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Latest On Ryan O’Hearn

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All-Star first baseman/DH/right fielder Ryan O’Hearn will be a free agent after the season, making him an obvious trade candidate given the Orioles’ struggles this year.  MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand says Baltimore’s price on O’Hearn is nonetheless “very high,” though that may be standard posturing with the trade deadline about two hours away.

O’Hearn, 32, has an excellent 134 wRC+ in 361 plate appearances this year.  It’s worth noting, however, that most of his production came in the season’s first two months, as the lefty slugger has slipped to a 92 wRC+ since June.  Also consider that O’Hearn requires a platoon partner; the Orioles sit him against southpaws on a regular basis.

The “very high” price tag, then, feels like a bit of a stretch, but O’Hearn is still a solid bat in a market light on those.  One potential suitor is the Rangers, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network, althoughEvan Grant of the Dallas Morning News doesn’t see the fit. The Brewers were connected to O’Hearn two days ago.  Feinsand notes that the Astros were interested in O’Hearn, but the Marlins’ Jesus Sanchez is “now high on Houston’s radar.”

O’Hearn is earning $8MM this year, meaning about $2.5MM remains.  Given that the 2026 qualifying offer will likely be north of $21MM, the Orioles almost have to trade O’Hearn prior to the deadline to recoup some value.

Cardinals Unlikely To Move Burleson, Donovan, Nootbaar

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1:02pm: Though the Cardinals have indeed gotten several calls on Burleson, Nootbaar and Donovan, they’re expected to hold onto all three players, reports Katie Woo of The Athletic. Maton will almost certainly be traded, but that could be the final piece of business for St. Louis today.

8:32am: The Cardinals have already shipped out Ryan Helsley and Steven Matz, and there’s plenty of work for their front office to do between now and this afternoon’s deadline. They’ve talked Phil Maton with the Blue Jays (among other clubs), and USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports that they’re also fielding offers on outfielder Lars Nootbaar, first baseman/outfielder Alec Burleson and utilityman Brendan Donovan (who’s reportedly been on the radar of the Dodgers and Yankees already — albeit before the Yankees acquired Ryan McMahon).

Two of the clubs showing interest in Burleson, Nootbaar and Donovan are the Phillies and Astros, per the report. Philadelphia is known to be looking to realign its outfield, while the Astros have been looking for left-handed bats — ideally one they could plug in at second base. Donovan fits that bill, though there’s certainly room for a left-handed bat like Burleson or Nootbaar to join the team’s outfield mix. Houston currently has journeyman former top prospect Taylor Trammell and struggling young prospect Jacob Melton taking on notable outfield roles.

All three of Burleson, Nootbaaar and Donovan are controlled for multiple years beyond the current season. Burleson has the most remaining club control, with three full seasons still to go. Both Nootbaar and Donovan are controlled two additional years, through 2027. Nootbaar, notably, has been on the injured list since July 12 due to a ribcage injury, but he began a minor league rehab assignment yesterday and went 1-for-4 with the Cardinals’ Double-A affiliate.

Burleson, 26, is in the midst of a career-best performance at the plate. The former second-round pick is slashing a .287/.341/.469 (127 wRC+) with 14 home runs, 19 doubles and just a 13% strikeout rate. That level of contact is nothing new, as he posted a matching 13% strikeout rate in 2023 and a 12.8% rate last season.

This year’s 7.6% walk rate is a career-best in a full season, however, even if it’s still a slight bit below average. Burleson’s power output is also at a career-high level. He entered 2025 with a career .402 slugging and .146 ISO (slugging minus batting average); he’s bumped that ISO considerably, up to .182. He’s also sporting career-high marks in average exit velocity (91.4 mph) and hard-hit rate (42.7%).

While Burleson’s bat has steadily improved as he’s gotten more experience in the majors, his glovework remains lacking. He’s split his time between the outfield corners and first base this season but drawn middling defensive marks. He’s been generally solid at first base in 443 career innings but has below-average grades in both outfield corners. Burleson’s arm strength is better than average, per Statcast, but he hasn’t been terribly accurate with his throws and has well below-average range — as one would expect for a player whose sprint speed sits in just the tenth percentile of big leaguers. The Phils and Astros would probably both use Burleson in the outfield, given the presence of Bryce Harper and Christian Walker at first base in Philadelphia and Houston, respectively.

Nootbaar is a cleaner fit for either team from a defensive standpoint but is more expensive — $2.95MM salary to Burleson’s pre-arbitration $778K — and comes with less club control. He also has some uncertainty surrounding him due to his injury. He’s batting .227/.332/.381 (104 wRC+) with a characteristically high walk rate (12.8%) but more strikeouts and less pop than usual.

The 27-year-old Nootbaar (28 in September) has long tantalized the Cardinals and other clubs alike. He’s regularly displayed many traits that give him the feel of a player on the cusp of breaking out. Nootbaar walks at an extremely high level (13.6% since 2022), strikes out less than the average player (20.2% strikeout rate since ’22) and routinely posts excellent batted-ball metrics. He’s averaged 91 mph off the bat and posted a 10% barrel rate and 45.5% hard-hit rate in that same timeframe. Nootbaar has been a bit grounder-heavy in the past but has been elevating the ball at career-high levels in 2025.

Defensively, he’s drawn strong grades in the corners and held his own with average marks as a center fielder. Nootbaar isn’t a burner but has average sprint speed and good arm strength. He could help with Philadelphia’s need in center field and could hold down center in Houston while Jake Meyers mends before moving to a corner.

Donovan, presumably, has drawn the widest interest of all. He’s a strong defender at second base and third base who can hold his own in either outfield corner and provide backup options at first base or shortstop. Like Burleson, he’s fanned in just 13% of his plate appearances across the past three seasons. Donovan doesn’t have huge power but has nine homers on the year and could reach or exceed his prior career-high (14) in the final couple months of play.

As with Nootbaar, this is Donovan’s first year of arbitration eligibility. He’s earning an eminently reasonable $2.85MM and would be owed raises in each of the next two offseasons. Given the fact that Donovan can play just about any position on the diamond and provide high-end contact skills with solid all-around offensive output, virtually any contender could fit him onto the roster. Even if he doesn’t have one specific position he mans on an everyday basis, Donovan could still slot into a postseason club’s lineup daily and rotate through multiple positions, helping keep the entire lineup fresh.

The Cardinals generally haven’t been viewed as likely to trade their long-term players, though Nightengale suggests that they’re open for business as of this morning. Whether that means they’re simply listening out of due diligence or there’s actual motivation to move a Burleson, Donovan or Nootbaar remains to be seen. But with the limited inventory of position players on the market and a slew of contenders looking to improve, the Cardinals could take advantage of market scarcity to secure a strong return on a controllable player that they may not have been looking to move even a few weeks ago.

Astros Interested In Carlos Correa Reunion

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July 31: Nightengale reports that the talks between the two clubs are “all but dead,” adding that Houston asked Minnesota to pay “about $50MM” of the $102.5MM remaining in Correa’s contract and also asked for an outfielder to be included in the deal. Nightengale adds that the Twins rejected that offer and “aren’t budging” from that position. Rome reports (alongside The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal) that talks between the sides have continued despite both sides downplaying the likelihood of a trade.

July 30, 12:37pm: The Astros approached the Twins about the possibility, Chandler Rome and Dan Hayes of The Athletic report. Astros owner Jim Crane has “remained a fan” of Correa since his departure, they note, adding that the Twins believe Houston is perhaps the only destination to which Correa would green-light a trade. Nightengale adds that Correa indeed would be open to returning to Houston and playing third base there. That said, Hayes and Rome echo Passan in writing that the two sides are far apart and a deal is not at all close.

12:07pm: The Twins and Astros have indeed talked about the possibility of a Correa trade but aren’t close to an agreement, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports.

9:52am: As the Astros seek help in the infield following injuries to Isaac Paredes and Jeremy Pena, they’ve looked into the possibility of bringing Carlos Correa back to Houston, as first reported by USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune writes that the two parties have had discussions on the possibility. MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart adds that Houston’s interest “is real.” Nightengale adds that Houston remains interested in Eugenio Suárez as well and has at least weighed the possibility of another run at Nolan Arenado.

The Correa scenario presents a fascinating, if unexpected wrinkle to this summer’s deadline market. In the offseason, Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey downplayed the possibility of trading his shortstop, and Correa himself voiced an affinity for Minnesota when asked about his no-trade clause at the time.

It’s fair to wonder whether either party’s stance has changed. The Twins have struggled through a sub-.500 four months of baseball and have minimal hope of reaching the postseason. The Pohlad family is exploring a sale of the team, and while that was true over the winter as well, the former front-runner to purchase the Twins, Justin Ishbia, has since instead reached a long-term agreement to become the majority stakeholder in the White Sox (where he was already a minority owner). On Correa’s end of things, returning to his original organization and jumping back into a playoff race would presumably be appealing.

Correa is still owed significant money. He signed a six-year, $200MM deal with four vesting options prior to the 2023 season. He’ll make a combined $92MM from 2026-28 and also still has about $11.6MM of this year’s salary yet to be paid out. The Twins would almost certainly have to pay down a portion of the contract to make a deal work.

Even if Minnesota did so, however, adding Correa back to the roster in Houston would send the Astros soaring past the luxury tax threshold. They’re currently about $4.5MM shy of that barrier, per RosterResource. Owner Jim Crane was steadfastly against exceeding the tax threshold in the offseason — at least in most scenarios. His lone exception, it seemed, would have been for a reunion with Alex Bregman. Whether Crane is feeling more urgency due to Houston’s litany of injuries or simply harbors some sentimentality for another former Astros star, one has to imagine he’s grown more comfortable crossing the tax threshold.

That Correa is in the midst of a sub-par season only further muddies the water. The 30-year-old hit brilliantly for the Twins last year in an injury-shortened campaign, batting .310/.388/.517 with his typical brand of strong defense at shortstop. He’s rebounded from a poor start in 2025 to an extent, but Correa’s .267/.319/.386 slash is slightly under league average (97 wRC+). Over his past 274 plate appearances, Correa is hitting .300 with a .350 on-base percentage but just a .423 slugging percentage. His power is down substantially this season, in part because his ground-ball rate has spiked to a 48.5% — its highest level in five years.

A renewed run at Arenado would register as something of a surprise. Arenado invoked his no-trade clause to nix a trade to Houston over the winter. Now that the Astros are in first place, he’d likely be more open to a move there. However, he’s in the midst of a third straight down year at the plate and is still owed substantial money.

Arenado, 34, is hitting a career-worst .235/.295/.367 in 390 plate appearances. By measure of wRC+, he’s been 16% worse than average at the plate. He remains a strong defensive third baseman but no longer draws top-of-the-scale grades from defensive metrics. He’s earning $32MM this year, $27MM next year and $15MM in 2027. It’s a steep price to pay for a former All-Star whose bat is has been on the downswing for several years now. The Cardinals would need to eat a major portion of the contract, but there’s still enough left on the deal that Arenado, too, would surely put Houston over the luxury threshold.

Suárez, owed $4.8MM for the remainder of the season, might not quite put the Astros over that edge, though the Diamondbacks could always include some cash to coax a more favorable return. The bidding on the 34-year-old slugger will be fierce, however, and Houston’s farm system is not as well regarded as some of the other teams who’ll be vying for Suárez and his 36 home runs. The Mariners, Cubs, Tigers, Phillies and Reds are among the teams also pursuing him.

Paredes could miss the remainder of the season — Nightengale notes that surgery is a consideration — but he’s controlled for an additional two years. Pena is on the mend from fractured ribs but is also controlled through 2027. Given the Astros’ multiple years of control over the left side of their infield, Suárez represents a cleaner fit than either Correa or Arenado. Paredes could slide over to second base in subsequent seasons if the Astros wind up with a new infielder who’s signed beyond the current season, but he’s played the vast majority of his career at third base.

Correa’s name hasn’t come up until this point, but the Twins are expected to be active sellers over the next two days. Righty Chris Paddack was already moved to the Tigers, and rental players like Willi Castro, Harrison Bader and Danny Coulombe are all expected to change hands as well. The more interesting element is whether the Twins will cave and trade anyone controlled longer-term. Relievers Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax have been two of the most sought-after names on the bullpen market, and any contending team would love to add righty Joe Ryan to its rotation. All three are controlled through 2027, however. Add in the new possibility of a Correa deal, and there’s plenty for the Minnesota front office to do over the next day and a half.

Astros Re-Sign Luis Guillorme

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TODAY: The Astros re-signed Guillorme to a new minor league contract and assigned him to Triple-A Sugar Land.

JULY 28: Infielder Luis Guillorme is a free agent, reports Chandler Rome of The Athletic. He cleared waivers, and the Astros outrighted him off their 40-man roster earlier today. The veteran rejected the outright assignment in favor of free agency.

Guillorme, 30, signed a minor league deal with the Astros in the offseason and spent the first three months of the 2025 season at Triple-A Sugar Land, eventually getting the call back to the majors mid-June. He went 3-for-20 (.150) over 12 games with Houston before he landed on the 10-day injured list with a right hamstring strain. After he played two games on a rehab assignment last week, the Astros decided they didn’t have a role for him and cut him from their 40-man roster.

Although he has never made much of an impact at the plate, Guillorme made a name for himself over his tenure with the Mets thanks to an above-average glove and valuable versatility. He has played at least 50 career games at second base, third base, and shortstop, racking up a total of 9 OAA. That has helped him earn MLB playing time in each of the past eight seasons despite a career .248/.333/.318 batting line (88 wRC+). Following a six-year stint in Queens from 2018-23, Guillorme bounced between the Braves, Angels, and Diamondbacks in 2024. After departing the Astros organization, he will now be able to try to bounce his way into another big league opportunity.

By removing Guillorme and Jon Singleton from their 40-man roster, the Astros now have a pair of open spots to play with. That will make it easier for them to make some major league additions at the trade deadline and/or to reinstate some of their many players on the 60-day IL.

Astros Interested In Sandy Alcantara

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The Astros and Marlins are discussing a trade that would send Sandy Alcantara to Houston, according to reporter Michael Schwab.  “Both sides are serious and interested,” as per Schwab, but there isn’t any indication that a deal is close to happening.  USA Today’s Bob Nightengale regards Houston’s interest in Alcantara as a bit of a pivot, as talks with the Padres about Dylan Cease “have cooled.”

Alcantara missed the 2024 season due to Tommy John surgery, and his return to action this year has been mixed at best.  The right-hander has a 6.36 ERA over 109 innings, with lot of hard contact allowed and a 16.8% strikeout rate that would represent a career low.  There have been a few flashes of vintage Alcantara, and his last two starts have seen the former NL Cy Young Award winner toss 12 innings with only a single unearned run allowed.  Alcantara’s fastball is still averaging 97.5mph, which is down from the 98mph he averaged during the 2021-23 seasons, yet that isn’t an egregious drop considering the righty’s long layoff.

As perhaps the top premium trade chip the Marlins have left after their latest fire sale, Alcantara’s shaky performance represents a challenge for the front office.  The Fish could simply wait until the offseason to try and re-visit trade talks, perhaps after Alcantara has posted better numbers in the final two months to boost his value.  Or, the Marlins could trade Alcantara before tomorrow’s deadline if a rival team comes close to matching (or even matches) what was surely a high initial asking price for the hurler’s services.

Despite Alcantara’s struggles, the Mets, Cubs, Red Sox, and Padres remained linked to his trade market.  San Diego’s interest is related to the Cease talks, as the speculation has been that the Padres could both deal Cease (an impending free agent) to address multiple roster needs, while then adding another starting pitcher either as part of the return for Cease for in another deal altogether.

Cease was reportedly the Astros’ top deadline target, so this turn towards Alcantara could represent a number of things.  It could be simply due diligence on Houston’s part, or a sign that the talks with San Diego are going nowhere because the Padres wish to retain Cease, or perhaps a sign that the Padres are more motivated to send Cease elsewhere.

Whereas Cease is a rental, Alcantara is controlled through the 2027 season.  He is owed the remainder of his $17MM salary for 2025, $17MM more in 2026, and Miami has a $21MM club option for 2027 that contains a $2MM buyout.  Adding Alcantara over Cease would be a whole new financial ballgame for the Astros, who made an effort to stay under the luxury tax threshold this past winter.

With the Mariners and Rangers charging hard in the AL West race, Astros owner Jim Crane may be willing to pay into the tax again in order to give his team some much-needed reinforcements.  If the pre-TJ version of Alcantara emerges, his salary suddenly looks like a relative bargain for a frontline pitcher.  Framber Valdez is also a free agent after the season, so the Astros could view Alcantara as a longer-term replacement if Valdez walks.

Astros To Acquire Ramon Urias

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The Astros are reportedly in agreement to acquire infielder Ramón Urías from Baltimore. The O’s get minor league pitcher Twine Palmer in return.

Urías has some defensive versatility but figures to play everyday at the hot corner in Houston. The Astros lost Isaac Paredes to a significant hamstring strain a couple weeks ago. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale suggested this morning that season-ending surgery was a possibility. Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 subsequently reported that Paredes is seeking out multiple opinions in hopes of avoiding the knife. In any case, he’s expected to miss at least two months.

Urias, 31, joined the Orioles in a February 2020 waiver claim and found himself getting a decent amount of playing time the following year.  In 2022, Urias won the AL Gold Glove at third base despite playing fewer than 800 innings there.  He’s led the Orioles in third base innings every year since.

Despite the Gold Glove on his mantle, Urias’ third base defense has been a bit erratic over the years by measure of Statcast Outs Above Average.  After subpar marks in 2023 and ’24, he’s back to demonstrating positive defense this year.  The defensive runs saved metric backs the fact that Urias has had a resurgence with the leather.

Urias has been a sneaky good hitter at times for Baltimore, showing above average offense 2021, ’22, and ’24.  However, after last year’s fine 114 wRC+, Urias has slipped to a 90 mark this year in 290 plate appearances.  A right-handed hitter, Urias has a 124 wRC+ against southpaws dating back to 2024.

Given Paredes’ injury, Urias makes for a solid stopgap for the Orioles without the acquisition or financial cost of recently-traded third basemen Eugenio Suarez, Ryan McMahon, and Ke’Bryan Hayes.  Urias, who is under the Astros’ control through 2026, will be owed a raise on this year’s $3.15MM salary.  The Astros can either move him in the offseason, or work him into the second base picture next year.

Following tonight’s thumping of the Nationals, the Astros sit at 62-47.  With 53 games left in the regular season, they’re 4.5 ahead of the Mariners in the AL West.  Not long after the Astros picked up Urias, the Mariners landed perhaps the prize of the 2025 trade deadline in Suarez.  Suarez had, at the least, been on the Astros’ radar.

The Astros have flirted with big deadline moves as well, having approached the Twins about the possibility of acquiring Carlos Correa and also showing interest in the Padres’ Dylan Cease.  Correa was always viewed as unlikely, and perhaps third base is now settled with Urias anyway.  But the Astros were known to have been seeking a left-handed bat, with Brandon Lowe said to be one potential target for GM Dana Brown.

Urias is just one of many veterans departing the disappointing Orioles at the trade deadline.  They followed the Urias trade by almost immediately shipping Andrew Kittredge to the Cubs, and have also unloaded relievers Seranthony Dominguez, Gregory Soto, and Bryan Baker.  The trades of Urias, Kittredge, and Baker suggest Executive Vice President and General Manager Mike Elias is willing to move players under control beyond this year.  He’s got plenty of rentals, too.  Those still on the trading block include Zach Eflin, Charlie Morton, Tomoyuki Sugano, Cedric Mullins, Ryan O’Hearn, Ramon Laureano, and perhaps Trevor Rogers.

Twine Palmer, a 20-year-old righty, was drafted by the Astros out of Connors State College in Oklahoma in the 19th round last year.  Working in A-ball this year, Palmer owns a 2.13 ERA in 13 games, including eight starts.  He’s punched out more than a quarter of hitters but has also issued free passes to nearly 13% of them.  He boasts a strong groundball rate near 55% and thus has yet to allow a home run.

Palmer was not among the Astros’ top 30 prospects, per Baseball America and MLB.com.  FanGraphs ranked him 37th, with James Fegan writing, “A funky reliever is probably all that should be hoped for at this stage, but that’s more than most dare dreaming about in the 19th round.”  With all due respect to Palmer, this trade illustrates the point that teams can acquire useful veterans like Urias at the trade deadline without giving up much in the way of prospects.

Jon Heyman of The New York Post first reported that Urías was headed to Houston. Brian McTaggart of MLB.com had Palmer’s inclusion the other way.

Astros Interested In Dylan Cease

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TODAY: Cease is the Astros’ “main target,” a source tells MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.

JULY 29: The Astros have Padres right-hander Dylan Cease atop their deadline wish list, according to a report from Ken Rosenthal and Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Houston is also known to be looking for a bat and the report lists Willi Castro of the Twins, Jesús Sánchez of the Marlins and Jake McCarthy of the Diamondbacks as names the Astros are considering. MLBTR covered Houston’s interested in Castro earlier this week.

The Houston rotation has had a rough go in terms of health this year. They started the season with Luis Garcia, J.P. France and Cristian Javier on the injured list due to surgeries in previous years. They’re all still on the shelf. Since the start of the season, Ronel Blanco and Hayden Wesneski have required Tommy John surgery, putting them out for the rest of the year. Spencer Arrighetti suffered a fractured thumb in a freak accident, getting hit during batting practice, and has been out for almost three months now. In the past two weeks, Lance McCullers Jr. hit the IL with a blister and Brandon Walter was sidelined by elbow inflammation.

They still have a strong one-two punch atop the rotation with Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown but things get dicey after that. Currently, Colton Gordon, Ryan Gusto and Jason Alexander are filling in. The Astros will naturally want to add some arms and push those guys down the depth chart. It’s possible they could get some guys off the IL in the coming months, but it’s understandable that they don’t want to rely on that.

Cease has been one of the most reliable pitchers in the game. Since getting promoted in 2019, he hasn’t gone on the injured list, apart from a two-day stint on the COVID list in 2021. He made 12 starts in the shortened 2020 season. He has made at least 32 starts in each full season since. He’s already up to 22 this year.

That reliability would certainly be attractive to the Astros amid all the injuries, though the quality has often been quite strong as well, as Cease has regularly struck out roughly 30% of batters faced. His earned run average has oscillated over the years thanks to some wobbles in his batting average on balls in play, strand rate and home run rate. His advanced metrics have held more steady. For his career, he has a 3.69 FIP and 3.82. In a full season, he’s never had a SIERA higher than 4.10 or a FIP higher than 3.72.

This year’s 4.79 ERA in on the high side, though at least part of that seems to be beyond Cease’s control. His .323 BABIP, 68.5% strand rate and 13.3% homer to fly ball rate are all to the unfortunate side. His 3.64 FIP and 3.37 SIERA suggest he’s largely been the same guy as in previous seasons. His ERA is also inflated a bit by a nine-run shellacking in his third start of the year.

Though Cease makes plenty of sense for the Astros on the field, there are other matters to consider. He is making $13.75MM this year, which leaves about $4.5MM left to be paid out. The Astros have clearly tried to avoid the competitive balance tax this year, dumping money in the offseason by trading Kyle Tucker and Ryan Pressly. RosterResource currently pegs the club’s CBT number at $236MM, just $5MM from the base threshold of the tax. That’s just an estimate and it might be off by a few million in either direction.

Perhaps the Astros can add Cease and stay under the line but they also want to add a bat, which could make it tricky. On the other hand, the report from The Athletic suggests that owner Jim Crane likes star players and might be willing to cross the line in order to get someone like Cease. He was reportedly willing to cross the line in the offseason in order to re-sign Alex Bregman, though Bregman ultimately landed with the Red Sox.

The Astros will also have to offer the Padres something they would like. The Friars aren’t selling in the commonly understood sense. Their plan with dealing Cease is to perhaps save some money, add a left fielder or a catcher, or prospects, or some combination of those goals. They could then use either the prospects or the saved money to acquire another starting pitching to replace Cease.

Houston doesn’t have a strong farm system, so perhaps the prospect part will be hard for them to pull off, though they could help out in some of the other areas. Catcher Victor Caratini is having a good year, though Yainer Diaz is struggling, so perhaps the Astros wouldn’t want to part with Caratini. Though if they did, Caratini is making $6MM this year, so flipping him would give the Astros some extra CBT space.

In the outfield, the Astros are currently without Jake Meyers and Yordan Alvarez. Their current mix includes Cam Smith, Taylor Trammell, Jose Altuve, Jacob Melton, Cooper Hummel and Chas McCormick. Houston’s not giving a ton of playing time to McCormick, who has some decent seasons on his track record. However, he hasn’t been good for a couple of years now, so the Padres probably don’t have too much interest. Trammell has been hitting well lately but while striking out in more than 30% of his plate appearances. Hummel has been DFA fodder all year. Altuve and Smith aren’t going anywhere. Melton might be hard to pry loose because he hits left-handed, something the Astros lack, and is covering center field with Meyers out.

The report from The Athletic points out that the Astros traded three notable prospects to get a rental pitcher at last year’s deadline, flipping Jake Bloss, Joey Loperfido and Will Wagner to the Jays for Yusei Kikuchi. Perhaps they could do so again, though it’s unclear if they have the farm system to do it.

If they have some guys the Padres like, it’s theoretically possible that the Friars could then use those guys to upgrade elsewhere. A sequence of events like this helped them land Cease in the first place. They traded Juan Soto to the Yankees for a bunch of pitchers, including Michael King and Drew Thorpe. They then quickly put Thorpe in a package to send to the White Sox to get Cease. Perhaps the Astros can make it work but they will have competition. Cease has also been connected to the Mets, Cubs, Blue Jays, Rays, Red Sox and Yankees.

As for the hitters, the Astros have also suffered a number of injuries to the lineup. As mentioned, Alvarez and Meyers are on the shelf, as well as shortstop Jeremy Peña, third baseman Isaac Paredes and others. Astros general manager Dana Brown has said the club would love to get a lefty bat, ideally one who could play the infield and/or left field. Players like Altuve, Mauricio Dubón and Zack Short have some defensive versatility, giving the Astros a bit of flexibility in what kind of bat they add.

Sánchez has been a roughly league average bat in his time with the Marlins. He has a .243/.310/.425 career batting line and a wRC+ of exactly 100. He is making $4.5MM this year, which leaves about $1.5MM left to be paid out. He can be controlled via arbitration for another two seasons. He’s been far better against righties in his career, which could appeal to Houston. He has a .179/.228/.287 slash against southpaws but a .258/.330/.459 line otherwise. The rebuilding Marlins likely aren’t clinging too tightly to him.

McCarthy has been good in the past but not this year. He slashed .285/.349/.400 for a 110 wRC+ in 2024, also adding 25 steals and quality defense. This year, he has a brutal .158/.232/.277 line and was sent to the minors for a few months. He did hit well in Triple-A, slashing .314/.401/.440, so perhaps the Astros see a path to getting him back on track. He still hasn’t qualified for arbitration and is being paid around the league minimum, which would be attractive for the Astros.

Photo courtesy of Sam Navarro, Imagn Images

Astros Talked With Mets About Jeff McNeil, Brett Baty, Ronny Mauricio

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The Astros are keen on adding left-handed hitting to their righty-heavy lineup, and “at least inquired” with the Mets about the availability of Jeff McNeil, Brett Baty, and switch-hitter Ronny Mauricio, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  Since the Mets are known to be open to dealing from their infield depth, a trade between the two sides would seem to make sense on paper, though it isn’t known if the discussions gained any traction.

McNeil is in something of a different category than the other two players, as McNeil is an established big league commodity.  In fact, the 33-year-old is again producing above-average offense after a couple of down years, as McNeil is hitting .251/.356/.453 with nine home runs over 265 plate appearances.  Between this steady bat and McNeil’s ability to play both second base and all three outfield positions (with a particular focus on center field this year), it is hard to imagine the Mets parting ways with such a key cog in their lineup.

On the financial side of things, McNeil is controlled through 2027 as per the four-year, $50MM extension he signed with New York prior to the 2023 season.  He is owed the remainder of his $15.75MM salary for 2025, another $15.75MM in 2026, and there is a $2MM buyout on a $15.75MM club option for 2027.  Barring a similar contract heading back to the Mets, a McNeil trade would put the Astros well over the luxury tax threshold, which seemed to be an unofficial spending limit for the club last offseason.  Recent reports indicate that Houston might well consider exceeding the tax line in certain circumstances, but bringing McNeil aboard may not qualify.

Landing Baty or Mauricio is perhaps more of a viable option for the Astros, though New York would also want something significant for either player, given their years of team control and their still-recent status as top-100 prospects.  Baty has hit only .220/.284/.352 over 865 PA in the majors, however, and perhaps has fallen out of favor after once being viewed as the Amazins’ third baseman of the future.  Mauricio has a more respectable .245/.303/.400 slash line from a small sample of 238 career PA, and he is back in action this season after missing the entire 2024 campaign recovering from a torn ACL.

While the two youngsters still have something to prove as big leaguers, the change-of-scenery potential could be attractive to the Astros, as well as Houston’s more immediate near-term needs.  The Astros were thin on left-handed hitting even before the heavy swath of injuries that sent seven position players to the IL — Yordan Alvarez, their most prominent lefty-swinger, has now missed close to three months due to a hand fracture.

Jeremy Pena is expected back at shortstop within the next few days, so Baty or Mauricio could be used at second or third base.  Isaac Paredes and Brendan Rodgers are also on the IL and not expected back soon, so a new face at second base would move Jose Altuve into left field on a more regular basis, thus addressing Houston’s outfield needs.  (GM Dana Brown outlined this possible scenario this past weekend.)

Astros, Cody Bolton Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Astros signed right-hander Cody Bolton to a minor league contract last week, according to the MLB.com transaction log. He has been assigned to the team’s Florida complex. Bolton hasn’t logged any game action since April 23, so the Astros will give him runway to build up before presumably assigning him to Triple-A Sugar Land.

Bolton was released by the Guardians on June 6. The 27-year-old had been on the Triple-A injured list for the previous five weeks. MLBTR has learned that Bolton had unfortunately sustained injuries in a car accident in late April. The Guardians wound up designating him for assignment a month later when they needed a 40-man roster spot to active David Fry from the 60-day IL. Injured players cannot go on outright waivers, so Bolton was subsequently released.

The 6’2″ righty made one appearance for the Guardians in late April, allowing three runs in two innings. He spent time with the Pirates in 2023 and Mariners last year. Bolton owns a 5.79 earned run average in 42 big league frames. He has a stronger Triple-A track record, posting a 3.42 ERA while striking out a quarter of opponents in four seasons at the top minor league level. He sits in the 94 MPH range with both his four-seam fastball and sinker and leans fairly heavily on a low-80s breaking ball.

Bolton has worked from the bullpen over the past couple seasons but was a starter in the Pittsburgh system early in his career. Once he’s back in game shape, he could serve as either middle relief or rotation depth. Bolton has less than a year of MLB service and still has a minor league option, so the Astros would be able to bounce him between Daikin Park and Sugar Land if he secures a 40-man roster spot.

Astros, Mets Have Expressed Interest In Brandon Lowe

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The Rays are a game above .500 and sit 2.5 back of the AL’s final Wild Card spot. A terrible 6-15 showing in July has dropped them from expected buyers to a bubble team that looks likely to walk the line between adding and trading away veterans. They began that process on Monday, shipping out impending free agent catcher Danny Jansen in one deal while acquiring a slightly worse but controllable backstop (Nick Fortes) in a second trade. They downgraded a bit in the short term to add a superior prospect than the one they surrendered without giving up on the season.

Trading Jansen is an easier call than it’d be to move either Brandon Lowe or Yandy Díaz. They’re longer-tenured members of the organization and more impactful players. The Rays had been reluctant to move Díaz or Lowe for most of this month. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported over the weekend that the team’s recent play has led the front office to be more open to hearing other teams out on the pair of veteran hitters.

Joel Sherman of The New York Post wrote on Monday that the Rays still prefer to add. That preceded a win over the Yankees in the first of a four-game set in the Bronx that’ll run up to the deadline. The Red Sox are known to be monitoring Díaz in case the Rays sell. Meanwhile, Sherman reports that the Mets and Astros are among the teams that have contacted the Rays about Lowe. He suggests that Houston, in particular, has strong interest in the left-handed hitting second baseman. Astros GM Dana Brown has made no secret about his goal of acquiring a lefty bat to provide a semblance of balance to the game’s most right-handed lineup.

Lowe is currently on the 10-day injured list with ankle tendinitis. The Rays seem to anticipate he’ll be back when first eligible on Wednesday. Lowe already had a minimal IL stay this month because of oblique tightness. The two-time All-Star has had an impressive year around the recent injuries. He’s batting .269/.320/.480 across 350 trips to the plate — including a massive .296/.352/.556 line following a dismal April. His 19 home runs rank second at the position behind Ketel Marte’s 20.

Houston could plug Lowe in at the keystone and use Jose Altuve as a primary designated hitter until Yordan Alvarez returns from a hand fracture. At that point, Altuve could return to left field and push Taylor Trammell, who is hitting well in 25 games but has a limited MLB track record, to a fourth outfield role.

The Mets don’t have a huge need on the dirt, but they’ve reportedly considered moving one of their controllable infielders (Mark Vientos, Brett Baty, Ronny Mauricio, Luisangel Acuña) for help elsewhere on the roster. Lowe would be a significant offensive upgrade over Baty, who is playing regularly at second base. It makes sense that the Mets at least gauged the Rays’ asking price, but there’s no indication they’ve made a huge push. President of baseball operations David Stearns has cast the bullpen as his top priority, with secondary interests ranging from the rotation to center field.

Lowe is playing on a $10.5MM salary, around $3.35MM of which will be owed after the deadline. The Rays can keep him around for another season on an $11.5MM club option. That comes with a $500K buyout.

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