NFL

Patriots sign LB Jahlani Tavai to three-year, $15 million contract extension

Tavai recorded 105 tackles, one sack and two interceptions in a variety of roles for New England last season, and the organization is smartly keeping the linebacker around.

Grade: A-

NBA

Cavaliers sign SG Donovan Mitchell to three-year, $150.3 million contract extension

Cleveland probably wishes Mitchell signed for four more years instead of three, but this is still a victory for the Cavaliers regardless. In his two seasons with the Cavs, Mitchell has taken a leap from the player he was in Utah, becoming an efficient, offensive force with the chops to go toe-to-toe with any player in the league when he’s on.

The fit among Cleveland’s top four players, Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, isn’t ideal, but can certainly work if surrounded with shooting and perimeter defense. The Cavaliers face an uphill battle in a league where more teams than usual are stacking the deck and chasing a title, but having Mitchell stick around for at least two more seasons — the third year of this extension is a player option — is good news for the Cavs.

Grade: A

Magic sign PF Jonathan Isaac to five-year, $84 million contract

Isaac, a rangy athlete capable of guarding all five positions, is arguably the NBA’s top defender, but a sporadic offensive game limits him. For the forward to be worth this deal, Orlando needs to commit more minutes to the 26-year-old. Of course, Isaac needs to hold up his end of the bargain by staying healthy — no guarantee, as he only played in 55 games across four seasons from 2020-2023. The Magic are building a long, defensive-minded team, and Isaac certainly fits that mold.

Grade: C-

Warriors sign PF Kyle Anderson to three-year, $27 million contract

The Warriors are acquiring Anderson via a sign-and-trade, sending a second-pick swap and cash to the Timberwolves. Losing Klay Thompson will hurt Golden State, particularly in terms of spacing, but the Warriors have wisely pivoted to Anderson and De’Anthony Melton, giving the team increased versatility on the perimeter. Anderson, 30, has a slow-paced game that should age well, and his passing ability should shine in Steve Kerr’s system.

Grade: B

Magic sign C Moritz Wagner to two-year, $22 million contract

I wasn’t in love with Orlando spending a chunk of its cap space on Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, but with what was remaining, it makes sense to dole this contract out to Wagner. The center is an erratic, but talented player, capable of scoring in a variety of manners, and compliments the franchise’s core well.

Grade: B

MLB

Guardians 7, White Sox 6

Contenders will surely be keeping an eye on Luis Robert for the next four weeks, and his showing in this contest might’ve boosted his value — slightly, of course. The center fielder finished 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBI, keeping the 24-63 White Sox in the game.

Cardinals 7, Pirates 4

Ryan Helsley earned his 31st save of the season last night, increasing his MLB lead. Entering 2024, the flamethrower recorded just 35 career saves.

Pittsburgh, fighting for a wild-card spot, hasn’t been getting any offensive production from its catchers. Yasmani Grandal has taken on nearly half of the Pirates’ workload at the position, but it hasn’t been pretty at the dish for the 35-year-old. In this game, Grandal went 0-for-3, lowering his slash line to .174/.207/.261.

Mets 7, Nationals 2

On June 1st, when New York was just 24-33, I wrote that the club can get in the mix for a wild card if things break right. Just over a month later, well, things broke right. The Mets are now 42-41, putting the team just 1.5 games back of the third wild-card position.

I try to highlight good performances from the winning team and bad performances from the losing team, but I can’t ignore the rate DJ Herz is striking out batters. In 5 2/3 innings yesterday, the Nationals rookie fanned 10 Mets, stifling New York with his electric stuff.

Blue Jays 7, Astros 6

The 43-42 Astros have made up a ton of ground in the AL postseason chase, and I’m not sure how much longer Joe Espada can stick with Spencer Arrighetti. The rookie has upside, but after allowing six earned runs in this game, his ERA is up to 6.13. That won’t play.

Reds 5, Yankees 4

If the Reds are going to get back into in the playoff hunt, it’ll likely require All-Star level play from Elly De La Cruz. The talented shortstop placed his stamp on this affair, recording a home run and a triple as part of a 2-for-5 night.

It’s quite possible Luis Gil’s first 14 starts were a fluke. Nobody wants to hear that, but Gil entered this season with minimal prior big league success, and now his performance has cratered.

Gil’s last three outings:

• Seven earned runs over 1 1/3 innings
• Five earned runs over 4 1/3 innings
• Four earned runs over four innings

Forget the Cy Young. Forget starting in the All-Star Game. For now, Gil needs to focus on keeping his spot in the rotation, because it’s starting to get ugly.

Twins 5, Tigers 3

This series is one of two clubs heading in opposite directions. For one, the Carlos Correa-led Twins have been surging for some time now, winning seven of their last 10. The Tigers have fallen off rather quickly, dropping to 38-47 with this defeat.