Outside The Confines: This article is going to Cooperstown

This will probably be the final quiet weekend in MLB for a while. The Trade Deadline is Tuesday and after that, we’ll have the meat of the playoff races.

Consider yourself to all be on “Hug-watch” until next Tuesday. I do believe Cubs fans started that trend about a decade ago. Or at least named it.

• Before we get to trade rumors, Scott Rolen and Fred McGriff were inducted into the Hall of Fame.
• Scott Rolen thanked his family and his hometown in his induction speech.
• Matthew Leach has the top ten moments of Rolen’s career.
• Jim Callis has the scouting reports on Rolen before the Phillies drafted him in the second round in 1993.
• Anthony Castrovince writes about how Rolen’s friendship with a young boy with leukemia changed Rolen’s life.
• In his induction speech, Fred McGriff reminisced about his career and told people to chase their dreams.
• Keegan Matheson has the ten moments that defined McGriff’s career.
• Mark Bowman ranks the 1993 deal when the Braves acquired McGriff among the best deadline trades ever.
• That seems like a good transition to the trade deadline. Bob Nightengale has ten big questions heading into next week’s deadline.
• Buster Olney writes about how Angels owner Arte Moreno is standing in the way (at the moment) of a trade of Shohei Ohtani. (ESPN+ sub. req.) Olney does note that Moreno could change his mind between now and next Tuesday.
• Ohtani says he’s completely focused on the Angels getting into the playoffs at the moment.
• Hannah Keyser argues that the Angels shouldn’t trade Ohtani because “the journey is more important that the destination.”
• R.J. Anderson has three possible consequences of an Ohtani trade.
• Radio yakker Colin Cowherd suggested that the Angels trade Ohtani for “five first-round draft picks” and more, which is why you should never listen to Colin Cowherd.
• Sam Blum suggests an Ohtani trade that would give away Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon (and their contracts) too. (The Athletic sub. req)
• There have been some minor deals. The Braves got right-hander Yonny Chirinos off waivers from the Rays.
• And the Cardinals dealt left-handed reliever Génesis Cabrera to the Blue Jays, after they had designated him for assignment. Eric Longenhagen evaluates the deal and what the Blue Jays can expect out of Cabrera.
• Esteban Rivera evaluates the deal that sent Shintaro Fujinami from Oakland to Baltimore.
• Mike Petriello has five “under-the-radar” players who could get dealt before the deadline.
• Zach Crizer looks at each team’s “competitive window” that they should be shooting for at the trade deadline.
• Fabian Ardaya writes that the Dodgers need a right-handed bat at the deadline and examines who is available. (The Athletic sub. req)
• Manny Randhawa also notes that the Dodges have issues with their starting rotation.
• Joel Sherman believes that the Yankees need to “think beyond 2023” at the trade deadline. That means he thinks the Yankees should avoid players who are just under team control though the end of the year.
• R.J. Anderson looks at eight candidates to replace injured catcher Jose Trevino.
• Anderson also has eight American League prospects who could get dealt at the deadline.
• Bradford Doolittle re-grades all of last year’s deadline deals. (ESPN+ sub. req.)
• Will Leitch explains why the Brewers are the most-unlikely first-place team.
• Here’s some news you’ve all been waiting for: Rob Manfred is expected to be re-elected for another term as commissioner.
• Melissa Lockard looks at the Athletics fans who are still fighting to keep the team in Oakland. (The Athletic sub. req)
• Leo Morgenstern examines how right-hander Zach Eflin is having his best season ever with the Rays.
• Phillies top prospect, right-handed pitcher Andrew Painter, needs Tommy John surgery.
• Kennedi Landry writes about how Rangers prospect Evan Carter has proved all of his draft critics wrong.
• Jessica Camerato explains what the Nationals are getting in first-round pick, outfielder Dylan Crews.
• And finally, Anthony Castrovince has the 10 strangest trades in MLB history.

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster.