old Mike McCarthy, who’s also his old coach from Green Bay. Will the Steelers actually be good this year? I have no idea. But I was struck by Mike Silver’s interviews with both Rodgers and McCarthy in a piece published this morning. 

There are considerably fewer foibles this time around. Everyone seems content for now, at least on the drama side. Two quick takeaways from their comments: 

Rodgers was apparently quite ill before that season-ending loss to the Texans last year. The quarterback downplayed it to Mike, but others say he had a bad flu that affected his performance. Hm.
Rodgers even addressed his recent reconciliation with his family. Rodgers infamously had no contact with immediate relatives for years. Now, he says — with the help of his wife — he has mended family fences. 

The full story is well worth a read this morning. Maybe it’ll soften you, too.

Watch Guide

đź“ş WNBA: Aces at Dream
7 p.m. ET on Peacock and NBC Sports Network
An, ahem, dream matchup here of two top-four W teams. This is our headliner of the night. 

đź“ş MLB: Giants at Rangers
8:05 p.m. ET on ESPN
Texas, unlike San Francisco, is very much alive in the postseason race. Meanwhile, the Giants are competing with their Bay-mates, the 49ers, as to who can have the most puzzling injury-filled summer. Strange times. Put it on while you reacquaint yourself with the post-trade deadline landscape.

Pulse Picks

Bruce Bennett / Getty Images; Courtesy of Sean Avery

Sean Avery is a well-known ex-NHL player. Now, he’s also one of Christopher Nolan’s favorite cast members. What a story. 

Former Panthers All-Pro center Ryan Kalil is also in the Hollywood sphere now, but he can’t stay away from football … which led him to buy a Mexican pro team. 

I dare you to read this story on new Jets tight end Kenyon Sadiq and not come away a fan. 

Is the college football shootout over? If so, RIP. 

What was Steph Curry doing playing a neighborhood golf course in Arkansas? Marcus Thompson II was there to explain what sounds like an incredible scene. 

Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Our story on Will Levis’ confidence … and the reader pushback. 

Most-read on the website yesterday: MLB trade deadline live blog.