PTI - Which MLB Teams Fumbled the Trade Deadline?!

Episode Date: August 4, 2026

Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser start with a Dodgers vs. Cubs preview, recap the biggest news and trade winners from the MLB deadline, and dive deeper into the controversy of Indiana canceling their 2030-31 Notre Dame series,. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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You're richer than you think. Pardon the interruption, but I'm Mike Wilbot. It's National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day Tone. You like chocolate chocolate? Chip cookies? I'm Tony Cornheiser. I used to devour them. But then I started taking better care of myself,

so I haven't had any in about an hour. Oh, and a whole hour, huh? I do like it. I like chocolate chocolate chips. I don't like the hard chocolate chip cookies. I like the soft, doughy chocolate chip cookies. And I like them warm. I like them warm.

At seconds of me. I would put them open a microwave for about 10 seconds. You don't want to fool around with a microwave. You don't want to go 30 seconds, then the cookies all over the microwave. Welcome to PTI, boys and girls. In today's episode, the next one. Cats confuse me.

Indiana bails on Notre Dame and horse racing's triple crown could be done. But we begin today with Tarrick Scobal making his debut start for the Dodgers tonight. Scoobal will go against your Cubs, Wilbon, who added starting pitching at the trade deadline and Kevin Gossman from Toronto and Clay Holmes for the Mets. Wilbon, which of these teams just put more on the line to win a title this year? The Cubs. Dodgers didn't put anything on the line. I'm not saying the players they traded away aren't of value and aren't highly rated. They're also, like everybody else, finding some change in the crevices of your sofa.

The Dodgers have more change. They have more of everything. They're not going to miss these guys because their pros, they do such a great job of scouting and developing. That's right. Then when it comes time to do something like go to trade deadline and let's go. It's not just the major league team. They got teams up and down the line. Triple, double, single, whatever it is, they got it.

So the Cubs, in acquiring. Gosman and Holmes, this is a big deal. I called you yesterday early because I was excited just about the Gosman news. The Holmes news comes later. The Cubs have had so many pitchers injured. By the way, Zephrajan from the Angels, fireballing, as we used to say,

relief pitcher out of the bullpen, with Palencia just coming back from season-long set of injuries. That's going to help. But when you get those starters to join Cabrera and the starters the Cubs have, the Cubs have done marvelously to stay in.

this. They put it on the line in a way I am not familiar with the Cubs putting it all on the line to go after it now. This is what I love most about the show. It is the most Chicago-centric show in the history of ESPN. New York centric is all right. I really like that. No, Chicago-centric.

Look, I like what the Cubs did. They got 40 starters on the IL. So they went and got some starters. They did the right thing. And you are correct that the Dodgers don't need Tarek-Skoubel. They won two World Series in a row without him. But what they did was strategic.

They said, we're going to deny other teams that can beat us the chance to get Scoobles. So it applies to the Phillies and it applies to the Cubs and it applies to the Braves

and applies to the Brewers. Because if you're in a two of three series or three of five series, what you don't want is to have to go against scoble and Mizorowski. So what the Dodgers did

was both offensive and defensive. I will tell you what surprised me. Surprised me that deal was done on Saturday. The trade deadline was Monday. I understand these are good prospects. Maybe they're the greatest prospects in the world,

but they're prospects. They're not everyday players right now. I was surprised that the Tigers didn't wait another 36 or 40 hours and see if a National League team would throw some everyday players at them as well as prospects. That's surprising. In looking at all these assessments and grading processes for who did well, who didn't do so well, which we'll get into in a second here,

the Brewers don't have the kinds of prospects. They didn't do anything. They didn't do anything. Well, they did a little something, but they don't have the kind of prospects that the Dodgers do. So to me, this is overstated, this whole notion that other teams would step in. They can't step in because they're not as wealthy as the Dodgers in terms of resources. Some teams are. Well, the Yankees, for example, if they wanted them or something like that.

He's got pitching. Look, I just don't want to hear, and I know you agree with me about this. I don't want to hear that this is terrible because the Dodgers just bought school. No, no, no, no, no. They are renting him for two to three months. They can buy him. And they can buy him. He's going to get a King's ransom from somebody,

but it doesn't mean it's necessarily them. It doesn't mean that. They all could have done something. They decided not to, and that might have been prudent. But this whole Dodgers ruining baseball. They don't. They don't ruin it. They're better than others.

Speaking of, the Dodgers and my Cubs, weren't the only trade deadline buyers. Boston added Adley Rushman from the Orioles, stunning us and everybody else. The AL leading raise traded for right-hand of Freddie Peralta and catcher Liam Hicks, the Padres added two arms. And Robbie Ray and Casey Mize, and even the Pirates, the guy did on the action,

a little bit acquiring bullpen arms, including Luke Weaver. Tone, beyond the Dodgers and Cubs, who made the most impressive moves at the deadline to you? Okay, I would start with the Red Sox, who, by the way, swept the Dodgers recently. I would start with them for getting Ruchman. Ruchman is a switch-hitting catcher and multi-time All-Star.

At one point, the overall number one pick in the draft. and the Red Sox were terrible defensively and terrible offensively at catcher. So even if you don't think that Ruchman is the great player you thought he was going to be, he's better than what the Red Sox had, and he's 28 and he's in his prime. And I think that was the number one move.

The number two move for me in terms of teams was the Padres. The Padres acquired starting pitching. They acquired Ray, right? Who else did they get? Bobby Ray and Casey Marsh from Detroit. So this is an important concept to me because a few weeks ago, I think

they were under 500. I think people thought they were dead. And now they have now they are renewed with starting pitching and the fact that Tatis and Machado are hitting the ball very well now. The one thing that jumps out at me, these two teams is this. These were trades within the division.

That never happened. It just doesn't happen. If I'm an Orioles fan, if I'm a Giants fan, I am livid at my team for trading within the division. We're going to get back to the Orioles in a second, but let me go to the Padres for a second. Because what they're doing is adding Robbie Ray and Casey Mize to Michael King.

Walker Bueller has not been lately what he's been. No. He was even earlier this season, like in June. And they didn't give up Mason Miller. No. And the Padres, let me just mention the Brewers, the Phillies and the Cubs, they might look at the Dodgers and go, ugh. The Padres don't.

The Padres don't give a damn. The Podgers have eliminated the Dodgers in recent years from the playoffs. So I think that was impressive. Phillies. I am I the only person left in the world who likes Luis Arise and will put him in a lineup, particularly in front of Schwabber, to set up Swarber to have like 100 more wreathies?

Let me ask you a question. He wins a batting title every year. And gets traded every year. Yes. What is the deal with this guy? You know what the deal is? These GMs and what they value. He gets on base. You know, you got on base.

Tony Gwyn got on base. So I wonder, you know, I wonder why he has traded all the time. You know who else did very well? Cleveland did very well. Let me tell you, Cleveland. Cluster only shot Cleveland in his favorite in of American League teams. Boston Griffin from the Nats. They got Nathaniel Lowe from Cincinnati, and Joe Adele is a great fielder.

They got him from the Angels. I think they're going to win the division. I'll give you another one. Tampa. Tampa, which usually stands, Pat, they don't have a lot of money to spend. They don't have money. They got Freddie Peralta and Liam Higgs. Freddie Peralta was a disaster with the Mets.

A disaster. So change the scenery, can't help a guy like Freddie Peralta? Can't. Well, you've seen it from before? four and Tampa's already leading the division. And it might be easier to play in Tampa than in New York City. It might be. Let's stay with the trade deadline,

but move from winners to losers. I am going to unload on my Washington Nationals, but it's my turn here. But Wilbon, which team other than the Nats, stay away from the Nats, do you think made the least of the trade deadline? Well, we started with the Orioles. I mean, Rushman, how do you get rid of a guy who led you

to 101 victories, whatever it was, three years ago? Yeah. He's the guy. You He drafted him. He's the guy you build around, and then you go, and never mind. We're going to start over again. And it was interesting watching Baltimore's brass try to defend this, because if I'm a fan, and I've heard from a few.

I'm not going back if I'm a fan. I'm serious. Wow. Yeah. I mean, I'd be upset. Atlanta did essentially nothing. Which is sort of weird. Maybe they're not spurred of the Dodgers.

Well, but Milwaukee, Tony, here's the difference. They already have Kyle Harrison to go with the flamethrower. Yeah, and Kyle Harrison, and Kyle Harrison, like eight and two with a decent ERA. I'm okay. They're rebuilding. By the way, they got Dusty May to add to that. I'm okay with what Milwaukee did. I think Milwaukee's a threat to the Dodgers.

They're an absolute threat to the Dodgers. But they let the Dodgers go past them when they allowed them to get Tarik's school and they didn't fight that. There's one other team I'll mention before I get to the Nats. The New York Mets traded eight players. Eight major leaders. That's almost 30% of their entire roster.

What a sinkhole that must be. And now I will talk about the Nats. The Nats recently they traded Mead, their third baseman. Then two days ago on Sunday, I believe, they traded Luis Garcia to the Yankees, who immediately hit a home run in his first game for the Yankees. Between them this year, they had 40 home runs and 124 RBI to now. That's not replaced by anybody because they got no everyday players. They've also vacated first base and third base.

They got nobody to play those positions. Then they trade the best pitcher they had this year, Foster Griffin was 12 and 3. All-Star. On the All-Star team, the Nats was 16 and 6 in the games he started. Okay. They got back no everyday players. None.

You got those four prospects right-handed. Nine. Nine pitchers. They traded for nine pitchers. What does that tell you? What it should tell you is their pitching stinks, particularly their bullpen. Not the one they traded away. As if on cue, as if on cue yesterday.

Do you know what happened when they played? They're up three nothing in the seven. They took. Because I needed you to beat the Phillies because we. I hate the pitcher out. Three nothing lead in the seventh with two on. They bring in Costco. Walks the first batter, grand slam, see you around.

They bring in the next inning beater. Walks the first batter, home run. They lose six to three. I am, they got nine guys. Just give me two of them to get one out. Because their bullpen stinks. And yet all we hear about on this show is the Cubs. Wow.

The Nationals yesterday was as exercised as I have heard you. I'm going to use a word to describe how long it's been. Ever. You were nuts. You were nuts yesterday. Look, I agree with you. Your team gave away people. Let me answer something.

Why the hell should anybody go out there and watch now, giving away your hottest hitter, not your best hitter, and your hottest pitcher. Well, the hottest hitter had been C.J. Abrams over the last month. But Garcia was right there. You know why you'd go? Because this Saturday night is Hawaiian shirt. You get free.

I want those. That's it. Are you paying attention to me? I want those. No, they're not. Let's take a break coming up on Kirk Signetti and Indiana ducking Notre Dame. Of course they are. And his horse racing's triple crown over as we know it.

Of course it. We are always trading today for tomorrow and tomorrow never comes. You had a pretty good team. You're like a game and a half out of the third wild car spot. What are you doing? We overachieved and then we got swept in Atlanta. Where's Rizzo? Where's a GM who put the World Series team out there?

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Hawaiian shirt? Really? Yeah, Hawaiian shirt and shorts. Not just shirt and shorts, pal. College football scheduling, bigger deal that USC will play Notre Dame again or that Indiana will not? Well, USC and Notre Dame are reportedly resuming their series, which went forever. It's not going to start until 2030. I guess it goes four years, so through 2033.

That's great. Meanwhile, Indiana is being reported as the villain in this. Yeah. Basically saying we're not playing Notre Dame anymore. That's right. Let me just tell you this. I live next to Indiana, okay, neighbor of Indiana.

Going to be the home of your bears soon. No, it won't. Yeah, well. And you know what? Indiana Notre Dame doesn't matter a damn to anybody. I can't even picture them on the same field because they never played. It wasn't important.

USC Notre Dame is important. That's of value in America and college football. Indiana, let me tell you something else about Indiana. And Signetti did a wonderful job. What they did last season. Tremendous. Tremendous. Indiana is not a football.

Indiana's going to go back to being what Indiana was. I don't mean bad. Indiana won't matter. Indiana is irrelevant to college football season. So Indiana, Notre Dame is irrelevant, Notre Dame SC, very relevant.

Yes, so we have a slight disagreement here. Personally, I think that USC and Notre Dame should play every year because they are great programs. Traditional legacy programs. What disagreement? I also sort of think that Indiana should play Notre Dame for the rights to brag in the state, although Purdue is in the same state.

But the point here, the bigger thing to me is Indiana for this reason. Kurt Signetti, all power to Kurt Signetti for what he did, but he ducks any good team non-conference. This is who we played last year, non-conference, Old Dominion, Kennesaw State, Indiana State, 1-A. This year, North Texas, Howard, 1-A, Western Kentucky. You always make fun of the SEC. You say they don't schedule anybody.

Do you know, the SEC has a rule. The SEC has a rule that you have to play one power. They do now. One power for a conference. Obviously, the Big Ten does not. I just think this is weak on the part of Indiana. Week. It is weak.

So we don't disagree. All I'm saying is Indiana Notre Dame ain't relevant. Okay. Can you picture their two teams and their jerseys on a field together? No. Not like USC. No. Exactly.

Indiana. More power to them except what you, Give me an over under on Indiana's record this year. What do you think they're going to be? 12 games. I'd say they win at least eight. Ease eight. I'm tempted to go under.

Horse racing. Oh, this is just for you. Thank you. Is it fair for the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes to cut out the preakness? Okay. So this is what has happened. Churchill Downs has got a partnership with the New York Racing Association of New York Racing Authority. The Belmont people?

Well, not just the Belmont people, the entire state. put together a series of races, it seems to me, in one year to crown a three-year-old champion. And the six races that are going to be involved in that are the Kentucky Derby, the Belmont, the Travers, the Jim Dandy, the Matt win, and a championship race to be held at Churchill Downs. Not the Preakness. No Pimlico, baby. Not the Preakness. So there is still a triple crown, and there is still a Preakness.

But who's going to run in the Preakness? No trainer is going to run his horse in the preakness two weeks after the derby when you can wait five weeks and get to the Belmont and be part of this series. So what has happened in effect is Pimlico has been cut out and the prequist has been cut out and the triple crown has actually been destroyed and it's deliberate. Okay. It's deliberate. So this is basically somebody just taking the shiv. Yes. Because they already did it to themselves.

They were already dying. don't run anyway. There wasn't a trainer worth a damn because they didn't want to run in the PILA. Two weeks after. They should have gone first Saturday, first Saturday, May June, July. And because they didn't, they helped the marginalizing of self.

Yes. They did it to themselves. What if Maryland, the state I live in, just spend to reach the Pimilocke. Like $485 million? Like a half billion dollars, and now it's over. Yeah. No, unless they pull a rabbit out of a hat and they reschedule it. I don't know.

I don't know. What's the most important thing for the lay person in horse racing? The triple ground. The triple ground. But it hasn't existed. Tony? Three years. Every year I call you and go, where are your horse?

He's in the family. No, it's not there. It's been recent. But there is a schedule of fix that you can make. An easy one of things. You know why this happens? These people cut them out. Because unlike czars of basketball and football and hockey and baseball, there's nobody like that in horse racing.

There's nobody with the authority to say, this is what we'll do and this is why we're going to do it. That's enough email. Let's take one last break, but still to come, FIFA boss, Johnny Infantino could lose his job. While Mauricio Pochitino keeps his. Did I... Zar in Indiana to tell Notre Dame you got to play... Tell Indiana, you got to play the Notre Dame. No czar there. Did I mention Hawaiian shirt and shorts night? Did I mention how much I want that? You had a World Series team. We haven't, we haven't had a winning record since. We have, because we keep trading for tomorrow. Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow. At Desjardin Insurance, we know that when you own a nail salon,

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That's right. 1001. This was yesterday. The Hall of Fame coach of the Buffalo Bills is the only NFL coach to go to four straight Super Bowls and of course the only one to lose all four. Levy is in such good health that he attended a sports memorabilia convention this past weekend where Joe Thysman posted this picture of the two of them. Two of our face. Bill's current coach Joe Brady paid tribute to Levy at the start of training camp by repeating one of Levy's favorite sayings, quote, when it's too hard for them

is just right for us, unquote. Coincidentally, Levy coached at William and Mary and Brady played there decades apart. Now they have the same job title, but Brady has miles to go before approaching Levy's accomplishments. Marvel Levy, proud Chicago win. Is that right?

And the day after graduating from South Shore High School, he enlisted in the Air Force. And one of the many trillion great things about Marve Levy is he would caution people never to compare football to war. Which, you know, coaches want to do that. All the time, Marvel League? No, no, no, he was right.

Great man. Happy anniversary, Masato Akamatsu. On this day, 16 years ago, the center fielder of the Hiroshima Carp in the Japan League made this amazing Spider-Man-like climb up a wall to rob Chiuchi Murata of a home run. Look at this catch. No, really, look at this catch in his entire 14-year career in Japan, Akamatsu won only one gold glove. It was in this year. It was probably for this catch. Akamatsu played 939 games, mostly in center field, made only six errors.

Batted 246 for the Han Xin Tigers and Hiroshima carp, stealing 163 bases. Look, the Bow Jackson catch is great. It's great. This one is actually better. Seriously, how did he do this? So I think we're both going to go, greatest catch of all time on this. Certainly seen. Well, wait, wait, wait.

Mays, 1954, back to home play. So then we're going to talk greatest catchers of all time in certain hemispheres. Okay, that's fair. That's fair. Happy trails to Gianni Infantino's plan to sell off part of FIFA. That didn't last long. Federations around the world and even executives within FIFA rebuked Infantino's desire to sell off a chunk of the World Cup to private investors,

and the project has now been scuttled. The only question remaining is if Infantino will get to keep his job. The White House reportedly backs him. But countries like England and Finland have declared a lack of faith. and the president of Jordan Soccer Association today accused FIFA of blackmail by withholding funds and support unless Jordan endorsed Infantino. This has gotten really ugly, really fast, Wilbon. The other question is this, how long before somebody reintroduces this in a different form?

It's going to happen. Because you think everybody takes the money. Yes. And I think what UEFA did is Churchillian. It was moral. It was moral. It was correct. It was moral.

And now, how soon before somebody was, you know, reintroduces it with a little different twist. Not before next week. You don't believe in greed? No, I think greed is there, but I just don't think this is it. Okay. I think you wait for stand is correct. Let's go to the big finish. Let's do it. New Bear's safety, Cody Bryant?

Yeah. Is out eight to ten weeks after hyper-extending his knee, cause for concern? Offseason acquisition, yes, but it was we thought it could be a lot worse news than it is. So we're going to get him back early in the season, we hope. Maricio Pocetino is on board

as head of the U.S. men's soccer team through next World Cup okay by you. It's the most Chicago-centric show of all time. Yes, it's okay by me. It's good by me. I think he deserves another chance. Falcon's running back, Fijon Robinson, has reportedly agreed to a three-year deal worth $51 million guaranteed. That's significant.

These guys aren't just running backs. They're weapons offensively. Use them and pay them. Alex Dialla upset top-seated Jess Pugula in the D.C. Open final right here yesterday. Big deal? I think it is a big deal. She is the greatest Filipino tennis player of all time, and she's only 21 years.

One. Yeah, I think, yeah. Last one, Cleveland's expansion, WNBA team will be called the Sirens. Do you like it? Yeah, why not? It's hard to come up with nicknames now. They're all... It's not the sirens of a car.

It is the Sirens who tempt people on the sea. It's from The Odyssey. Those sirens. English major don't show off. Who, me? We're out of time. Trying to be better the next time. I'm Tony Cornage.

Let me get the flag. I'm Mike Robo. Same time tomorrow, knuckleheads. Mysteries unravel and stunning truths are revealed. in 2020 investigates. Follow the clues, the evidence, the breaking new details. ABC's 2020 means true murder mystery. Shocking.

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