Chicago Sports

Kirby Dach has been traded from Chicago to Montreal on Thursday night

The Chicago Blackhawks are making some moves to acquire more draft capitol on Thursday night and Kirby Dach isn the latest player on the move.

Just hours after the team traded Alex DeBrincat to Ottawa, they parted ways with Dach to land the No. 13 overall pick and No. 66 overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. The trade was a part of a three-team deal as the Habs traded Alexander Romanov and pick 98 to N.Y. Islanders for pick 13. They then turned around and sent that pick to Chicago for Dach.

The Blackhawks are clearly rebuilding under new GM Kyle Davidson as he’s starting to tear down the roster and try to acquire more draft capitol along the way. The moves come following an offeseason in which the team traded their first round pick and then signed Seth Jones to a long-term deal.

At least they are picking a lane now and we have to wonder…who is next?

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MONTREAL — After three disappointing but hardly ruinous seasons, Kirby Dach’s tenure with the Blackhawks has ended shockingly abruptly.

Dach was traded to the Canadiens at the NHL Draft on Thursday for the 13th and 66th overall picks.

The trade completes a crazy day for new Hawks general manager Kyle Davidson, who hours earlier dealt Alex DeBrincat to the Senators for the seventh overall pick and two others.

It’s a stunning heel-turn by the Hawks organization on Dach, the 2019 third overall pick. He’s still just 21 years old and still possesses all the raw skills to develop into an excellent two-way center.

But Davidson has clearly committed to a scorched-earth rebuild, tearing down the Hawks’ entire present roster to accumulate as many picks and prospects as possible, and he does have only so many assets with significant trade value to work with.

Dach ends his Chicago tenure having tallied just 59 points in 152 games over three years, missing almost all of 2021 recovering from wrist surgery and struggling to find his groove — on or off the ice –through most of 2021-22. He recorded just 26 points in 70 games, clearly lacking confidence, before more wrist aggravation shut him down.

This story will be updated.

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Tim Anderson holds a 55 to 45 percent online voting lead over the Blue Jays’ Bo Bichette for the starting spot as the American League’s All-Star Game starter. Voters have until 1 p.m. CT to make their picks. The winners will be revealed on the All-Star Starters Reveal show Friday on ESPN at 6 p.m. CT.

Pitchers and reserves for both squads — totaling 23 players for each side — will be determined via player ballot choices and selections made by the Commissioner’s Office. The complete All-Star rosters will be announced during the All-Star Selection Show on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. CT on ESPN.

“It says a lot about [the fans] that they’re paying attention to what’s really going on,” said Anderson, who entered Thursday with a .314/.354/.425 hitting line, five homers and 10 stolen bases in 10 attempts in 54 games. “Just being thought about and being voted for, I’m thankful for that. I appreciate them, and I thank them for rooting and voting.”

Anderson would join Luke Appling, Chico Carrasquel and Luis Aparicio among White Sox starting All-Star Game shorstops. Aparicio was the last one, in 1970. Anderson was added as a reserve last season when Carlos Correa bowed out for health reasons.

“From the time I jumped into this organization, to see where I’m at now, it’s been a blessing,” Anderson said. “I’m thankful. And to be leading the starting (vote-getter), it’s cool, it’s pretty cool. I’m pretty sure there’s a lot of people that would want to be in that position, and for it to be me, I don’t take anything for granted.”

Votes can be cast at https://www.mlb.com/all-star/ballot.

Colas picked for Futures Game

Outfielder Oscar Colas will represent the Sox at the Futures Game on July 16 at Dodger Stadium.

The left-handed hitting/throwing outfielder owns a .316/.374/.487 batting line with seven homers for High-A Winston-Salem and “is showing a little better in center field than I expected,” said assistant general manager Chris Getz, who oversees the White Sox farm system. “He gets after it. He’s got some range. He has a good arm, just a solid overall presence in center field.”

Colas, a 23-year-old signed out of Cuba in January, has three triples, 13 doubles and 42 RBI. He has 21 walks and 51 strikeouts in 257 plate appearances.

“Offensively, he has the hit tool, he has some power, he has great hands,” Getz said. “He can move the ball around the field, and when he stays square in his swing he can drive the baseball. And it’s loud.”

This and that

Andrew Vaughn wasn’t feeling well, manager Tony La Russa said, and was kept out of the starting lineup.

*Yoan Moncada, who left Wednesday’s game against the Twins after fouling a pitch off his right foot, returned to the lineup Thursday.

*Yasmani Grandal started his minor league rehab assignment at Double-A Birmingham. Grandal is expected to return after the All-Star break.

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Bears wide receiver David Moore was arrested on drug and weapons charges in his hometown of Gainesville, Texas, on July 4, a Texas television station has reported. Moore posted $5,000 bond and was released from the Cooke County Jail, KXII television reported.

Moore, 27, signed a one-year, $1.035 million contract with the Bears on April 21 after a mini-camp tryout the previous week.

“We are aware of an incident involving the arrest of Bears wide receiver David Moore,” the Bears said in a statement. “We are in the process of gathering more information. We will refrain from making any further comment at this time.”

A seventh-round draft pick of the Seahawks in 2017, Moore has 78 receptions for 1,163 yards (14.9 avg.) and 13 touchdowns in 50 NFL games (14 starts) over five seasons with the Seahawks (2017-20), Broncos (2021) and Packers (2021). He also has 25 punt returns (8.8 avg.) and four kickoff returns (16.3 avg.) in his NFL career.

His best season was in 2020, when he had 35 receptions for 417 yards (11.9 avg.) and six touchdowns for the Seahawks. He played in three games last season with the Panthers, Raiders, Broncos and Packers.

Moore is the third Bears players arrested since general manager Ryan Poles was hired in January to replace Ryan Pace. Wide receiver Byron Pringle was arrested on April 23 in Florida on charges of reckless driving and driving with a suspended license. Linebacker Matt Adams was arrested in downtown Chicago on June 25 and charged with misdemeanor firearm possession.

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The Future is Looking Bright for the Cubs with Pete Crow-Armstrong

Once a year, we are given the incredible opportunity to see what the future of the MLB will look like. On one momentous field, the top prospects in baseball from across the league go head-to-head. This year, Pete Crow-Armstrong, ranked no. 3 of the Cubs’ top prospects will be representing the Cubs at this year’s Future’s Game.

Pete Crow-Armstrong was snatched from the Mets in exchange for Trevor Williams and Javier Báez at last summer’s deadline. The Cubs were able to make the grab due to an injury to his non-throwing arm. He has been improving his swing with the Cubs since recovering from surgery in 2021. Although he missed most of his 2021 season, he has quickly proved that he is a force to be reckoned with.  Crow-Armstrong was named the Cubs’ 2022 Minor Leauge Player of the Month for April. And things are only looking up.

The 20-year-old California native has been having such a strong season that he earned a promotion from Low-A to High-A in May. In the 56 games between the Myrtle Beach Pelicans and the South Bend Cubs, he is hitting .315/.382/.523. He ranked up 9 home runs and 36 RBIs and has been playing exceptional defense in center field. Crow-Armstrong hopes to make waves at this year’s Futures Game. He also has hopes to play as well as his future teammate, Brennen Davis, did at last year’s Futures Game.

“I’ll give it what I’ve got and hopefully I’ll be able to do something close to what Brennen did last year,” Crow-Armstrong said, referencing Davis’ MVP performance that featured two home runs. “It was something I was working for this year, and it was nice to see a checkpoint hit.”

The future is looking so very bright for the Cubs. With their current winning streak, and the talent of the prospects to come, Cubs fans might just need blinders. Young, ferocious players like Crow-Armstrong, Christopher Morel, and Brennen Davis, may be exactly what the Cubs need to turn their winning streak into a winning season.

The 2022 MLB All-Star Futures Game game will be streaming on Peakcock and SiriusXM at 6:00 pm CT on Saturday, July 16th. And it will be rebroadcast on the MLB Network at 8:00 am CT on Sunday, July 17th.

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MONTREAL –The Blackhawks’ scorched-earth rebuild is on.

Alex DeBrincat, the dynamic winger once seen as the centerpiece of the Hawks’ new core, was traded Thursday to the Senators for the seventh and 39th overall picks in the 2022 NHL Draft, plus a third-round pick in 2024.

It’s an underwhelming return for a burgeoning superstar, but it sets the tone for the Hawks moving forward.

DeBrincat is just the first of numerous current players who could be dealt for picks, prospects and other future-looking assets by general manager Kyle Davidson this offseason, but none will be more valuable than him. His name had reverberated around the NHL as the centerpiece of the trade rumor discussion for weeks.

“It was an incredibly difficult decision to trade a player of Alex’s caliber,” Davidson said in a statement. “We feel as if this move sets the Blackhawks up for future success by giving us additional flexibility and future talent.Securing this early of a first-round pick for tonight and an additional second-round selection tomorrow allows us to fortify our prospect base with high-end players who we expect to be a difference makers in the coming years.”

The Hawks will make the seventh pick Thursday night. Prospects like Joakim Kemell, Marco Kasper, Matthew Savoie, Conor Geekie and Jonathan Lekkerimaki could be considered.

The logical criticism is that DeBrincat, still only 24 years old, will likely always be — even in several years, when the Hawks start trying to contend again –better than whoever the Hawks pick seventh.

He is due a massive payday next summer, when his current contract with a $6.4 million salary cap hit expires, but he could become a franchise centerpiece type of player.

The trade ends his Chicago tenure shockingly abruptly, coming off a fantastic season in which he tied a career high with 41 goals and arguably surpassed Patrick Kane as the team’s best player.

DeBrincat, in total, tallied 160 goals and 307 points in 368 games over five seasons with the Hawks after being chosen 39th overall in the 2016 draft –one of the Hawks former scouting department’s few big hits in recent years.

How DeBrincat’s departure affects Kane, who’d said in April that DeBrincat’s presence was part of why he enjoyed still playing for the Hawks, and Kane’s decision regarding his no-trade clause remains to be seen.

This story will be updated.

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Outfielder Oscar Colas will be the White Sox’ sole representative in the Futures Game on July 16 at Dodger Stadium.

The left-handed hitting/throwing outfielder owns a .316/.374/.487 batting line with seven homers for High-A Winston-Salem and “is showing a little better in center field than I expected,” said assistant general manager Chris Getz, who oversees the White Sox farm system. “He gets after it. He’s got some range. He has a good arm, just a solid overall presence in center field.”

Colas, a 23-year-old signed out of Cuba in January, has three triples, 13 doubles and 42 RBI. He has 21 walks and 51 strikeouts in 257 plate appearances.

“Offensively, he has the hit tool, he has some power, he has great hands,” Getz said. “He can move the ball around the field, and when he stays square in his swing he can drive the baseball. And it’s loud.”

The Futures Game kicks of Major League Baseball’s All-Star Saturday event. Mike Scioscia will manage the National League team, and Jimmy Rollins will manage the AL team.

Colas seemed to enjoy some spotlight during spring training, so the Futures Game should be right up his alley.

“His overall game has been a joy to watch,” Getz said. “His first full season in the organization and in the United States, so we’re trying to get him as comfortable as possible.

“He’s fun to be around, fun to watch. He plays with some looseness but he gets after it.”

Colas’ teammate at Winston-Salem, shortstop Colson Montgomery, was not selected. Montgomery owns a 42-game on-base streak between Low-A Kannapolis and Winston-Salem.

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Luis Robert knows where the White Sox stand in the AL Central, and the scope of the task at hand. They entered their game against the Tigers on Thursday trailing the first-place Twins in the AL Central by 51/2 games.

But Robert, as Michael Kopech and other teammates also expressed recently, said the Sox clubhouse remains collected.

“As a team we’re still confident,” Robert told the Sun-Times through translator Billy Russo recently. “We know there is plenty of season to play, the entire second half. We have a lot of games against division rivals. We’re positive. We are not panicking.”

The chiseled 6-2 Cuban known as “La Pantera” is doing his share to keep the Sox (39-41) afloat, regularly batting third in manager Tony La Russa’s lineup and playing center field. After missing a week in late May on the COVID IL, Robert played in 26 of the Sox’ 27 games in June and hasn’t missed a game in July. With 65 games played — Robert missed a week in late April with a groin strain — Robert is second to Jose Abreu (78) on the team.

La Russa said Robert doesn’t want days off.

“I feel good and my health is good, so I like to be in the lineup every day,” said Robert, who was limited to 68 games last season because of a torn hip flexor suffered in May. “That’s why we’re here, right? We have to deal with soreness and discomfort, but you take care of it with treatment and deal with it.”

Robert, who played in 56 of the Sox’ 60 games in the abbreviated 2020 season when he was second in Rookie of the Year voting and won a Gold Glove, is now three games shy of his career high.

Robert said he doesn’t go out much during the season. Video games and Cuban music are his primary modes of relaxation. During the offseason, he enjoys being with family and driving his collection of high-end cars — a Rolls-Royce, Bentley and Ferrari.

“I like to be at home, especially during the season,” he said. “My season is home to the ballpark, or hotel to the ballpark. I like to relax.”

Robert carried a .289/.321/.425 hitting line with a .745 OPS into Thursday’s game. At 1.7 wins above replacement per Baseball Reference, he ranks third on the team behind Abreu (2.2) and Dylan Cease (2.0). Robert hit his ninth home run in the Sox’ 9-8 win in 10 innings against the Twins on Wednesday. His goals and personal expectations are lofty, so he classifies his production to date simply “good.”

“I’ve had some ups and downs and there have been moments of inconsistency but that’s the norms of a season,” he said. “I try to do my best every day — do my job and try to be productive.”

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Chicago Bears WR David Moore arrested on Monday in Texas.

Yet another offseason mishaps from the Chicago Bears as wide receiver David Moore was arrested on Monday in his hometown of Gainesville, Texas, according to KXII.

According to the Gainesville Police Department, via TMZ Sports, Moore was found asleep in the driver’s seat of a 2018 Ford at the drive thru of a local Taco Bell late Sunday night. After making contact with Moore, officers found in his possession “a package of THC edibles and three pistols.

This marks the third incident with the law involving a current Chicago Bears player with wide receiver Byron Pringle being arrested for reckless driving on a suspended license on April 24th and line backer Matt Adams being arrested for a misdemeanor gun charge on June 23rd.

No comment has been made by the Bears or Moore at this time. The wide receiver signed a one-year deal in Chicago on April 21 after spending last season with the Panthers, Raiders, Broncos and Packers. The WR room is the Bears takes a hit yet again, this may signal a change or a bold move for GM Ryan Pace to make in the coming future.

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