Latest news with #MaxClark
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Paul Skenes trade grades for ex-MLB GM's Tigers-Pirates hypothetical
The post Paul Skenes trade grades for ex-MLB GM's Tigers-Pirates hypothetical appeared first on ClutchPoints. Through the first 36 starts of his career, Paul Skenes is off to one of the best starts for a pitcher in Major League Baseball history. The No. 1 overall pick took the league by storm in 2024 when the Pittsburgh Pirates called him up into the majors. He went 6-0 after joining Pittsburgh and started in the All-Star Game. Advertisement However, rumors are flying around that the Pirates' organization might not be willing to pay him the amount of money that he expects when he becomes extension-eligible after the 2026 season. Former MLB general manager Jim Bowden worked with The Athletic to put together Skenes deals from teams around the league. The Detroit Tigers' package features names like Max Clark and Bryce Rainer, two of the team's top prospects. Bowden offered his thoughts on a potential pack from the Detroit Tigers. According to him, Clark could play right away for the Pirates if the deal was made. Proposed package: OF Max Clark, SS Bryce Rainer, RHP Jaden Hamm, RHP Owen Hall Advertisement 'This potential Tigers offer would give the Pirates solutions up the middle with two former first-round picks: Clark, a 20-year-old center fielder, and Rainer, a 19-year-old shortstop, both of whom should develop into All-Star caliber players,' Bowden said. 'Clark could be promoted to the majors soon with the Pirates moving Oneil Cruz to right field and Reynolds to left field. Rainer is a few years away. And the Pirates would also receive two solid pitching prospects in Hamm, 22, and Hall, 19, who are currently pitching at Double A and Low A, respectively.' Why the Detroit Tigers should make the trade Teams around the league would line up to make offers for Skenes to their starting rotations. However, the Tigers could be one of the more opportunistic teams at the deadline. After surprising the league in 2024 and getting to the American League Divisional Series, Detroit is near the top of the AL this season. According to Bowden, the Tigers should jump at the opportunity to pair two perennial Cy Young starters together. 'For Detroit, just imagine a rotation headed by Tarik Skubal and Skenes — the double SKs,' Bowden said. 'The Tigers could roll out those two aces, followed by Jackson Jobe, Casey Mize, Reese Olson and Jack Flaherty. That rotation would make them the American League favorites this October.' Advertisement Even without Skenes, Detroit's pitching staff is one of the best in the league. They lead the league in wins and are in the top five in ERA before Tuesday's games. Skubal is enjoying another dominant season, leading the race for this year's AL Cy Young award. With Skenes pitching behind him in A.J. Hinch's rotation, Detroit would have two bona-fide superstars to lead them through the postseason. Clark and Rainer are the Tigers' first and third-ranked prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. Owen Hall and Jaden Hamm are the organization's top pitchers in their prospect system. Trading all of them away sets Detroit back when it comes to developing talent. However, the team's success is led by young stars, making prospects less important than players on the major league roster. Tigers Trade Grade: A+ Why the Pittsburgh Pirates should make the trade The Pirates are one of the more disappointing teams in the league this season. Their drop-off is not as bad as the Baltimore Orioles, but Pittsburgh also fired their manager early in the season. Their underwhelming start to the season is more because of their offense than their pitching, though. However, Skenes is doing all he can to lead the team back to relevancy. Advertisement Despite the fact that Skenes' record is already worse than last year, his value is still astronomical. The extension coming his way is likely to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Similar to the deals that Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto signed, whatever team gives Skenes his next contract will want to keep him with their team for as long as possible. Pittsburgh is more than 15 games away from the division-leading Chicago Cubs in the National League Central. Any hopes that they had of winning their division is gone, and a wild card berth is extremely unlikely. Detroit's package offers the Pirates players that could contribute on the mound and at the plate if given more opportunity. The Tigers' don't have many open spots on their major league roster, but their prospects are all doing well in the minors. However, Pittsburgh needs to make sure that Clark and the rest will grow into solid players before making the deal. Regardless of what they get in return, fans will be upset if the Pirates trade Skenes. Detroit's package is not bad, but risks need to be taken in order for the team to kickstart their rebuild. Pirates Trade Grade: C+
BBC News
05-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Gillingham left-back Clark signs new one-year deal
Gillingham left-back Max Clark has signed a new one-year contract with the League Two 29-year-old has made 71 appearances since joining the Gills in 2023, scoring four made 40 league appearances as the club finished 17th last season."I am really pleased to be staying at Gills," he told the club's website, external. "I have very much enjoyed my time here, the fans are absolutely brilliant and I want to be a part of what the club is building."I am looking forward to the season ahead."Clark follows Glenn Morris, Robbie McKenzie and Bradley Dack in extending their deals at Priestfield also signed forward Seb Palmer-Houlden from Bristol City last month.
New York Times
17-03-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Tigers prospect Max Clark is a star of the online age. Will his talent merit the attention?
NORTH PORT, Fla. — Down on the field at the World Series, Max Clark wore a cream-colored Louis Vuitton varsity jacket and had young fans howling for his autograph. Quite the scene for a Detroit Tigers prospect who has yet to play a game in Double A. Truth is Clark's online persona carried weight even before the Tigers drafted him No. 3 overall two summers ago. Clark is a rising force of personality. He has more than 361,000 followers on TikTok. His 426,000 Instagram followers is more than seven times that of reigning Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal. Advertisement Late last summer, when the Tigers staged their surprise run to the playoffs, Clark engaged with his audience and posted on X like a fan. 'TORK TORK TORK TORK TORK,' he posted after a Spencer Torkelson home run on Sept. 25. At the World Series, Clark worked as a content correspondent for Meta, strolling around during batting practice and shooting photos and videos on his phone. His presence at the Fall Classic contained a dizzying duality. Part of him was still dreaming of what it would be like to one day reach that stage and awe-struck over the players he grew up watching. Look, Mookie Betts just walked by. Freddie Freeman is taking swings! But being on the field at Dodger Stadium, where a couple of years earlier he stepped on a major-league field for the first time in a Perfect Game showcase, was already a full-circle moment. On the game's biggest platform, Clark drew a crowd all his own. 'That was really cool, I got to be completely honest,' Clark said Sunday. 'I get there, and I see (Juan) Soto, (Aaron) Judge, Freeman … All these greats. It was insane. So to have a younger generation of players doing the same for me, it definitely felt good. I'm blessed for that.' The Max Clark Experience doubles as a revealing commentary on what it means to be a baseball player in 2025. Even as MLB attendance increased in back-to-back seasons for the first time in 12 years and World Series viewership grew 67 percent from 2023 to 2024, baseball can still struggle to market its biggest stars. In an era where few players are household names, Clark has built an audience among the sport's youngest and most online fans. He has strengthened this following despite spending last season on a muggy field in Lakeland, Fla., and playing under the dreary skies of western Michigan. Meanwhile, his appearance is sure to make old-school coaches roll their eyes. Big sunglasses, tattoos down his arms, smeared eye black, colorful cleats and massive silver chains, one of which bears his initials. Last season he wore custom spikes: the right shoe featured words of affirmation; the left shoe featured posts from the haters who questioned the Tigers drafting Clark over college star Wyatt Langford. Advertisement Just when Clark's aura begins to seem vapid, contrived or downright annoying, he offers a disarming charm. Clark is 20 and engaged to his high-school sweetheart. He is friendly with fans and engaging with all in his orbit. In a dim hallway at CoolToday Park, Clark spoke before Sunday's Spring Breakout Game. He has been a face for MLB's promotional efforts each of the past two seasons. 'Honestly, it's how you grow the game,' Clark said. 'We're kind of entering a new generation of what baseball is. Especially (the Spring Breakout game), it's great for the fans. There's so many people out there who don't really understand what the minor leagues is, how the system works.' Clark continued. 'Every time I open my X, it's like, 'Hey, when are you getting called up?'' he said. 'It's like, 'I have literally played 34 games in High A. Probably not for a little bit.' This is something for them to learn from. This is something for them to gain knowledge with. So I love interacting.' As a high-schooler in the small town of Franklin, Ind., Clark kept columns of quotes and lofty goals written in marker on his bathroom mirror. Even as he shamelessly touted his objective to be drafted first overall, Clark's love for the game comes across as undeniably authentic. This is one of the first things that helped him garner respect from Tigers manager A.J. Hinch, himself known to fall asleep with West Coast games rolling on TV. 'Max is a baseball junkie,' Hinch said. 'I will reference games earlier in the camp, and he will have already watched it, or I'll reference seeing something on TV on one of the broadcasts, and he was locked in on that game. I think he watches baseball as much as any young player in our organization. I think that's awesome.' Said Clark: 'I love baseball. That's all I've ever known. It's all I wanted to do since I was 5. I will watch every inning, every out of every game if I could.' Advertisement Ask anyone in the Tigers' organization about Clark's personality, and they will likely begin with a chuckle. The flash and flair are inescapable realities. But even as baseball's stodgy culture slowly evolves — bat flips, colorful arm sleeves and fiery celebrations are no longer all taboo — this is still a sport where individualism can be discouraged. Baseball needs more Max Clarks. Baseball also remains uncomfortable when such a player emerges. So how do the Tigers manage the persona? 'I think the great thing about Max is he's just authentically who he is,' said Ryan Garko, the Tigers' assistant general manager who heads player development. 'Good teammate. Coaches love him. Really humble. I think you see some of the things around him … the perception versus reality are a little bit different. He's one of our hardest workers. He supports his teammates and he's respectful to the organization, the past players, the current players. You can tell he was raised well, and the makeup is just as impressive as all the tools.' Clark said he has not yet encountered much opposition to his public-facing style. But he is aware of a potential dilemma that exists as he draws closer to the major leagues. 'I feel like there's definitely, probably gonna be a time where (pushback) does happen,' Clark said. 'But that's just who I am as a person. It has nothing to do with baseball. I'm very open and outgoing. I want to be involved with it as much as I can. I want to help the new generation of kids that want to play professional baseball.' Standing in the dugout Sunday, Hall of Fame shortstop Alan Trammell rattled off his comparisons for a variety of Tigers prospects. He could not think of anyone whose personality compares to Clark's. The 67-year-old luminary nonetheless gave Clark a ringing endorsement. 'I think it's good for the Tigers,' Trammell said. 'I'm not used to that. It's not my style, all the social media and all that because I'm not on it. But I don't think we've ever had a player like Max Clark, and that's all in a good way.' Advertisement When the Tigers drafted Clark third and signed him to an underslot deal, it allowed them to sign infielder Kevin McGonigle to an overslot deal with the No. 37 pick. Now together as arguably the top position players in Detroit's system, Clark and McGonigle are yin and yang. McGonigle is more quiet, serious and stoic. Their personalities feed off each other. 'He's a great baseball player,' McGonigle said. 'I would say he's an even better human, better friend, better guy to be around when you're in that clubhouse. He's got the same mentality, and that's to win.' Clark's style, however, has yet to rub off on his more reserved teammate. 'Yesterday on the back fields I did throw one of his chains on,' McGonigle said, laughing and dropping his head forward. 'I couldn't even keep my head up.' Last week, when the Tigers called on Clark to play in a major-league spring training game for the first time, he was nervous. 'My legs felt like cement in the box,' he said. When he entered mid-game and trotted out to center field, Clark found himself warming up between innings with Riley Greene, who was a 4 fWAR player last season. Clark's first throw sailed well above Greene's head. 'The ball boy isn't there,' Clark said. 'So I made Riley Greene, an All-Star, run all the way to the foul pole, pick it up, throw it back. And then the next one, I short-hopped him.' Mortified as Clark was, he was relieved when, before the inning began, Greene shouted over: This is your outfield. You're in center field today. Do you. The unspoken crux in Clark's development still hangs in the backdrop of every conversation. Does a player who draws so much attention actually have the skill to warrant the frenzy? As a center fielder, Clark has a compact build but lightning speed and an impressive arm. Corbin Carroll, the dynamic Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder known for his soft-spoken personality, is the obvious comparison in terms of play style. Clark's first pro season featured the growing pains and adjustments that test many young hitters. He still hit .279 with a .372 on-base percentage and nine home runs in 107 games across Low A and High A. He stole 29 bases in 33 attempts. Advertisement Evaluators hold mixed opinions on how high Clark's hitting ceiling is. He makes good contact and shows an advanced approach but can still hit too many ground balls and lacks overt power projection. The speed and defense, though, could give him a high floor. Sunday in the Spring Breakout game, Clark smacked a ball to the opposite field that ricocheted off a diving left fielder's glove. Clark blazed around first and stretched the hit into a double. Later, in the third inning, a single fell in front of Clark with a runner on first. Clark charged the ball from the crack of the bat, fielded it on a hop and came up firing. Atlanta Braves base runner John Gil shut down his attempt to take third. Clark fired a strike into second base. got 'em@maxxclarkk13 — Detroit Tigers (@tigers) March 16, 2025 Diving back into the bag, Gil was out. And Clark's star qualities were apparent once again. 'The fact that he's confident enough to have all these other extra things is certainly noteworthy, but it's not what defines him,' Hinch said. 'I think baseball and winning defines him more than it looks like if you just walk in the park and see the flash.'
BBC News
20-02-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Newcastle Falcons extend Clark deal to end of season
Newcastle Falcons have extended centre Max Clark's short-term loan to keep him at the club until the end of the current 29-year-old centre arrived from Saracens on a three-month deal in mid-December, scoring on his Gallagher Premiership debut at Bristol Bears before helping the club reach the quarter-finals of the Premiership Rugby have been sufficiently impressed with his contributions for director of rugby Steve Diamond to suggest he may stay at the club beyond the summer."Max has fitted straight in here and done really well in his short time with us. He has loads of top-level experience which is very obvious when he plays," said Diamond."I'm glad that we've been able to extend his contract until at least the end of this season, and I'm looking forward to seeing his continued positive impact."
