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Articles by Jeff Spiegel
Dodgers Reunite With 7-Year Veteran Bullpen Arm: Report
There's no such thing as having too much pitching during spring training, and the Los Angeles Dodgers evidently decided to kick the tires on a familiar face. Right-hander Yency Almonte pitched for the Dodgers in 2022 and 2023, making a total of 81 appearances. He was traded to the Chicago Cubs before the 2024 season, alongside now-starting first baseman Michael Busch, for prospects Zyhir Hope and Jackson Ferris, for whom the Dodgers still have high hopes.
When the Tennessee Titans officially hit the clock on Thursday afternoon, kicking off the 2025 edition of the NFL Draft, Raiders general manager John Spytek and head Coach Pete Carroll knew they had some serious work to do, as well as a huge opportunity to do it. They entered the weekend with nine picks in a draft that boasted enough depth to find the type of talent infusion the organization needed.
Raiders’ Seven-Round Mock Draft: A Pair of Trades Shake up the Board
The board is set, and the anxiety is setting in as the 2025 NFL Draft is just around the corner. For the Las Vegas Raiders, who hold nine picks in this year’s edition of the draft, the opportunity to start a much-needed infusion of young talent is in front of them. While many pundits have bemoaned the lack of blue-chip prospects available this year, the good news for the Raiders is that their first pick lands on the right side of the talent cliff if they choose to “stick and pick”.
Raiders’ NFL Draft Primer: Picks, Needs And Player Fits
There’s a new regime in town, but the NFL Draft has a familiar feel for the Las Vegas Raiders: it’s a weekend of hope, yes, but also immense pressure. Now three years removed from their last winning season and playoff appearance, with seemingly less young talent than ever, the 2025 Draft represents an opportunity to take another step in the right direction for a franchise desperate for one.
Chip Away Towards Tomorrow: Investing in Semiconductors
By Jeff Spiegel, U.S. Head of BlackRock Thematic, International and Sector ETFs • Semiconductors are the bedrock of the digital economy, core enablers of the data revolution and at the forefront of technological innovation. • The semiconductor industry could be set for exponential growth driven by the mega forces of AI and digitalization, as well as those of geopolitics and economic competition.
BREAKING: Raiders Fire Head Coach Josh McDaniels And GM Dave Ziegler
After a lot of speculation and seemingly a lot of reluctance on the part of team owner Mark Davis, the Las Vegas Raiders have finally decided to part ways with head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler. The team didn’t waste any time after the NFL trade deadline came and went on Halloween, with the team parting ways with the two after a 3-5 start to the 2023 campaign. Davis sent out the following press release to announce the firing of McDaniels and Ziegler.
Why International Stocks May Continue to Outperform
• Propelled by the Fed’s aggressive tightening campaign, the U.S. dollar reached its highest level in 20 years in 2022.1 This has started to reverse, removing a key headwind and creating more support for ex-U.S. equities. • As 2023 gets underway, supply chain challenges that held back international equities are abating, in large part due to the re-opening of China post-COVID and supply chain normalization.
BREAKING: Raiders Agree To Trade Darren Waller To Giants
The big moves continue to come for the Las Vegas Raiders. The signing of wide receiver Jakobi Meyers turned some heads as that didn’t feel like an area of need for the team, leading some to wonder whether the team had another move coming and as it turns out that move involved tight end, Darren Waller.
BREAKING: Raiders Agree To Deal With QB Jimmy Garoppolo
For months the biggest question surrounding the Las Vegas Raiders was who would be their quarterback next season and now we finally have the answer. According to Adam Schefter and Dianna Russini of ESPN, the Raiders have agreed to a deal with former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo worth $67.5 million: Garoppolo has been a name that has been linked to the Raiders prior to the free agency period beginning as they were believed to be one of the teams who would have interest in him.
What Investors Should Know About Investing in Food Innovation and Agricultural Technology
KEY TAKEAWAYS Food innovation and agricultural technology (AgTech) offer potential solutions to meet growing demand and greater supply chain risks Alternative proteins and lab-grown meats are offering substitutes to consumers with evolving preferences for ingredients, environmental impact and economic costs Innovations in AgTech, including precision agriculture, controlled environment agriculture and robotics, are leveraging technology to increase agricultural productivity and reduce costs...
The Opportunity For Environmental Infrastructure
By Jeff Spiegel and Adrienne Healey The Start Of A Global Infrastructure Renaissance Decades of underinvestment, continued population growth, rapid urbanization, and extreme weather events have placed immense stress on global infrastructure systems. Gridlocked superhighways and rolling blackouts have become all too common. But trillions of dollars should be on their way to help address these challenges.
Magic Johnson In Talks To Buy Record-Breaking Stake In Raiders Original
Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson may be on the verge of purchasing a stake in another professional sports franchise. Johnson is already part of the ownership group of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Sparks, and now he’s set his sights on the Las Vegas Raiders. According to Liz Hoffman of Semafor.com, Johnson is in talks to buy what could be a record-breaking stake in the Raiders.
Investing In Food Innovation And Agricultural Technology
By Jeff Spiegel THE NEXT FOOD REVOLUTION Lab-to-table for a healthier future Food innovation and AgTech solutions can bridge the food production and consumption gap, while combatting climate change and food insecurity. Unsustainable production and consumption practices have pushed global food systems to the brink.
Why Now Could Be The Time To Consider Neuroscience Investments
By Jeff Spiegel Key Takeaways Neurological diseases and disorders are among the world’s most prevalent health conditions. The need to address them is mounting amid an aging global population and as the world grapples with the mental health challenges that were exacerbated by the pandemic. Innovations in biotechnology, particularly in genomics and immunology, are uncovering potential causes of many neurological disorders and offering new options to treat and potentially cure them.
Infrastructure Shines Amid Inflation And Supportive Policies
By Jeff Spiegel Key Takeaways Many infrastructure stocks are proving resilient to inflation due to their value characteristics, inflation-adjusted contracts, and fixed interest rate debt, as has been the case historically. They could also stand to benefit from reshoring efforts amid global supply chain disruptions, garnering new investment and greater usage. Infrastructure public equities should benefit from public sector spending.
Is It The Right Time To Buy Electric Vehicle (EV) Stocks? Original
By Jeff Spiegel, Head of U.S. iShares Megatrend and International ETFs Key Takeaways Electric vehicles (EVs) are seeing accelerated adoption on the back of decreasing costs. Continued advances in battery technology could soon make EVs cost-competitive versus internal combustion engine (ICE) counterparts. Autonomous driving functions are becoming commonplace in new car models, and real-world trials are bringing us closer to fully autonomous vehicles (AVs).
Decoding The Future Of Healthcare
Toshe_O/E+ via Getty Images By Jeff Spiegel Video Transcript Jeff Spiegel: Genomics is transforming the health care industry through essentially enabling personalized medicine. Today, for less than $1,000, you can map the human genome and actually understand and prescribe to a patient in a way tailored exactly to their DNA.
Raiders QB Derek Carr Already Making A Case For NFL MVP
Raiders QB Derek Carr Already Making A Case For NFL MVP Sep 13, 2021; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) celebrates the overtime victory against the Baltimore Ravens at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports The first two weeks of the NFL season are officially in the books for the Las Vegas Raiders, with quarterback Derek Carr already making a case to be in the NFL MVP conversation.
First Wave Of Free Agency Shows A Change In Jon Gruden's Philosophy
Two trades, a number of new signings and re-signings later, the 2021 version of the Las Vegas Raiders will look noticeably different. In fact, the look of the latest edition of the Raiders appears to reflect a new philosophy. When Jon Gruden arrived, the Raiders made it clear that the offense would be the focal point of their franchise — specifically, the offensive line.
Election 2020 and implications for overseas stocks
By Jeff Spiegel, Director, iShares Key takeaways: Investors are looking at the 2020 U.S. elections as a catalyst for changes to foreign policy and trade Two entrenched investment trends will remain in play regardless of the outcome: deglobalization and innovation These dynamic trends have increased the importance of international equities in investor portfolios The outcome of the 2020 U.S. elections has potential to usher in major changes to foreign policy and trade.
Raiders News: Derek Carr Channeled Kobe Bryant In Win Vs. Chargers
While the tragic death of Kobe Bryant still has the basketball world in shock, Bryant’s impact goes much wider than just the NBA. Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, for one, still thinks about the Black Mamba, especially while playing against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 9. Sunday’s matchup between the Raiders and the Chargers was close all the way through, coming down to the very last play.
Eyeing regulation risk in tech Original
Mega-cap technology companies could face increased regulatory scrutiny following the U.S. election Targeting smaller tech companies may help investors access emerging growth trends and temper exposure to companies most exposed to greater oversight Megatrends offer multi-sector exposure within areas of innovation, an alternative for growth-seeking investors beyond tech giants Large U.S. technology stocks have been prime drivers of 2020’s post-COVID market rebound as well as the...
Raiders Post-Draft Wrap: An Interview With Thor Nystrom Of Rotoworld
If you’re looking for entertainment mixed in with your College Football / NFL analysis, look no further than Thor Nystrom from Rotoworld. Not only does this guy know his stuff, but he always has a unique perspective that isn’t afraid to be a bit different than everything else you’re reading. For that reason, I reached out to Thor to see if he’d be willing to sit down for an interview about the Las Vegas Raiders’ draft class.
2020 NFL Draft: The Athletic's Newest Raiders Beat Writer Tashan Reed Weighs In
2020 NFL Draft: The Athletic’s Newest Raiders Beat Writer Tashan Reed Weighs In Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports Tashan Reed has only been on the Las Vegas Raiders beat for a few weeks, but with the 2020 Draft being such a seminal moment in the franchise, he has jumped right into draft prep and networking. After covering Florida State for the past few seasons, Reed has some exposure to the college game — not to mention resources in guys like Vic Tafur and Dane Brugler at The Athletic.
2020 NFL Draft: The Athletic's Newest Raiders Beat Writer Tashan Reed Weighs In
2020 NFL Draft: The Athletic’s Newest Raiders Beat Writer Tashan Reed Weighs In Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports Tashan Reed has only been on the Las Vegas Raiders beat for a few weeks, but with the 2020 Draft being such a seminal moment in the franchise, he has jumped right into draft prep and networking. After covering Florida State for the past few seasons, Reed has some exposure to the college game — not to mention resources in guys like Vic Tafur and Dane Brugler at The Athletic.
2020 NFL Draft: PFF's Mike Renner On Raiders, CeeDee Lamb, Jalen Hurts & More
2020 NFL Draft: PFF’s Mike Renner On Raiders, CeeDee Lamb, Jalen Hurts & More Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports If there’s one gripe I’ve got about NFL Draft coverage in times like these — with less than 10 days left until the first round — it often feels like every big board you look at looks the same. The first version? Lots of variability. Last? Not a ton of things that rock the boat. The exception to that rule, however — which I appreciate — is Pro Football Focus’ board.
2020 NFL Draft: The Athletic's Dane Brugler Weighs In On Raiders' Strategy
2020 NFL Draft: The Athletic’s Dane Brugler Weighs In On Raiders’ Strategy Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports If you’ve been on social media and following the NFL Draft, no doubt you’ve come across The Athletic’s Dane Brugler. As their primary draft guy, he’s one of the best in the business — especially when it comes to the depth of his scouting. If you’re not already a subscriber, his draft guide — which came out Tuesday — is worth the price alone.
Are Craig Kimbrel And His Contract Demands A Fit For The Dodgers?
Are Craig Kimbrel And His Contract Demands A Fit For The Dodgers? Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports The 2019 MLB Draft has officially arrived, and the two players most impacted by that aren’t high schoolers or college kids. That honor, instead, goes to free agents Craig Kimbrel and Dallas Keuchel. They each declined the qualifying offer from their respective teams this past winter, then were seemingly frozen out during free agency.
Hyun-Jin Ryu Has Quietly Been One Of Baseball's Top Pitchers & Of Tremendous Value For Dodgers
When the Los Angeles Dodgers signed a 25-year-old Korean named Hyun-Jin Ryu in the winter of 2012, no one really knew what to expect. ESPN’s Keith Law ranked Ryu as the No. 37 free agent available that offseason, noting that given his physique he was someone who might eventually end up in the bullpen. The Dodgers, however, clearly saw something different — paying almost $26 million to negotiate with Ryu (the largest amount ever paid for a Korean player).
2019 NL West Preview: Dodgers Still Primed to Dominate Against Rockies, Giants & Padres
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports The noise surrounding the Los Angeles Dodgers’ failure to sign Bryce Harper and/or Manny Machado has been impossible to avoid. In fact, it’s so loud that if you were new around here, you’d begin to think that the 2019 version of the Dodgers was poised to fall back to earth after back-to-back World Series appearances (their first in 20 years).
Understanding Dodgers' Philosophy Behind Trading Yasiel Puig & Signing A.J. Pollock
Keith Birmingham-Southern California News Group Confusion? Anger? Disappointment? There were a slew of reactions when the Los Angeles Dodgers announced the signing of A.J. Pollock to a five-year contract that can reach $60 million in value. Regardless of how the Pollock signing was described, the sense was all the same This wasn’t ideal. Whether it was the “this guy is worse than Yasiel Puig” camp or the “he’s always injured” camp, the outrage was palpable.
Dodgers Bullpen Quietly Taking Form
Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports There might not be anything that has been more agonized over, more debated and more complained about than the Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen the past three seasons. Rather than spend big on this group (aside from Kenley Jansen), the front office has been content to depend on their ability to find diamonds in the rough and develop relievers from within. Despite the complaining from the outside, the results have been pretty remarkable.
Chris Taylor, D.J. LeMahieu And More Internal & External Options Dodgers Could Turn To For Solution At Second Base
Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports It’s weird to think that it’s already January and the Los Angeles Dodgers roster has just as many question marks as it did when the 2018 season ended. Besides the trade completed with the Cincinnati Reds, which sent Matt Kemp, Alex Wood and Yasiel Puig packing in exchange for a pair of prospects, all the Dodgers have done is sign relief pitcher Joe Kelly. In the meantime, their hole at catcher and second base remain unaddressed.
Dodgers 2018 Player Review: Max Muncy
Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports When the story of the 2018 Los Angeles Dodgers is told, it’s hard to imagine you’d get past the first couple of sentences without mention of Max Muncy. What has been amazing about the franchise is their ability to find diamonds in the rough that don’t just morph into contributors, but bonafide stars. And in 2018, Muncy was one of those stars.
Dodgers 2018 Player Review: Josh Fields
Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports Since coming over in a 2016 trade with the Houston Astros, Josh Fields has been a pretty consistent piece of what has been a strong Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen. In 2018, Fields posted his best season yet — a 2.20 ERA (3.62 FIP) in 45 appearances That was despite some worrying peripherals. While the ERA looks good, Fields struck out less batters per nine innings (7.24) by a wide margin, which is concerning for a 33-year-old reliever who has relied on the strikeout.
Dodgers 2018 Player Review: Kiké Hernandez
Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports Every year since 2015, Kiké Hernandez has seen more plate appearances — and every season his production has improved. In 2018, Hernandez played in 145 games and posted the highest WAR of his career (3.3) — a full two wins higher than any other season of his career. Part of the reason for the boost was his career-high 21 home runs, 67 runs and 52 RBI — all while playing every position on the diamond other than catcher.
Dodgers 2018 Player Review: Alex Verdugo
Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports If not for the absurd outfield depth within the Los Angeles Dodgers organization, 2018 might have been the breakout season that Alex Verdugo was waiting for. At just 22 years old, Verdugo has long been one of the team’s (and league’s) best prospects. He ranked as the Dodgers’ No. 1 prospect and No. 29 overall this past July. Despite the potential and projections, however, Verdugo saw 80 percent of his plate appearances this season come with Triple-A Oklahoma City.
MLB Hot Stove: Identifying Dodgers Top Needs During 2018 Offseason
With the 2018 season officially behind us, the attention has already turned to the future for the Los Angeles Dodgers with decisions having been made on four players: Clayton Kershaw, David Freese, Yasmani Grandal and Hyun-Jin Ryu. While Kershaw and Freese both had options to work out, Grandal and Ryu were up-in-the-air as to whether or not the team would extend qualifying offers to them.
Dodgers Clinch Home-Field Advantage For Potential NL Postseason Tiebreaker With Rockies, Are In Favorable Position For Other Scenarios
With the stretch run in full effect and multiple postseason spots still up for grabs, let’s get a quick refresher on how tiebreakers work and where the Los Angeles Dodgers stand. If two teams were to tie for a division championship or the second Wild Card spot, then a play-in game would determine who would advance. In the case of two division winners tying or two teams tying for the first Wild Card spot, however, then tie-breakers would go into effect.
Dodgers Mailbag: Andrew Toles, Pitching Staff And Looking Ahead
Since debuting the mailbag, the Los Angeles Dodgers have responded with a strong stretch of play that has them back in the hunt in the National League West. As always, you can send your questions via Twitter to (@JeffSpiegel), post them on the DodgerBlue.com Facebook page, or leave them in the comments below and we’ll do our best to get to as many as we can. “Any update on Andrew Toles?
Dodgers Mailbag: Strugglng Bullpen, Trades, Julio Urias, Cast-offs and More
This is it. The first-ever Los Angeles Dodgers mailbag on DodgerBlue.com. We’re going to try and do these once every couple of week, so please send us your questions via Twitter or Facebook — you can tweet @JeffSpiegel or send us a message on Facebook. We’ll try and get to 5-10 questions every week depending on the depth, so send ’em our way. Are we gonna try to make a move for a pitcher and bat at the deadline?
Ignore Early Struggles, The 2018 Dodgers Will Be Just Fine
It’s amazing what a small sample size can do to someone. As the Los Angeles Dodgers dropped the first two games of the season to the dreadful San Francisco Giants by a combined score of 2-0, social media was losing its collective mind. I sat from afar — calm, cool, collected — and thought to myself: this will be fine. Then, a few nights later, I found myself sitting through the 15-inning nightmare against the Arizona Diamondbacks and failing to obey my own advice. “Why is Chase Utley playing?
What Justin Turner's Wrist Injury Means For The Dodgers Moving Forward
It was one of those weird scenarios where you knew it was bad before you actually knew it was bad. As soon as news spread that Justin Turner left Monday night’s game after being hit by a pitch on the hand, stomachs across Los Angeles dropped. And then, their worst fears were confirmed: Turner had a broken wrist. Similar, if not identical injuries, to Freddie Freeman and George Springer cost them six and nine weeks, respectively.
Oakland vs Washington: Buying and Selling
Primetime, baby — time to see what these Raiders are made of. While not their toughest test of the season, a trip to Washington to play their football team on Sunday night is far from something the Raiders can sleep through. At 1-1, the team from Washington is coming off of a seven-point win over the Rams in Los Angeles. So, with a primetime date for football on the line, whose stock are we buying and selling?
Raiders safety compares Jared Cook to Travis Kelce
Long described as a physical freak at the tight end position, Jared Cook has been surprisingly underwhelming throughout his career. In eight seasons, Cook has just 303 receptions for 3,880 yards and 17 touchdowns despite playing in 117 of 128 possible games. Now, at 30-years-old, Cook is hoping to build off arguably the best stretch of football in his career — the 2016 playoffs (18 catches, 229 yards, 2 touchdowns) — as he makes his way to the West Coast to Oakland.
CBS Sports on predictions of Derek Carr's future success: Pump the brakes
In light of a difficult second-half for Derek Carr, CBS Sports wonders whether the real Derek Carr is the 'Aaron Rodgers-like' quarterback we saw in games 1-11, or the slumping gunslinger we saw in games 12-16. You know the magical run had to end at some point, right? In an off-season in which everything seemed to turn up roses for the Raiders, it was about time we saw some negativity and pessimism regarding the team.
J.P. Hoornstra Explains Finding '50 Greatest Dodgers Games of All Time'
I often wonder what it is about sports that draws us into an unhealthy obsession unlike (most) any other area of our life. It’s the type of thing I think about in the midst of a depressing Dodger losing streak or a miraculous comeback — and in talking to J.P. Hoornstra about his new book, “The 50 Greatest Dodgers Games of All Time“, I was quickly reminded. While the book lacks an abundance of recent games, it’s the type that reminded me of the “Where were you when…” moments.
'The Best Team Money Can Buy' Pulls Back Curtain On Dodgers Clubhouse
To fans, most athletes are like superheroes. In a sense, we like our favorite players so much in part because we don’t know a whole lot about them — to a degree, they’re not human. Human beings are complex and nuanced, while athletes — as far as a fan knows them —- are simplified. We can pretend they have no weaknesses or flaws, and it makes idolizing them even easier.
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