MLBTR Chats

Mark

• The Rangers trade deadline plans are?

Mark P

• They might not entirely know themselves, given that they’re a .500 team that might yet turn to selling.  Their needs are obvious — Hitting with a capital H (particularly in the corner infield slots) and in the bullpen.

Guard

• What would Emmanuel Clase or Cade Smith bring back in a trade

Mark P

• Smith would bring back a ton.  But, even if Cleveland did move one, I’d expect it would be Clase due to salary, and because it’s more of a fit for the Guardians to move Smith into the closer spot than to keep Clase and deal away his cheaper heir apparent.
• Heyman’s report downplayed the idea of a trade actually taking place, and I agree that the Guardians only move either pitcher if they get a huge offer.

  Moving either while the team is in the race could have a Josh Hader effect on the clubhouse, too

Frank Burns

• Any way the Cubs trade Caissie for anyone who is just a 2 month rental?

Mark P

• Highly unlikely.  They have other prospects they can offer before putting Caissie up for grabs.  Chicago surely only moves Caissie (if at all) for a controllable asset.

Trader Jerry

• If I go all out at the trade deadline, do I have any untouchable prospects or should I put all on the table and go all in?

Mark P

• Emerson or Montes very likely aren’t going anywhere.  I hesitate to call anyone entirely “untouchable” depending on what another team might offer in return, plus the M’s are deep enough in prospects that they afford to perhaps lose one or two of them and still have a very good future system.

Mookie Betts

• So glad I am the new Andrelton Simmons. No more hitting and slugging for me. Just defense.

Mark P

• What a bizarre and unexpected turn of events for Betts.  As good as he has played at shortstop, I feel like the move for the Dodgers here is to perhaps just put him back in right field, or perhaps at second base?  As jarring as the change would be, it might get Betts’ bat moving again.

Small Sample South Side

• Gallen, Kelly, Suarez… what are the Diamondbacks’ priorities if they sell at the deadline? To me, they’ve got the most to gain as far as dealing rentals

Mark P

• Adding starting pitching is the obvious one.  Bullpen help as well.

  The key for the D’Backs is that they’ll be prioritizing big league-ready help, since they want to get back into contention in 2026.

Guest

• Yankees need to go all in with Judge in his prime at some point??

Mark P

• A $288MM payroll doesn’t count as “going all in”??

The Dodgers

• Are they going to hope everyone comes back healthy or will they make a big trade? What player do you think they are targeting?

Mark P

• LA’s largest problem at the moment isn’t even the injuries or the pitching.  It’s Betts, Freeman, and (since his return to pitching) Ohtani all going cold at the same time.  Muncy being out also now highlights the surprising lack of production from the superstars.

  Am I really concerned that the Dodgers will fall apart or something?  No, nor do I think it’ll drastically change any deadline plans.

Taker55

• Given the 4 starting OFs plus Stanton and then Jones ready, is it crazy to think the Yanks would deal Grisham or Dominguez for help elsewhere?

Mark P

• I feel that might be playing with fire to consider Stanton truly OF-capable, or to count on Jones heavily in his first taste of big league action.  For instance, if you trade Grisham and then Bellinger gets hurt, you get the inopportune situation of Judge back in CF

Kevin

• Why does MLB not allow draft picks to be traded? Might that change in a future CBA, and if so,  what would be the biggest effects?

Mark P

• I agree that it would be a great idea, and the players seem for it, and Rob Manfred seemed at least open to it when asked a year ago.  While negotiating anything into a CBA is like pulling teeth, this seems like one of the relatively benign “who is actually hurt by this?” changes that all parties could find some common ground on

Ang T

• How often do teams sign someone to say, a minor league contract, in anticipation they’ll need the depth after a big league player is traded?

Mark P

• Teams are signing guys to minors contracts basically all the time, so it’s usually not as clear-cut a sign as one might think.  Like, the “you can never have too much pitching” mantra always applies whenever a club adds a depth arm, for instance.

Walter

• Phillies trade Ranger Suarez and Aiden Miller to the Red Sox for Jarren Duran. Who says no? Phils have plenty of SP and Red Sox have plenty of OF. Surplus for surplus.

Mark P

• Philadelphia says no.  If they’re moving Suarez and Miller in the same deal, they’re going to want back way more than just Duran.

  Also, why would a Phillies team trying to win now deal a pitcher who is a lock to start a playoff game for them?

Tom

• Does the Bohm injury change the Phillies plans?

Mark P

• They were probably looking for infield help already, so perhaps not?  But if Bohm’s timeline ends up being over a month or something, I can definitely see them getting more aggressive in a pursuit of specifically a third baseman
• The likelier move is that the Phillies could get a second baseman and rely on the in-house group to handle 3B, since there would be nowhere else to play Bohm when he returned

Chris

• honest question, but how does Betts playing SS affect his hitting? Like how would moving back to the OF actually help him hit again?

Mark P

• My theory is simply that it’s a mental thing, in that Betts has been so focused on excelling at defense that it has caused his hitting to suffer.  We probably also shouldn’t underrate that brutal illness Betts had back in March, which could very well have set him back a lot more than we realize

Ross Atkins

• What to do with Adison Barger? Ideally he is my everyday third baseman but due to injuries in the outfield and my potent bat we keep penciling him into RF. Ernie Clement and now Wil Wagner are doing a capable job handling third base and we do have a plethora of left handed hitting OFers starting to show promise. So where should I play him or is he super trade bait?

Mark P

• Barger might be just about the last guy Toronto trades right now.  His ability to play both 3B and corner OF is so valuable, not to mention his obvious hitting breakout.  Obviously teams will ask about Barger first before lowering expectations and getting around to Lukes, or maybe Loperfido, Clase, Wagner, etc., but Barger has played himself into being a building block

Nick

• Over/under on years until the Rays open a new stadium, now that they have a new owner?  Maybe 3.5?

Mark P

• If the current new ballpark plan has been abandoned by this point, it’ll take more than 3.5 years for the new owner to settle negotiations and get everything up and rolling construction-wise.

  First step should be figuring out if the Trop can be playable by 2026, and then perhaps tacking an extra year or two onto the lease to give all sides some leeway.

Rayban

• what kind of return would Taj Bradley and Zack Littell bring the rays?what kind of return would Taj Bradley and Zack Littell bring the rays?what kind of return would Taj Bradley and Zack Littell bring the rays?

Mark P

• …Jack Torrance?

  Littell’s return would be limited since he’s just a rental, and because his peripherals are all pretty dicey apart from his incredble walk rate.  Bradley would bring back a lot more due to the added control, and the upside he possesses as a former top prospect from just a couple of years ago

Bendix

• Are the Marlins buyers? We’ve been on the best teams in baseball since June.

Mark P

• I’m going to post this comment just so people can look up the Marlins’ record and do a double take.

  While I don’t think they’re going to be buying, Miami’s rebuild seems to be quietly moving along pretty nicely

Bustin Aarnes

• So what’s up with Dalton Rushing? The dodgers DFA’s franchise legend Austin Barnes just to give him 75 not good plate appearances over two months?

Mark P

• The idea seems tied to Rushing’s development, in that having him in the catchers’ room working on game plans alongside Smith, the coaches, and the pitching staff will help him evolve behind the plate.

  Frankly, I suspect Rushing might be on another team after July 31, and this promotion might’ve been something of an extended showcase.  While Rushing hasn’t exactly been tearing it up, that won’t stop teams from being very interested in him as a trade chip.

The Old New School

• How much has the use of analytics really changed the nature of scouting? I know it can help find diamonds in the rough, but those diamonds in the rough would still stack up well to the eye test, right?

Mark P

• Analytics can tell you stuff like “this pitcher has a really good slider, he should use it more.”  Whereas scouting can tell you why a pitcher isn’t already using his slider more — it could be because he just isn’t comfortable throwing it, or it hurts his arm, or he’s stubborn, etc.

  Teams will always, always need scouts to access the actual human element, since players aren’t numbers and metrics.

John

• What’s your take on Adley?

Mark P

• As much as teams draft by “best available,” it was a little eye-opening to see Baltimore take catchers on back-to-back picks with such high selections.

  Evaluators aren’t super-high on Irish or Basallo remaining at catcher, so that might factor into future plans.  But just by perception alone, common sense would seem to say the O’s either are losing a little faith in Rutschman, or perhaps simply aren’t confident in their ability to lock him up for the long term.

• I’d posted about this before, but it stands out as odd to me that despite all these top prospects and building blocks, the Orioles have yet to sign any of them to an extension.

Jake

• Royals should trade Estevez; what might they be able to get for him?

Mark P

• The Royals just traded for Adam Frazier, so they’re not in sell mode yet.  Estevez would draw a ton of interest if he was shopped, but since he’s also under contract for 2026, moving him would set KC back for next year, in addition to throwing in the towel on 2025

Reddy

• Chances there will be a “bombshell” trade at the deadline a la Doncic in the NBA? And if that does happen, what team and/or player do you see involved?

Mark P

• The Doncic trade was so singularly shocking that it’s hard to imagine what the MLB version of that would even be.  The Devers trade was already pretty big on the “wait, what??” scale, yet it wasn’t a complete shocker given the bad blood that was clearly present between Devers and Red Sox management.

Aroni

• Does Ben Rice have any trade value?

Mark P

• Tons, but chances are the Yankees move one of their catchers

Curt

• Could you see the Brewers going for Naylor or O’Hearn?

Mark P

• Both would be good additions.  I like Naylor’s bat better, but O’Hearn is probably a better pure fit since he can play the outfield if necessary once Hoskins is back.  Since Naylor is 1B-only and Yelich is primarily the DH, that would create a logjam with Hoskins.

  ….unless the Brewers and D’Backs got creative and sent Hoskins back to Arizona, with Milwaukee taking on some salary offset (Montgomery?) from the Snakes?

• Haha, that came to me in two seconds with zero research, so it probably isn’t that feasible

Stowers

• If Marlins decide to sell, would they part with Stowers in a trade and what would he cost?

Mark P

• Miami is on a roll, in large part because Stowers is looking like a cornerstone of the rebuild.  No way is he being dealt.

Guardians fan

• What type of move if any do you Cleveland doing?

Mark P

• I’m not sure if I explicitly wrote this in the Guardians deadline preview, but the Guards rarely do that big in terms of buying or selling at midseason.  They tend to save their major moves for the winter, apart from dealing rental free agents.

  So with the assumption that the Guards will take advantage of their easy schedule and be over .500 by the deadline, I think they’ll pick up a middle infielder and an outfielder.  Not necessarily a full-time starter in either position, but at least a platoon bat that can provide some offensive spark.

Appa Yip Yip

• Jake Bloss for Eugenio Suarez?

Mark P

• Arizona would want way more than just Bloss for Suarez

Nats

• Do I have any one of value to trade for a somewhat decent return outside of a long shot Gore? I have this suspicion someone might just offer a haul for him that the Nats just couldn’t refuse.

Mark P

• DeBartolo basically closed the door on the idea of Gore being traded today, even if the interim GM left a sliver.  This is another type of trade that, if it happens, is likelier to happen in the offseason and at the purview of whomever the next full-time Washington GM/PBO ends up being

Eric A

• Schwarber has to be a priority extend for the Phils, right? I know the age thing but after watching him blast a homer to win the ASG from one knee, think you have to do it, right?

Mark P

• I agree.  It’s an imperfect roster fit, but Schwarber has been so good for them that a new contract seems like a semi-must.

Justin Verlander

• Are my days with the Giants numbered? Will I be traded at deadline to a contending team who needs post season pitching experience ?

Mark P

• Unless it’s the Astros, I’m not sure what contender would jump at the chance to get a 42-year-old who looks like he might’ve finally hit the wall.

NMK

• Should the Mets acquire a mid-rotation arm (potentially longer-term) with the goal of moving Clay Holmes back to the pen? Assume that wouldn’t preclude a trade for another reliever as well.

Mark P

• In theory, Manaea’s return gives the rotation a shot in the arm, but you’re right in that Holmes is already into uncharted territory innings-wise.  Moving him back into the pen might work as an obvious answer, yet I’m not certain if moving Holmes back to relief and then rebuilding his arm strength back up next winter is necessarily something the Mets want to do

Ben Cherington

• What does a successful deadline look like for me in Pittsburgh? Please help, I need ideas.

Mark P

• Bring in some quality hitters who start producing immediately.

Adam

• The Phillies’ window is closing. They have Wheeler for two more years and who knows what’ll happen with 2027. I say go all-in and trade two out of Miller, Painter and Crawford. Agree?

Mark P

• The thing is, the Phillies see those three prospects as key elements in keeping the window open beyond just Wheeler’s time in the organization.  That isn’t to say none of them will be dealt, but just going all in and purely sacrificing the future also isn’t wise.

  Besides, who’s to say Crawford or Painter can’t help the Phillies this very season?

Trip

• Would you say reliever is going to be the #1 trade deadline “run” position? Don’t see enough relievers out there for all the teams looking for one (or two)…

Mark P

• Reliever is always the “run” position since basically every contender always needs bullpen help

J-Law

• I want to believe in Lawlar.. but he is often injured and looked overmatched earlier this year. How does he fit into the DBacks plans?

Mark P

• He’ll be their starting third baseman next year once Suarez moves on.  That seems more or less settled.  Lawlar has indeed not looked good at the MLB level, but over a sample size of 56 PA, that’s nothing.
• There are certainly concerns over his injury history and whether or not he’s a true piece of Arizona’s future, but the D’Backs won’t know until they give him an extended chance to play

Florida Cards Fan

• Cards just got kicked by DBacks!! And will likely get swept tomorrow with Mikolas starting. Do you think there’s any hope Bloom will influence their trade deadline decisions so the so called “team reset” actually starts?

Mark P

• It’s not like Bloom’s texts are being returned by Mozeliak with the Wayne Knight-in-Jurassic Park “ah ah ah” finger-waving GIF.  Bloom surely has a big voice in the Cardinals’ direction already, and will be working in concert with whatever they’re doing at the deadline.

M

• Who is the best player the mariners can get for Harry Ford as a headliner? Someone controllable for several years. Junior Caminero?

Mark P

• Caminero is maybe the last guy the Rays would trade, but in general, Ford has plenty of value.  Seattle would be justified in asking for Caminero back in a Ford trade offer, even if the Rays wouldn’t go for it.

  Beyond Tampa, I have to believe the Padres have reached out about Ford multiple times, given their dire catching situation and the fact that Ford seems to be ready for the majors right now.  On paper, the Mariners and Padres don’t match up great in terms of roster needs

Pirates Fan

• If you are the new Pirates GM would you rebuild or retool? How would you go about it?

Mark P

• This is all far easier said than done, but I would overhaul whatever the organization is doing in preparing and developing young hitters for the big leagues.  I wouldn’t rebuild since the Pirates have so much good young pitching that it’s a true asset, and a major step towards finally competitive.

Paul

• Is it probable that the Pirates sell low on the likes of Keller, Hayes, Bernard, and possibly even Reynolds to shed payroll at this year’s deadline? Or is it possible that if any of them are traded at all?

Mark P

• I’m assuming that was an auto-correct from Bednar, since a team so close to Scranton can’t move noted office manager Andy Bernard!

  Feels like Bednar is being dealt, and I wouldn’t be shocked if Keller goes too.  Reynolds is less likely since he isn’t hitting and his value is in sell-low mode now, and Hayes I have trouble seeing moved at all given his injury history and lack of offense.

Cleve

• How do the Guardians fix the outfield’s total lack of production?

Mark P

• Technically it isn’t “total” because of Kwan, but I see your point.

  They’ve put a lot of undue pressure on DeLauter, but calling him might help out if he can play well as a rookie.  But I’d get a proper center fielder if one can be found, or a veteran utility type that can play RF to spell DeLauter a bit or move into the middle infield to help that situation out

Justin

• Is Tyler Heineman the best catcher in baseball?

Mark P

• Come on, Cal Raleigh is clearly the best.

  So, Heineman is merely the second-best in baseball, no doubt.

• (In all seriousness, having Heineman inexplicably emerge as an ultra-productive backup catcher has been an underrated element to the Jays’ season.)

DeBartolo and Co.

• Thought experiment: Cade Cavalli hasn’t looked entirely great, but he’s had flashes of the prospect/first round pick he used to be. What are the odds a team can see him as a change of scenery candidate with, say, Nathaniel Lowe and we can get a couple decent prospects back?

Mark P

• If you’re a Nats team that is still in clear rebuild mode, is that a risk you want to take?  I’m sure plenty of teams would have interest in Cavalli, yet if you’re DC and have invested all this time and effort in Cavalli’s rehab and development, having him break out in another organization before you’ve given him any kind of chance in the majors would be a real setback

StuckIn LF

• Any thoughts on whether Vaughn Grissom has any future value? He was bypassed by the star kids in Boston but seemed to display some skills.

Mark P

• He’s absolutely a change of scenery candidate.  The Red Sox have plenty of other infield candidates far more entrenched on the depth chart.

Guest

• What do you see the Tigers doing at the deadline

Mark P

• It’ll be interesting to see how Scott Harris approaches his first “go for it” deadline, and how aggressive he may or may not get.  Detroit could clearly use another RH bat and bullpen help, and one could make the case they have the young pitching depth that makes a Suarez trade feasible
• Lots of teams will be in on Suarez if the Diamondbacks make him available, obviously, but the Tigers have the chips to get Arizona’s interest

Brewers

• Agree with your idea to bolster 1st base.  What would it take to get O’Hearn from the Orioles?  One of the young pitchers do it (Myers or Patrick)?

Mark P

• The O’s would happily take either for a rental player who, in the long run, was an absolute found money asset for them.  The question might be if Milwaukee is comfortable moving a controllable pitcher for a rental 1B, but the Brewers might have enough rotation depth that they’d consider it worth it.

At what point…

• How long do teams wait after the ASB to determine if they have what it takes to make a run for the postseason and be buyers? For example, the Cardinals just dropped their first two games in dramatic fashion. How would that affect the managers thoughts on selling/buying?

Mark P

• St. Louis is still three games over .500 and within three games of a wild card.  Two losses won’t move the needle into sell mode or cause the front office to over-react.

  Given how so many teams tend to wait until the last minute anyway, the Cards would stand pat until July 28 or something before really settling on a direction (if any)

Iowa

• Mitch Keller team next week?

Mark P

• Since the deadline isn’t until the 31st, the Pirates

Guest

• Is there a reason the Mariners and Orioles haven’t lined up on trade?

Mark P

• What are you talking about, the Orioles got Luis Castillo from Seattle just back in May
• /doublechecks Baseball Reference

  ….oh, THAT Luis Castillo. Never mind!

preller Jr

• Would Ryan Ohearn cost much for Preller in a trade? He’d easily slide in as a DH/1B platoon with Arraez.

Mark P

• O’Hearn would also be a great fit for the Padres.
• He doesn’t “cost much” in the macro sense of being a rental player, yet there will be enough teams looking for a bat that the Orioles should be able to get a decent return back

Tim

• Looks like Paredes just had a significant hamstring injury for the Astros. Does this put them in the Suarez race or should they start selling with all the injuries? Framber would get a good haul back

Mark P

• This is one of several questions in the last few minutes that have rushed to toss dirt on the Astros’ chances.  We’ll have to wait and see on Paredes’ injury but yeah, that has IL stint written all over it.

  Houston is winning the AL West by four games.  They’re not going to suddenly fold the tent over one injury, even to a key bat like Paredes.

Trade

• Kevin Alcantara for Merrill Kelly?

Mark P

• the D’Backs would definitely do it, and the Cubs would have more hesitation. As obvious as this statement is, it depends on how they value Kelly, since some teams wouldn’t have much interest in a pitcher whose peripherals are so generally so-so
• We’re two hours deep into the conversation, so it’s time to hang it up.  Thanks so much for all the questions, and (barring any pre-deadline madness) the Weekend Chat should be back next weekend

• If you’re interested in more baseball Q&A, one of the many benefits of our Trade Rumors Front Office subscription is the exclusive weekly live chats. The more limited field means you’re about 10 times more likely to get a question answered, as opposed to battling for space with hundreds of other questions in today’s chat. For more on our memberships, check out this link:

  https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/membership?ref=chat-7-19-25

Steve Adams

• I’ve never understood the Buxton trade speculation. He has a full NTC and has said repeatedly he’s happy where he is, and the Twins have given zero indication they’re motivated to trade him, Lopez, etc.

Seebs

• When do you see Crawford coming up and Kepler being traded for a bag of balls?

Steve Adams

• I could see Kepler being moved regardless of a Crawford promotion. Phils could try to add another outfielder who’s a better fit and simultaneously ship Kepler elsewhere. Doesn’t seem like it’s been the most … agreeable … fit so far.

Desertdawg

• Do you see the D’Backs going complete fire sale this trade deadline?

Steve Adams

• No, but I think they’ll trade some impending free agents …. Suarez, Naylor, Gallen, Kelly, Grichuk, Beeks,, Miller if he’s healthy

Mark

• Why don t the braves just sell their not going anywhere this season

Steve Adams

• They will — partially anyway. I’d be surprised if they don’t trade Raisel Iglesias and Marcell Ozuna. Maybe Rafael Montero.

Chris H

• Do the Angels have enough to get E. Suarez from the D-Backs?  In general, I think they should be sellers at the trade deadline, but the hole at 3B has to be filled by someone other than Moncado, Rengifo, or Newman.

Steve Adams

• Moncada has been fine when healthy. Trading anything of note — and Suarez will cost plenty of note — for a rental upgrade would be a significant misstep for the Angels.

Frustrated Nats Fan

• How long will THIS rebuild last?

Steve Adams

• Depends on the direction in the offseason and the Lerners’ willingness to spend to improve the roster.With Gore, Abrams, Wood, Crews and House there’s a decent foundation in place, but that was true last offseason and the biggest move ownership seemingly was comfortable with was re-signing Trevor Williams.

  I’m skeptical they’ll have the pitching to contend and am warming to the idea of them trading Gore for a king’s ransom, but that feels like it’d be an offseason endeavor so that whoever is dictating the return in that package is the permanent GM and not an interim solution.

bass

• top 2 likeliest closers to be traded at deadline?

Steve Adams

• David Bednar and Kyle Finnegan?

JT Snow

• What FV would Joe Ryan bring back?

Steve Adams

• Multiple young big leaguers and/or 50-FV types.

Trade Deadline Question

• Good afternoon Steve,
  Who do you think will be the biggest name traded before the deadline?  Bregman might be off that list due to the Red Sox recent 10 game winning streak.  So who do you think will be the biggest name/contract that’s traded?

Steve Adams

• I don’t think Bregman was ever plausibly on that list. There was some speculation and there were reports to the effect of “If the Red Sox made him available, Team X would be interested.”But realistically, trading a player with a $40MM AAV and a pair of opt-outs remaining is extraordinarily difficult.

  Biggest names that have a real chance to move… Sandy Alcantara, Mitch Keller, Eugenio Suarez, Zac Gallen, Adolis Garcia, Raisel Iglesias, Marcell Ozuna, basically any impending free agent in Baltimore

Jax and Duran

• Which one of us is most likely to be dealt this month? Are either of us talking extensions with out current employer?

Steve Adams

• Neither, but Jhoan Duran costs more so I suppose nominally it’d be him. Would take a silly offer from another club to try to force the Twins’ hand.

RAGBRAI

• If I put the o/u at 3.5 Pirates traded by the deadline, which would you take?

Steve Adams

• Over.David Bednar, Andrew Heaney, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Caleb Ferguson will all go. Dennis Santana, Mitch Keller, Adam Frazier, Tommy Pham could all go, too. Teams will try on Oneil Cruz, but that seems like a reach.

JN

• Would Naylor or Suarez cost more to get from AZ?

Steve Adams

• Suarez, but Naylor should still net a real return.

JErry DIpoto Mind Trick

• What kind of player could Harry Ford bring back?

Steve Adams

• He’s a near-MLB-ready catching prospect with a sizable offensive ceiling; he should get them a bat they can control for multiple years, if they move him (which isn’t a given). I’ve seen people ask if Ford would net both Suarez and Naylor, but:1) I don’t think I’d give up Ford for two pure rentals
  2) Not that the D-backs “wouldn’t want” Harry Ford, but they already have a high-end catcher in Gabriel Moreno, so I wonder whether Ford would really be their focus, particularly given the overall depth of the Mariners’ farm system.

Matt Arnold

• Could I move a young arm for Lawrence Butler or Tyler Soderstrom to give the A’s a young controllable arm in the rotation?

Steve Adams

• I think you could build a viable trade framework between the A’s sending Soderstrom to the Brewers, sure. Something built around Logan Henderson, perhaps.

Draft Day

• Sooooo many shortstops taken in the first round of the draft! Why do you think that happened?

Steve Adams

• Shortstops are generally the best players/athletes on their teams and can slide down the defensive spectrum. Shortstops, pitchers, catchers, third basemen and center fielders are going to dominate the top rounds of the draft in a given year. I’m not sure there was an unprecedented number of shortstops selected or anything within this year’s first few rounds — though 15 of the first 30 is obviously quite a lot. Just happened to be the nature of this year’s class, I supposse.

Brewer Fan

• Idk how much you follow draft prospects, but any team you think had a particularly good draft?

Steve Adams

• I don’t focus hugely on the draft. It’s not my area of expertise or anything. I’m not a scout, and if we were going to cover the draft in earnest, it’d be something that’d require a resource to dedicate more than like half their time to, which isn’t a great ROI for us.There’s tons of great draft content at Baseball America, MLB Pipeline, FanGraphs, Baseball Prospectus, ESPN (Kiley McDaniel) and The Athletic (Keith Law).

Soler

• Would halos have to eat some of his contract to trade him?

Steve Adams

• They’d have to eat almost all of it. He’s a bat-only player whose bat has been 18% worse than average, and he’s earning $13MM this year and next.

the sad Braves fan

• How much has Marcell Ozuna’s value declined by his hip injury and poor performance. Thank you for doing these chats!

Steve Adams

• It’s down, for sure, but there aren’t going to be tons of impact bats available on the market, so he should still garner plenty of interest and net a return of some note.

rocky colovito

• would not dbacks get more for Suarez if they exercised his $15 M option for next year and traded so team receiving gets 1/2 years of service?

Steve Adams

• Suarez doesn’t have a $15MM option. They had a $15MM option on him for the 2025 season, which they picked up. He’s a pure free agent at season’s end.

Cards Fan

• Do you see the Cards buying or sellers at the deadline?

Steve Adams

• Both? I think they’ll trade Fedde and be open to moving Helsley but could also see them swinging deals to bring in some younger big league arms, for instance.

Patrick

• Are the Reds buyers or sellers? If buyers, who would they go after?

Steve Adams

• I’m working on their entry in our ongoing Trade Deadline Outlook series right now. I lean toward modest buyers and expect them to be in on a variety of right-handed-hitting bats and/or some help at 1B.They do have a tough start to the second half with the Mets, Rays and Dodgers standing as three of their first four series opponents, so if it goes south in a hurry that could change.

Orioles

• What are we doing with Mayo? He’s just sitting on the bench and he needs AB’s

Steve Adams

• I have long since given up trying to understand what the Orioles are doing with Coby Mayo and Heston Kjerstad. At this point I just hope both of them get traded so they can get an honest everyday look somewhere.You could argue that Kjerstad sort of got that this season, but it was like four weeks of mostly regular at-bats before they started reducing his role.

  I’m not even a huge Kjerstad believer — I like Mayo more — but I still find it baffling that he’ll be 27 in February and have close to two years of MLB service but so far has all of 300 MLB plate appearances across parts of three seasons.

Detmers

• Lots of halos questions but would cubs send Cassie for detmers 1 for 1? Who says no?

Steve Adams

• I’m the resident “Detmers will be good eventually!” guy, and I still wouldn’t do Caissie/Detmers 1-for-1 if I were the Cubs.

Jays Hopeful

• Will the jays swing big this trade deadline? Will they consider moving Arjun Nimmala or Trey Yesavage for a real upgrade?

Steve Adams

• I expect the Jays to be one of the most active and aggressive buyers at the deadline and don’t think they’ll really have anyone truly off limits. Yesavage is close enough to the majors that he could help in the second half, though, so I can’t imagine him going unless it’s for a controllable and meaningful pitching upgrade.

Natitude

• What would the potential return be on Mackenzie Gore and 2 years of control?  Should the Nats new leadership entertain such an offer?

Steve Adams

• Should top what the White Sox got for Garrett Crochet. I don’t think it’d happen before the offseason though, if at all.

Adam

• Does Willi Castro bring back a real return?

Steve Adams

• If the Twins sell some veteran pieces, yeah, Castro should net them a nice prospect. That’s not the direction the team is considering right now though, and they open the second half with series against the Rockies, Dodgers and Nats — so two of three pretty winnable series right out of the gate.

Braves Fan

• I think the Braves should consider trading Murphy. SD needs a catcher. Could Atl pay some of Murphy’s contract and get a better return?

Steve Adams

• I think they probably will, but catchers are tough to trade midseason — it’s hard to learn an entirely new pitching staff on the fly, mid-playoff push — and there will be more interested clubs in the offseason.Also not at all convinced the Padres have the money to add Murphy. If they had that kind of payroll space, they’d have put together a more interesting slate of offseason additions than Jason Heyward, Connor Joe, Martin Maldonado, Elias Diaz, Jose Iglesias and Gavin Sheets.

  (Yes, they signed PIvetta, but they backloaded that deal in mammoth fashion,  which only further points to limited 2025 resources)

Yoshida

• Do the redsox trade him?  How much of the contract would they have to eat?

Steve Adams

• 80-90% of it?Jesse Winker, another LHH “outfielder” who’s best relegated to platoon DH work, got a year and $7.5MM this winter.

Daniel Byrne

• Tigers are deficient in the bullpen. Do you anticipate they will try to strengthen it?

Steve Adams

• Every contender will try to strengthen its bullpen. Tigers are no exception and will probably be more aggressive than most, given the steps back from Hurter, Holton, Brieske, etc. this year.

Chris Young

• Adolis is available? Who am I getting for him?

Steve Adams

• I don’t think Garcia has massive trade value, given his salary and looming arbitration raise. But I do think the Rangers will listen on him for those reasons. They’ve tried, unsuccessfully, to retool their offense. Garcia probably gets a raise to $13MM+ for his final season of club control. Texas already has more than $131MM on the books next year, and that’s not even including Joc Pederson’s $18.5MM player option, which he’ll exercise.So you’re at $150MM in payroll and need to replace Tyler Mahle, Patrick Corbin and Jon Gray on the roster, plus half the bullpen (Shawn Armstrong, Hoby Milner, Chris Martin, Luke Jackson).

  And you have questions at catcher and the infield corners.

Colin

• Jose Ramirez available? I’d love to see him in Seattle for a package starting with Harry Ford, Williamson and a bunch of prospects

Steve Adams

• No, and he has a no-trade clause. But that sort of trade would be tons of fun (and cost more than Ford, Williamson and a smattering of mid-range prospects)

Taker55

• Who is in the running for this year’s most unforeseeable QO? Trent Grisham?

Steve Adams

• Grisham is a decent one. Ryan O’Hearn, Tyler Mahle are another couple options after a quick scour of my free agent leaderboards. Probably blanking on an under-the-radar name or two

bill

• Any chance K Ruiz gets offloaded by the Nats to a team looking for a change of scenery upgrade a t C

Steve Adams

• With all due respect to Ruiz, I’m not sure which team that’s hoping to add a catching upgrade looks at him and thinks, “Yeah, that’s our guy.” His bat has declined three straights years. His framing is poorly rated. He’s not great at blocking balls. And he’s owed $35MM over five seasons from 2026-30.

FA

• Any chance Rizzo or Candelario or more of the free agents sign soon? Deadline seems like the time to sign imo

Steve Adams

• Candelario already signed a minor league deal with the Yankees. Seems like David Robertson is gearing up to sign soon.

Philly A’s

• Do you see any of this year’s draft picks making it to a bullpen this year?

Steve Adams

• Gage Wood joining the Phillies in September seems feasible.

Suarez

• If he isn’t moved, can he get a QO?

Steve Adams

• He can and wil
• will*

Guest

• By telegraphing his extreme need for a left fielder, isn’t Preller harming his bargaining position?

Steve Adams

• Anyone who watched the Padres sign Connor Joe and Jason Heyward this winter and then saw their LFs produce a combined .221/.282/.322 slash through the All-Star break would know they badly want a left fielder whether Preller stayed silent or whether he took out nationwide billboards proclaiming that he’s interested in any and all left fielders.

Tom Kelly’s blues

• Is a 56 win 52 loss record on 7/31 good enough for the Twins to buy?

Steve Adams

• Yeah. I imagine that’d probably give them a share of the Wild Card in the AL or put them within 1-2 games. I doubt they even need to be quite that far over .500.That said, the Twins are up for sale and had major payroll concerns over the winter. I don’t know that they’re going to have the resources to make any significant adds, and even if they did, this front office tends to be pretty conservative on the buy side of things.

Jerry Dipoto

• Over/under 1.5 trades for me this deadline?

Steve Adams

• Over

Baines3

• Best guess-Luis Robert to…

Steve Adams

• Giants or Reds, with White Sox eating most of the remaining guarantee. (Total guess — I just picked two plausible buyers who rank near the bottom of the league in terms of offense versus left-handed pitching, since that’s one thing Robert is still doing well)

Norbert

• Do the Angels trade Trout?

Steve Adams

• No

Darthyen

• Doesn’t Lourdes Gurriel Jr. make the most sense for what the Blue Jays need (not including pitching) He won’t cost much in prospect return mostly money (depending how much money, if any, Ariizona sends in the deal), he fills the RH left field bat with power and even play some passable first base. Bringing in Gurriel, with everyone healthy, will push Barger to third 80-90% of the time, Clemment to utility role, Lucas to some platoon/bench role and the rest to the minors

Steve Adams

• He’s a league-average bat who’s owed $18MM beyond the current season ($14MM 2026 salary, $4MM buyout on a 2027 option).There are better and/or more affordable LF options. Not sure I’d call Gurriel a RH bat “with power,” either. He has average power, I suppose, although that’s playing at a stadium that’s very beneficial to right-handed hitters. (Rogers Centre is as well, but a bit less so)

John

• Would Harry Ford net the M’s Willi Castro and Griffin Jax (assuming Twins are sellers)?

Steve Adams

• Have to imagine the Twins would do that even if they weren’t intent on selling.

GM Joe

• Last year I believe there was no top 100 prospect traded.  Does this trend continue???

Steve Adams

• Depends how you view “top-100 prospects.” Thayron Liranzo was a 50-FV guy at the time and wound up pretty quickly landing on Top 100 lists post-draft. Agustin Ramirez was a top-100 guy, or close to it. Jake Bloss had crept onto the back end of BA’s Top 100 at some point.People get overly hung up on numerical rankings of prospects when the gap between someone ranked, say, 60th in the game and someone ranked 115th is pretty negligible.
• Also, for what it’s worth, multiple Phillies beat writers saying Dombrowski is going to be more aggressive in his search for bullpen arms and target the Emmanuel Clase types of the world certainly suggests the Phils will be willing to splash some prospects around.
• Ok, I’ve got to wrap this up. I’m on X @Adams_Steve and Bluesky @adams-steve.bsky.social if you have more questions.If you want more opinions from the MLBTR team, you can learn about our Front Office subscription package and sign up here. In addition to ad-free viewing on the site and in the app, you’ll get weekly analysis/opinion columns from Anthony Franco and myself, a weekly mailbag column from Tim Dierkes, weekly fantasy baseball chats and columns with Nicklaus Gaut, weekly subscriber-only chats with Anthony Franco and me (where your odds of getting a question answered are much better), direct Q&A opps with Darragh McDonald, access to our new Trade Deadline Outlook series, access to our Contract Tracker, GM Tracker and our Agency Database, and more. It all starts at $2.99/month.

  Thanks and enjoy the rest of your week!

Chris

• Baltimore should be all in on Ranger Suarez or Framber Valdez right?

Steve Adams

• I assume this is in reference to free agency this winter? And in that case, yeah, they should be in on that pair and other notable starting pitchers.
• Valdez probably fits them particularly well, since at 32 he’s not going to command more than a five-year deal. (He’d only be the third SP 32 or older to get 6 years in the past decade. Even with a really premium AAV, you’re looking under $200MM. And since the O’s seem to prefer to avoid long-term risk with pitchers (or just … well, anyone), maybe that artificial cap on his contract length is a little more their speed.

Spud

• The Brewers have a surplus of starting pitching (no, really). What type of return would you expect to receive from Nester Cortez?

Steve Adams

• Pretty negligible at this point, given how much time he’s missed. Could still see them listening on Cortes or Quintana, though.

Royal Blue

• Do the royals move one of their starting pitchers for a bat and a possible prospect or does depend on how this week goes whether they are buyers or sellers?

Steve Adams

• I doubt any of the Royals, D-backs, Reds, Twins or Cardinals make a clear decision on their direction until like … July 27-28. (Barring a situation where they go on winning or losing streaks of like 10 games starting right now)

Bucco71

• Will Cherington be motivated to make a splash deal to save his job?  Perhaps moving Keller?

Steve Adams

• I don’t really see how trading Mitch Keller helps save his job. They’re six years into his tenure now. They were supposed to be better than this by now. Trading a homegrown starter who you were able to sign long-term — even if it’s for a nice return — isn’t something that should’ve been on the docket by now.

Jill

• Would Cleveland consider trading Kwan or Clase at the deadline?

Steve Adams

• I’d be more surprised by Kwan, just given the perennial need for outfield help. Clase is signed longer-term, but Cleveland churns out good relievers with such frequency that at a certain point it has to become tempting. His command is also a bit worse this year, although it’s still far better than average and his 16% swinging-strike rate is his best since 2022 so I don’t think too many folks are going to be worried that the stuff/location is maybe marginally less sharp than in 2024.I would still bet against a Clase trade, but teams will be trying and his name is going to bounce around the rumor circuit.

Cubbie Blue

• Offense is super strong. Pitching staff is suspect. Should we gamble on a Sandy Alcantara deal, or throw the kitchen sink at Pit for Skenes?

Steve Adams

• Can throw whatever you want at the Pirates. I will livestream a video of myself eating a pair of my socks if Pittsburgh trades Paul Skenes to the Cubs. (In general, I see less than a 1% chance of Skenes being traded)

Wondering

• I think Detroit needs a high leverage LH reliever for October. Who other than Chapman might be a possibility?

Steve Adams

• There aren’t a ton of obvious lefties available, though some unexpected names always pop up. I imagine they’ll say, “Been there, done that” with regard to Gregory Soto, but others I could see moving…. Hoby Milner, Jalen Beeks, Caleb Ferguson, Steven Matz, Danny Coulombe, Taylor Rogers, Aaron Bummer

PunkRockies

• What kind of market do you think there is realistically for Ryan McMahon? He’s hit better since June after a rough start, and the defense is still there, but you can’t help but think the Rox would have gotten more dealing him last July. Is a team’s top 10 prospect a realistic return?

Steve Adams

• He hit well in May, too. He’s a plus defensive third baseman from whom you can relatively confidently expect 20ish home runs and average-ish (perhaps a bit better) rate stats at the plate. He’s going to strike out a lot, but he’ll walk plenty also.You can look at McMahon as sort of a poor man’s Matt Chapman. And then you remember that Matt Chapman got $151MM beginning with his age-32 season, while McMahon is owed $36MM total for 2+ seasons as of the trade deadline. Next year is his age-31 season.So yeah, there’s surplus value there. “A team’s top-10 prospect” isn’t really a good way to categorize things. The Mariners have nine prospects in Baseball America’s top-100. The Astros, Angels and Rockies all have one.
• Point being…. a good system’s No. 13 prospect might be better than the Astros’ No. 5. Numerical rankings within the confines of one system tell you little, which is why the industry assigns value grades (FV) on the 20-80 scale scouts use to grade individual tools and pitches. That’s the better place to look, and I do think McMahon probably should be able to fetch a 50 or a couple 45 types … basically someone on or not far from the back half of a top-100 list

kc

• any market for Severino or Springs? or other A’s?

Steve Adams

• I can’t see Severino having much value, given that they overpaid to sign him in the first place and he’s now underperformed and has that post-’26 player option. Springs has easy value and should be popular, yeah. Urias and Andujar both could fetch nominal returns if they’re healthy

Drew

• Could Mackenzie Gore bring a Crochet-like return if the Nats decide to reboot the rebuild?

Steve Adams

• He would (or should) bring more than Crochet did. You’re looking at 2.5 years of control to what was (at the time) two of Crochet. Plus Gore has demonstrated he can handle a full starter’s workload in a way that Crochet hadn’t (and really still hasn’t). I don’t think he’ll move, but they’d be justified in asking for a massive return

Clay

• Jose Soriano has put up consistently solid mid-rotation numbers for last season and this one, granted in ’24 he only threw about 113 innings. Do you think the Angels would part with him and what kind of package would it take from SF to bring him to the Bay?

Steve Adams

• I think they should be willing to and won’t be. The Angels seem to perennially delude themselves into thinking they’re far closer than they are, and owner Arte Moreno has resisted this exact type of future-oriented move at so many junctures in the past.I’d absolutely be willing to listen on Soriano if it were my call, but alas, Moreno has yet to offer me the opportunity to make that decision.I’m not hard to get a hold of, Arte. Call me.

Duran

• Is J Duran really on the trade block?

Steve Adams

• Jarren or Jhoan?I’m sure the Red Sox will listen on Jarren but aren’t itching to trade him or anything. He’s floating around more due to the “surplus” of outfielders they have in Boston and because of one early report connecting the Padres to him.Jhoan, I’d be more surprised by. If the Twins are still under .500 or just kind of a Wild Card bubble team, other clubs will try and Minnesota will listen (probably on Griffin Jax, too) — but the asking price would be huge and I’d strongly lean against anything getting donw.
• done.*

Dodgers Fan

• What would it cost us for 3+ months of Adrian Houser?  The guy seems to have found a fountain of youth with the white sox.

Steve Adams

• I don’t think Houser is going to command a notable prospect return, nor do I think the Dodgers would target him. They’re only going to be aiming for pitchers who’d start playoff games for them, and that’s not Houser.He’s throwing harder, granted, but the strikeout rate and swinging-strike rate are still noticeably worse than average. His sub-2.00 ERA is largely a product of him stranding 85% of the runners he’s allowed to reach base, which is 15 pecentage points above his career level and 13ish above league-average. He’s not going to keep that up, nor is he going to keep seeing only 4% of the fly-balls he yields turn into homers. (His career mark and the league average are both around 12%)

Adam

• If the Pirates did trade Skenes (I know they won’t but humor us here) would they be able to ask for more than the Nats did for Soto?

Steve Adams

• Yes

This Guy Right Here

• Who are the White Sox going to move?

Steve Adams

• Adrian Houser, Aaron Civale, Mike Tauchman. Maybe Steven Wilson. I expect they’ll find a way to trade Robert but the return is going to be middling.

Marty

• If the pirates eat say 15% or 20% of the remaining money owed to Hayes do they Yankees find him more attractive than a Ryan McMahon?

Steve Adams

• I doubt it. Hayes has stopped hitting because of chronic, ongoing back troubles. McMahon is more productive currently. He’s not as good a defender, but you feel better about getting competent to above-average offense out of him.

Your name

• Both Erick Fedde and Miles Mikolas have been awful while Michael McGreevy has shown he’s capable of being a back of the rotation starter. Could either Fedde or Mikolas be moved to the bullpen/released since neither will bring back anything in a trade

Steve Adams

• Mikolas was at least pretty serviceable until that absurd six-homer start against the Cubs. But he was never likely to be traded, thanks to his salary and no-trade clause.Fedde had real value in the offseason, and he’s shredded most of that with his strikeout rate disappearing and his command worsening considerably. Another team might take a chance on him to round out the back of the rotation, but the chance for a decent return was back in the offseason and the Cardinals for whatever reason chose not to do it.I wouldn’t say McGreevy has proven anything yet, but he’s more deserving of a rotation spot than Fedde, based on merit, yeah. Fedde has an ERA of almost 6 since his shutout against the Nationals (and rate stats to match it)

Phillie Phanatic

• Phillies need a right-handed Lfer or CFer. Who could that  potentially be? Seems like mostly lefty bats are available.

Steve Adams

• Ramon Laureano, Chas McCormick, Harrison Bader (if the Twins wind up selling short-term guys). Lane Thomas has to be running out of leash in Cleveland, but he’s a change-of-scenery guy at best.

Dick Monfort

• I am the one responsible for the poor performance of the Rockies and the unfairness it causes to the fans of Denver and Colorado. I need to sell the team, don’t I? (Fisher, Nutting, Sternberg…take notice)

Steve Adams

• He doesn’t *need* to, no. But would they be better with a less meddlesome owner who didn’t operate in such insular fashion? Almost certainly, yeah.

Philly Rocks

• Alec Bohm and a prospect to the Rockies for McMahon; who says no?

Steve Adams

• McMahon is signed longer than Bohm is controlled. Rockies won’t (or shouldn’t) be looking to acquire someone with such little club control remaining.

reds reds reds

• could taylor ward be in cincinnati come july 31? cheap salary, breakout season, angels have had interest in chase petty, and could be the rh bat the reds need.

Steve Adams

• I would say Ward’s breakout was in 2022. This year he’s striking out and popping up at career-worst rates and barely keeping an OBP around .300. He’s also making $7.825MM (not *that* cheap, at least for the Reds) and will probably get a raise to $11MM or so next year, perhaps more, depending how the counting stats finish up.I’m not saying the Reds shouldn’t have any interest, but if the Angels asked for Chase Petty, that’d be an easy no for me, even with Petty’s brutal debut performance earlier this season.

Bobby Cox

• Did you see the trade scenarios on ESPN for skenes, acuna, etc. They felt light imo. What did you think?

Steve Adams

• I’ve been asked about all of these, with many suggesting that David Schoenfield’s column constitutes a genuine rumor for something that might happen. It’s an opinion piece designed to generate conversation, which it’s doing, but he’s not saying or reporting that any of Skenes/Acuna/Buxton will be traded.It’s just a thought exercise. I haven’t given much thought to whether the packages feel light or appropriate because it doesn’t really matter. None of the three are going to be traded.

coaches

• Hitting and pitting coaches are usually fired in the off season aren’t they ? It’s hard to find a new one in mid year isn’t it  as decent ones would be under contract ?

Steve Adams

• More common in the offseason or in the last week or two of a season, yeah. But the Rangers swapped out hitting coaches already early in the season.

Cardinals fan

• Where will Arenado be playing in August?

Steve Adams

• Third base, for the Cardinals.

TxDude

• The Rangers offense has looked lost all season. And even most of last season too. Big changes have to coming eventually, right?

Steve Adams

• I mean, they already made big changes. They traded Nate Lowe, brought in Jake Burger and Joc Pederson — all in the name of hitting fastballs more effectively. It didn’t work. They fired their hitting coach and hired Bret Boone. It hasn’t done much.I’m sure larger-scale changes are coming, yes, but they’re made some attempts that haven’t paid off.Adolis Garcia seems like a trade candidate whether the Rangers are in the race or not, since he’s going to be a non-tender candidate after the season and isn’t hitting well for what’s now a second straight season.

Marty

• Why aren’t the twins considered sellers? Looks like they could have some of the best movable assets this deadline.

Steve Adams

• They’re trending that way, but at five games out from a Wild Card spot and with three-plus weeks to play until the deadline, they’re going to keep their options open

Slappy Slapster

• What value do you think Seth Lugo has in trade? Many of the Royal faithful think he would bring a top 100 prospect +. I don’t think so due to his 2026 option.

Steve Adams

• I lean more toward your view of things. The player option/opt-out is pure downside for the acquiring team.

Sir Nerdlington

• What would you expect to be the cost for a Suarez/Gallen trade package? Seems like the Cubs-Snakes line up too well to not make this happen.

Steve Adams

• I don’t really think it’s true that the Cubs specifically line up any better than the Yankees, Tigers, Mariners or several other clubs. Most teams could use another starter, so any team looking at 3B — or just for a bat in general — lines up pretty nicely with the D-backs on that sort of combo

Dave

• If the Rangers are sellers, will they try to move deGrom?

Steve Adams

• He has a full no-trade clause and will be owed $88.3333MM through 2027 after the trade deadline. Most of the teams that can stomach that type of annual salary are CBT payors, several of whom (Mets, Yankees, Dodgers) would owe a 110% tax on the $37.85MM AAV of what remains on his contract.Lots of questions about trading deGrom every week. Doesn’t feel all that feasible to me.

Padres

• What would it cost to get Adolis in left?  Padres could use that slg.

Steve Adams

• Not much. But “use that SLG” is an interesting frame for a player who’s currently slugging .380 with a career-worst .152 ISO. Garcia is popping up more than ever and hitting a lot of pretty harmless fly-outs. He’s more reputation than known commodity right now (hence why he probably won’t be  ALL that hard to pry loose)
• Ok, I’ve got to call it this week. I’m on X @Adams_Steve and Bluesky @adams-steve.bsky.social if you have more questions.If you want more opinions from the MLBTR team, you can learn about our Front Office subscription package and sign up here. In addition to ad-free viewing on the site and in the app, you’ll get weekly analysis/opinion columns from Anthony Franco and myself, a weekly mailbag column from Tim Dierkes, weekly fantasy baseball chats and columns with Nicklaus Gaut, two weekly subscriber-only chats (one with me, one with Anthony) where your odds of getting a question answered are much better, direct Q&A opps with Darragh McDonald, access to our new Trade Deadline Outlook series, access to our Contract Tracker, GM Tracker and our Agency Database, and more. It all starts at $2.99/month.Thanks and enjoy the rest of your week!

Phil

• What do the Phillies prioritize more, a relief arm or high impact bat?

Steve Adams

• Dave Dombrowski himself said bullpen arms just last week:
  https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/06/phillies-trade-rumors-bullpen-h…

Scott

• Will the Padres be buyers or sellers? I think they will be sellers as the pathetic offensive display has been going on for a while now and unloading a few contracts can help them for next season.

Steve Adams

• They’re one game back from a Wild Card spot. They’re not selling without a huge collapse.

Bendix

• If the Marlins keep up this hot steak, though obviously not winning every game. Will they be inclined to not sell off the veterans they have and at least be in a holding pattern or do you still see them as selling completely regardless?

Steve Adams

• Selling regardless. Maybe the scope of the sale won’t be quite so great if they can get within 2-3 games of .500, but I don’t think Peter Bendix & Co. are looking at this roster and thinking, “Yeah, we can make a playoff run here.”

Ken

• More likely to be traded: Severino or Springs?

Steve Adams

• Springs. The contract is just easier to move and he’s pitching better. The A’s overpaid to get Severino, and now he’s unhappy and not pitching well at home. Both parties would probably like to move on, but I can’t imagine the A’s are excited to include cash to pay down his contract. Maybe they could swap him out for a bad contract elsewhere, but they feel kind of stuck with one another for right now.

The Duke

• What is Luis Robert Jr worth at this point? Lottery ticket or two?

Steve Adams

• A lottery ticket if the White Sox pay down pretty much all of the remaining guaranteed money.

brian

• Bednar, Keller or both?

Steve Adams

• As in, who’s likelier to be traded? Bednar (and Dennis Santana) are much likelier to go than Keller. I’d be surprised if Bednar or Santana stayed in Pittsburgh beyond the deadline. Keller has a real chance to go, but with 3+ years left on the contract, there’s no urgency to do it now.

Buy or Sell

• Angels

Steve Adams

• Should sell, but owner Arte Moreno lives in an alternate universe and will talk himself into being one piece away despite being a bottom-five team in batting average, on-base percentage, strikeout percentage and walk percentage on offense and a bottom-five team in FIP, strikeout rate, walk rate and SIERA both in the rotation and bullpen (and a bottom-five bullpen ERA/bottom-10 rotation ERA)
• The Angels are where they are because they keep winning one-run games. They’ve been very fortunate with health on the pitching side of things but have minimal depth on either side of the roster. This isn’t a team that should be sacrificing future value to win in the short term, but that hasn’t stopped Moreno in the past.

Adam Steves

• Then Arty should trade Mike Trout?

Steve Adams

• They’re not trading Trout
• Trout has a full no-trade clause, has never given the indication he wants to move, and his contract is far greater than anything he’d get in free agency right now. Arte Moreno isn’t going to pay tens of millions of dollars to make Trout, a franchise icon, go away.

MLBTR

• Could MLBTR start doing MLB mock drafts? With the draft approaching…I think it’d be really fun & interactive if MLBTR started to do this!

Steve Adams

• The draft isn’t a big area of focus for us. Can’t trade picks outside comp balance picks, and we’d need to hire someone specifically to cover what would be a niche topic even among our already niche (relative to broader baseball fandom anyway) readership.

Will Lehnertz

• Will Bregman get traded? Seems like the Mariners are interested given the recent Adam Jude Article.

Steve Adams

• Adam Jude is a (very good) reporter with the Seattle Times for those unfamiliar. But really, all he said was if the Red Sox decide to move him — there’s no indication that’d happen — the Mariners would probably have interest. He specifically called a Bregman trade a long shot. I agree.I feel I take one or more of these questions every week, but people keep asking, so I suppose I’ll continue.Trading players with opt-out clauses (which Bregman has) is *extremely* difficult. It’s almost pure downside for the acquiring team. You either get a veteran player who comes in, performs well, and opts back into free agency at season’s end … or he gets hurt/tanks, forgoes the opt-out, and you’re stuck with the extra year(s). And the selling team will be asking for legitimate prospects, while you know you’re at best getting a rental and at worst giving up those prospects for what’ll turn into a bad contract.
• Bregman’s $40MM AAV, even with deferrals, would also be extremely hard for the Mariners to absorb. I’m sure they’d want the Red Sox to include cash, which only further muddies things. Ownership gave the Mariners $15-16MM total to add 2-3 bats this offseason. I cannot see them suddenly saying “Actually, that $40MM AAV feels fine now that we’re four games over .500 in July.”

3K Club

• After Kershaw, who is the next to 3k strikeouts?

Steve Adams

• Chris Sale and Gerrit Cole can both get there. After that, it’s tougher. Aaron Nola probably has the next-best chance. Kevin Gausman would be a long shot, but maybe he pitches into his 40s?

Freddy

• Any chance Byron Buxton gets moved?

Steve Adams

• Full no-trade clause and Twins aren’t looking to tear everything down. He’ll stay regardless.

birdbats

• what are the odds Arenado is traded

Steve Adams

• Borderline nonexistent. No one wants that contract, and the teams that could most plausibly stomach it, in a vacuum, are the ones who are already in the top tier of luxury penalization and would thus pay a 110% tax on the remaining AAV.

Mike Elias

• I have several potential QO candidates, which ones do I offer it too (O’Hearn, Efflin, Sugano, Mullins)? Obviously disregarding those that will be traded in the next month.

Steve Adams

• ROH and Mullins should get QOs. I’m not making a QO to Eflin when he’s struggling like this or Sugano at his age and with a K% sitting around 14%
• That assumes no trades, of course, but I’d be open to trading all of the rentals barring some insane 12-game win streak or something. Even with the O’s playing better of late, they’re 10 under .500, last in the division and 7 back in the Wild Card.

Juan Soto

• Am I back

Steve Adams

• Soto never went anywhere. He had a two-week slump and certain corners of the media/internet decided to cook up a “What’s wrong with Juan Soto” narrative. Juan Soto is an elite baseball player. He’s also human, and when he shows that humanity early in a season, I suppose people will freak out ad nauseum, but the notion that there was ever anything “wrong” with Soto never held any traction for me.

Marlins

• If Sandy Alcántara can’t show teams that he’s back to his 2023 form, Miami should just keep him and see what he’s got next spring, right?

Steve Adams

• White Sox fans asked this same thing about Luis Robert at last year’s deadline.

Suarez to Cubs

• Doesn’t this make too much sense?   Allows Shaw to go to bench and gets rid of Berti/Brujan.   Slots Dansby out of 4/5 hole to 7.  Gives Cubs that power bat needed in playoffs.    Improves bench, lengthens lineup again and give thump if needed.  Of course you live and die with strikeouts,  but hes the perfect offensive guy needed.

Steve Adams

• If the Cubs get Eugenio Suarez, they’re going to send Shaw to AAA to get everyday at-bats, not play 1-2x per week. So that doesn’t really improve the bench.And while sure, Suarez makes sense for the Cubs, he also makes sense for the Yankees, Tigers, Mariners, Brewers and others, so it’s not like we’re talking a fait accompli here.

Trader Jerry’s

• Which do you think should be a higher priority for the Mariners this deadline: finding a reliable infield bat or shoring up the bullpen?

Steve Adams

• Getting more offense. The Mariners have a nice track record of spinning low-cost, seemingly fungible relief pickups into quality bullpen pieces. They don’t need to pay an exorbitant price in trades to add a reliever. Plus they just got Matt Brash back a bit ago. Munoz/Brash is one of the most outrageous late-inning combos in MLB.

Sophia

• Any chance the Pirates could have a winning team next year?

Steve Adams

• I wouldn’t call it especially likely, but they  could have a rotation led by Skenes, Chandler, Keller (if he’s not traded) some combo of Ashcraft/Harrington/Burrows/Barco, and a cheap veteran fill-in…. get a rebound from Reynolds, a true breakout from Cruz, slightly above-average offense from Horwitz, and hit on a cheap offseason bat … I mean, it’s a lot that has to go right, but no, I don’t think it’s impossible. Just like … “possible” in a 10% chance sort of way.

Blake

• If the Pirates trade Bryan Reynolds, what will they get in return?

Steve Adams

• Some salary relief? Reynolds is 30 going on 31, his offense this year is below average, and he’s signed all the way through 2030.

John

• Will we see draft picks become tradeable in the next CBA? Seems like something both sides should be ok with that would make the draft more interesting for fans, while also opening up new avenues to competing for rebuilding teams.

Steve Adams

• I’ve been saying for the past three CBAs that I hope so, but it’s never really been a hot-button issue. I doubt it will be this time around, either, but here’s hoping.

Michael

• Would the Phillies consider trading Ranger Suarez to add a right-handed bat, considering their SP depth and that it remains unlikely they sign him in the offseason with other SP salary commitments?

Steve Adams

• I’d be very surprised. They have nice rotation depth, but Abel and Painter will be on workload limits, Nola is already banged up, and pitching depth dries up in a hurry.Ranger is an easy QO candidate, too, so he’ll net them a pick even if he leaves. They could very easily add a right-handed bat without giving up Suarez.

ARGHHHH

• About how many questions do you get during these?  Seems my questions never get answered

Steve Adams

• This is a curiously lightly attended chat and there are 549 people in here right now

Red Sox Fan

• Is it possible that the Red Sox trade Bregman, then Bregman resigns in the offseason?

Steve Adams

• See prior answer re: Bregman

CBA

• Word has it that Manfred wants to change how Free Agency works in the next agreement, by putting a deadline on SIGNING.   Thoughts??   I think that is as unlikely to happen as an actual SALARY CAP.

Steve Adams

• Bregman and the owners have wanted a signing deadline for awhile. Why wouldn’t they? It’s extra leverage for them. Players are going to push back on anything they deem a restriction on a truly open market. A signing deadline is that.
• I know some fans want it. I — even absent my employment here — have always liked that the offseason spans all winter. I’m a baseball sicko. Why wouldn’t I want year-round baseball news and transactions? Keep it nice and dragged out, haha

Matt Gage

• Can you see me ending up back with the Dodgers.  They know me and they always seem to have injured pitchers.

Steve Adams

• He’s a cheap left-handed reliever. I can see him landing with any team in MLB, honestly. He’s going to be on the fringe of the roster wherever he lands and could well be in this same spot again a few weeks or a month from now

Manfred

• Why do I care what Bregman wants for a deadline?

Steve Adams

• Ha, whoops
• Bregman on the brain I guess. Rent-free!

Bobby Bonilla Day

• Not a single tip of the cap to the captain of the deferred contract.   Let’s give credit where credit is due….each July 1.

Steve Adams

• Bobby Bonilla day is a weird narrative. The Braves gave Bruce Sutter a way crazier deferral structure back in like 1985, one that paid him for 30+ years, and no one talks about it.
• https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/399252/2018/06/25/move-over-bobby-bon…

MikeM

• Any interest in Yoan Moncada at the deadline?  Hes having a decent year when healthy.

Steve Adams

• Sure, I don’t think he’d fetch a huge return, but he’s been productive in the 30 games he’s managed to stay healthy and he’s a non-QO-candidate free agent

Yankee trader

• Dominguez and Spencer Jones to Philly for Stott and Marsh? Philly needs a JOLT and Aiden Miller should be here sometime next season?

Steve Adams

• Yankees aren’t making that trade (and I don’t even really like Spencer Jones)

Who Says No

• Severino for Santander in a regrettable free agent signing swap.

Steve Adams

• Santander’s on a longer deal and owed more money. Doubt the A’s are that anxious to move him. He was also playing through a shoulder subluxation for a good chunk of May, so let’s see what he looks like when he’s healthy.

kc

• Anyone traded on A’s besides Urias?

Steve Adams

• Urias, yes. I think Springs has a good chance. Andujar

More O’s Losses Please

• The better Trevor Rogers throws, the better the argument for keeping him AND trading him. I say trade while he’s throwing well. What’s your call?

Steve Adams

• He’s made four starts with a below-average K%, a .200 BABIP and an 81% strand rate. He’s throwing a bit harder. The pitch selection is largely unchanged minus swapping out some sinkers for more four-seamers. I haven’t dived headlong into seeing if the shape and movement on his breaking pitches is dramatically different, but this feels far more like some small sample noise than a genuine rebound.
• He’s giving up boatloads of hard contact (52.5%) and wasn’t even pitching well in Norfolk before his recall. I’m sure the O’s are pushing the “we rebuilt him! we fixed him!” narrative, but as of now, I’m not buying it and don’t think he’d command much of a return in a trade.

bob e

• Could Cal Raleigh get trade in mega blockbuster

Steve Adams

• Nope

Tim

• Do the Cardinals  extend a qualifying offer to Ryan Helsley

Steve Adams

• If they don’t trade him, they should.

QO Bubble

• Aside from nobrainers, who just makes it as of now and who just misses

Steve Adams

• QO: Josh Naylor, Ryan O’Hearn, Gleyber Torres, Framber Valdez, Ranger Suarez, Dylan Cease, Michael King, Kyle Tucker, Bo Bichette, Ryan Helsley, Devin Williams, Luke WeaverSome borderline/big-name candidates who I’d probably pass on right now, QO-wise: Luis Arraez, Willi Castro, Trent Grisham, Tyler Mahle, Zac Gallen, Paul GoldschmidtWilliams and Weaver are admittedly a little borderline, but I like both pitchers well enough that I expect them to justify it more clearly in the final three months.

  D-backs would probably QO Gallen regardless, but man he has been SO bad.

Matt Arnold

• Bo Bichette for Luis Pena and Tyler Black. Who says no?

Steve Adams

• Blue Jays aren’t going to sell
• I mean, I suppose they could lose like 12 in a row, but … as of right now, not happening.

reds reds reds

• could suarez or naylor make sense for the reds? both have ties with the team and geno has been open to a return. naylor has longtime connections with tito. it would provide the bat the reds need to make a playoff push.

Steve Adams

• Both make sense, sure, but as I noted on Suarez earlier, they both make sense for a good 5-10 teams around the league. (Not all the same teams, but both will have broad-reaching markets)

More likely

• Which is more likely, Dodgers losing 12 in a row or White Sox winning 12 in a row?

Steve Adams

• Which is likelier?

  ---

  Dodgers lose 12 straight (49.7% | 90 votes)

  White Sox win 12 straight (50.2% | 91 votes)

  ---

  Total Votes: 181

Taker55

• Bellinger feels like a sure opt-out at this pace, right?

Steve Adams

• It’s a net $20MM decision. I’ve been of the mind since spring training that he’ll opt out unless he gets seriously injured or reverts to his horrendous 2021-22 form.
• Right now, it’s an easy call to opt out.

Joey Gallo Superfan

• Could the Rockies sign Joey Gallo to be their closer

Steve Adams

• I support this plan.

Windows of Contention

• For Arizona in particular, should they be focused on 2026 or 2027 for their next splurge? There’s a lot leaving the team this year (either via trade or free agency), but there’s also significant mound talent returning in the second half of 2026. Whether in trades or free agency, should the team be focused on MLB ready talent or guys who may take another year to reach MLB ready status?

Steve Adams

• They’re still going to have a lineup built around Carroll, Perdomo, Marte, Moreno and hopefully Jordan Lawlar, with some decent role players like Pavin Smith, Lourdes Gurriel, etc.The pitching needs work, but the lineup is impressive and the books are reasonably clean. There’s a lot of work to be done on the pitching side of things, but the second half can be used as a means of evaluating some in-house arms (and some younger guys they pick up if/when they trade Suarez, Naylor, Shelby, etc.) … I wouldn’t punt on 2026 by any stretch, but they do need to figure out how to get some affordable pitching help. Big investments in Burnes and E-Rod obviously haven’t worked out.
• Ok, I’ve got to call it this week.I’m on X @Adams_Steve and Bluesky @adams-steve.bsky.social if you have more questions.If you want more opinions from the MLBTR team, you can learn about our Front Office subscription package and sign up here. In addition to ad-free viewing on the site and in the app, you’ll get weekly analysis/opinion columns from Anthony Franco and myself, a weekly mailbag column from Tim Dierkes, weekly fantasy baseball chats and columns with Nicklaus Gaut, two weekly subscriber-only chats (one with me, one with Anthony) where your odds of getting a question answered are much better, direct Q&A opps with Darragh McDonald, access to our new Trade Deadline Outlook series, access to our Contract Tracker, GM Tracker and our Agency Database, and more. It all starts at $2.99/month.

  Enjoy the rest of your week, everyone!

Orbit

• With Yordan and Melton coming back, do the Astros really need Mullins ? There isn’t must to trade with and Crane is so hesitant to go over the tax luxury.

Mark P

• Melton is still an unproven commodity, and one can argue that Houston is still too righty-centric even with both Alvarez and Melton.  A veteran left-handed hitter like Mullins could help, even if Mullins’ own bat has been ice cold for two months now.

Ken

• Is Severino’s vocal criticism of the Sutter Health Field 1) part of a ploy to get traded to a contender (now that he has an above market contract), 2) a veteran giving voice to criticisms that younger, less established players also have about playing there, or 3) just an indication of how much it sucks to play there?

Mark P

• I think all of the above.  You make a good point that Severino is probably speaking for a number of teammates, many of whom have less security and tenure in the sport.  As MLBTR’s Nick Deeds noted today, Severino is a difficult trade candidate due to his contract, his opt-out clause after 2026, and how his numbers aren’t entirely tied to his home/away splits

Theo

• If you were the GM of the Blue Jays, what would you do at the deadline?

Mark P

• Add pitching, first and foremost.  At least a solid innings-eater type starter to solidify the back of the rotation, and it wouldn’t hurt to check in on any possible frontline types that may or may not be available. The heavily worked bullpen could also use a new arm or two.

Mikey Mousel

• Bees?

Mark P

• Beads?!

ANM

• Clase to Philly for Abel,Miller and or Crawford… Who says no?

Mark P

• Clase is a terrific closer under long-term control via his contract, but I don’t think I see the Phillies parting with that level of prospect for him.

MKE

• What are the Brewers going to do with the excess of starting pitching? With proven big league arms like Peralta, Woodruff, Cortes, Quintana and young talent like Priester, Miz, Patrick, and Gasser there seems to a log jam. Easy bet is Gasser stays in the minors when he returns and a 6-man rotation is in play. Anyone on the move?

Mark P

• Easy answer is that every pitching surplus is quickly diminished by injuries.  The Brewers will wait until late July to determine whether or not everyone is healthy before they decide to move a starter or not.

  Someone like Quintana might be a decent bet to be moved, as he was probably someone that might not have really been on the radar anyway if it wasn’t for some of their health concerns in camp.

Braves

• Seems like the Braves aren’t that far back. They likely pass the Mets, but can they leap frog enough other teams to be buyers?

Mark P

• The Braves are about to get passed by the Marlins in the standings, so I’d pump the brakes on them making a run at contending.

  As much as Anthopoulos wants to compete and won’t sell until he absolutely has to, Atlanta is another team that needs a major hot streak in July to get back into the “realistic buyer” conversation

Garrett

• Best baseball card you own?

Mark P

• Sadly (and foolishly?), many of my old baseball cards were sold away at a garage sale years ago.

MN

• Is there a reason Luis Garcia (Nats Version) isn’t more discussed as a trade candidate?

Mark P

• Under arb control through 2027, and the Nats certainly hope they’re contending again during Garcia’s time with the team. I don’t think they’d hang up the phone if someone called with an intriguing enough offer, but the Nats are going to try moving several other shorter-term veteran types before exploring trades for players like Garcia

Sandy

• Are the Marlins… good?

Mark P

• They’re on a heck of a run right now, though I’d hesitate to say they’re going to be this year’s surprise team or anything.  But, wins are wins, even though the Fish have taken advantage of a couple of teams (SF, Arizona) who are struggling right now
• In short, if you think Miami will suddenly be deadline buyers or anything, I’d calm down.  But if you’re a Marlins fan, seeing the team play some good ball has to be nice, especially with some of this young talent seemingly emerging

Bert

• with the large amount owed to Alcantara and his awful stats, Hoyer should be fired if he gives up anything good for him right?

Mark P

• Alcantara was starting to look like his old self before he struggled against the D’Backs the other day.  At this point there’s probably a better chance Alcantara is moved in the offseason than at the deadline, but I wouldn’t be shocked at a short-term move

Kyle

• Breslow still saying the Sox will be buyers at the deadline; just posturing or are they still looking to add pieces for this year?

Mark P

• He’s not going to throw in the towel in late June.  But, here’s yet another team that now looks like they need a big winning streak sooner than later, since the club has looked pretty lost since the Devers trade

Mike elias

• Mullins for Spencer Arrighetti who says no

Mark P

• Such a deal would be about the future for Baltimore, so the fact that Arrighetti is currently on the IL might not be a big obstacle?  But, a broken thumb on a throwing hand isn’t nothing for a pitcher, so the O’s (who are notoriously finicky about pitching health) would want a deep dive into the medicals before making such a swap

Framber Valdez

• POLL: Do I get traded by the deadline?

Mark P

• If you’re an Astros team in first place, why trade a guy having a great season and who has a long playoff track record for you?  Houston has been willing to let plenty of impending free agents just walk in the past, since the team is trying to win.

Tarik Skubal

• Wow, I am pitching pretty well right now, no? It’s pretty impressive how I still have time to check out the MLBTR chat while pitching!

Mark P

• You posted that just as the perfect game was broken up, so jinx!

Bucs

• What’s you favorite Dave Parker memory?

Mark P

• Most of Parker’s career was before my time, but I was a young Blue Jays fan when the team picked up the Cobra in September 1991.  He hit well during his brief time in Toronto and helped the Jays win the AL East, even if he was ineligible for the playoffs due to his late acquisition date.

  I think I vaguely recall my reaction being “great, Dave Parker!….who’s that?” and my dad filling me in about the Cobra’s storied history.  RIP to a great player, and it’s a shame he didn’t make it to the actual induction ceremony next month.

Brewer Fan

• My question is on Quinn Priester and also the Brewers pitching system. They have the reputation of getting the most put of pitchers but it can’t happen this quickly right? So by extension,  since his results are already pretty good,, is Priester’s ceiling higher than we thought once he has a full offseason in the system?

Mark P

• Priester isn’t far removed from being a first-rounder and a top-100 prospect, so it’s not like he’s some guy the Brewers found off the scrap heap.  The upside is certainly still there, and it should be noted that if Priester’s ceiling is “only” what it is now, that still makes for a serviceable starter over the long term

Dalton Rushing

• What sort of return could the Dodgers get for me if they strictly wanna swap me for pitching?

Mark P

• Teams will undoubtedly be calling about Rushing, and Will Smith’s long-term contract probably means LA will be open to hearing offers.  That would put the Dodgers in need of a veteran backup catcher type, but those are readily available.

  Offering Rushing would open the doors to a lot of potential arms on the market for the Dodgers, and he’s a sought-after enough commodity that I don’t think LA moves him for just a rental.

Logjam

• Mark I loved your article today about Yoshida. The obvious question is how will they work it with Anthony/Duran/Abreu/Rafaela when none of them can DH against RHP since Yoshida will be doing that?

Mark P

• The Sox can be judicious in giving people some off-days, since there’s no clearcut way to manage it.  Rafaela could conceivably be used at 2B but that’s not an idea use of an outstanding defensive center fielder

Fox Mulder

• Pepsi or Coke, Mark?

Mark P

• My power rankings go…
  • Pepsi and Coke tied
  • Diet Pepsi (which I’m drinking right this moment)
  • Coke Zero
  • (small gap)
  • Pepsi Zero
  • (Grand Canyon-sized gap)
  • Diet Coke

CardsRPathetic

• what type of return can the Cardinals expect to receive in a trade of Thomas Saggese, who is blocked by other young midfielders

Mark P

• He’s an intriguing enough trade chip that I doubt St. Louis would trade him for less than a big return, i.e. a player who is controlled beyond 2025.  My guess is that the Cards will shop Gorman first (notwithstanding now Gorman has been red hot over the last few weeks)

Michael Gillis

• If the Braves want to compete, a huge change is needed in the core. Who goes?

Mark P

• Albies had a huge 2023 season, but that was his only good year in the last four.  This season has been particularly rough, as Albies has barely been a replacement-level player.

  He is controlled for two $7MM club options beyond this season, so at that price, it’s easy to see the Braves retaining him to bet on a turn-around.  But, perhaps in a way because second base is a relatively easier position to address, I could see AA decide to trade Albies before the option deadline to get some other team deal with his struggles.

Angels Fan

• If Ethan Holliday is not picked #1 by the Nationals do you see the Angels taking him or are they looking at a college bat that can be brought up to the majors by next season?

Mark P

• That would seem to fit the Angels’ fast-tracking M.O. They could also opt for a college pitcher like Arnold or Anderson

Pop Fisher

• The Natural or The Sandlot?

Mark P

• Sandlot all day.  This might be an even hotter take than my Coke/Pepsi rankings, but I don’t think the Natural is a good movie.

Friars

• Padres, meet your new left fielder, Seth Brown, am I right?

Mark P

• He isn’t much of a defender, and his bat hasn’t done much in a few years.  I could see SD taking a flier on Brown since they’re so thin for left field options, but there would seem to be better candidates out there

Josh Bell

• Tell it to me straight… am I getting traded or DFA’d before the deadline?

Mark P

• I think he’ll be dealt, if even for a minimal return.  The legend of Josh Bell’s sudden turn-arounds will make some team interested in making Washington an offer

Reggie

• Was there ever a good explanation why the Jays didn’t sign Yarborough at the end of spring training when it was clear that their rotation is on the older side and Scherzer can’t be counted upon…ie the Jays were always clearly going to need depth starters at some point.

Mark P

• Shi Davidi explored this a couple of months ago, as apparently the Jays wanted Yarbrough to sign an advanced consent clause, thus giving the team the ability to keep up on the active roster for up to 45 days without guaranteeing his full salary.

  https://www.sportsnet.ca/mlb/article/as-blue-jays-search-for-fifth-sta…

• I absolutely agree that this was a big mistake for the Jays, as Yarbrough was just what the rotation needed as a depth arm.  The error became evident almost immediately when Scherzer got hurt in his first start.

Krall’s Self Doubt

• Does the Jeimer Candelario release show that the reds are willing to make a big move at the deadline or is it just a cap cut for open space

Mark P

• The Reds don’t save any money for the early release, as they’ll be eating the rest of Jeimer’s contract.  (Minus the minimum salary that will be covered by whatever teams signs him next.)

SF

• On the rotation, I know it was said that we have depth for days. But with the Devers trade, Harrison and Hicks were given up, along with the slow down of Birdsong and approaching career innings for Roupp, it seems to be a thin rotation. A starter at the deadline? Who though would Posey target? Hopefully not a rental, I wouldn’t think he would.

Mark P

• Black or Winn could be called up to cover innings, but agreed that a more proven SP option would be helpful.  It doesn’t need to be an ace or a “will start a playoff game” type — just a veteran who can eat some innings and provide some stability for the kids.

Eriepopcorn

• Is it safe to say after getting swept by the cards. The guards have gone from Maybe adding to 100% selling now

Mark P

• Guardians are still only two back of the last wild card slot, so it’s too soon to wave the white flag yet

Buster Posey

• Did I make to big of a move to fast considering where the roster is?

Mark P

• Picking up Devers is a long-term move beyond just what the Giants hope to accomplish in 2025.  I think Posey makes that deal 10 times out of 10, even if the Giants had been struggling

Adell

• Why is my turnaround not getting more attention?  And have the Adell trade Qs finally gone away?

Mark P

• It feels like the Angels are collectively flying under fans’ radars, though to be fair, I can understand the “I’ll believe it when I see it” sentiment given LAA’s recent history.

  Adell could be World Series MVP en route to leading the Halos to a title, and I’d still get “is this the right time to sell high on Jo for pitching?” questions

Billington

• Is Buxton finally the Buxton we all thought he was gonna be??!!

Mark P

• I think everyone is holding their breath and hoping that Buxton can finally stay healthy, but All-Star level performance was always his ceiling if he could stay on the field.

Starryl Drawberry

• Are there any expensive and underperforming pitchers out there that the Mets could cash in Starling Marte for? Marte doesn’t seem to have a place on the Mets, and they desperately need pitching right now.

Mark P

• As amusing as a Starling-for-Severino might be, I’m not sure Marte carries a lot of trade value.

Jorge

• The White Sox seem to have done well with two rule 5 pitchers, are they exploiting a new market inefficiency?

Mark P

• The Rule 5 has been around for a century in one form or another, so it’s not exactly a “new” inefficiency.  But if you’re a rebuilding team that is willing to give a young player plenty of time, why not take a flier or two on any interesting available prospects?

Blue

• With Sheehan seems to be ready in MLB, why did Dodgers send him back to minors? I am still confused.

Mark P

• I’m knocking on the biggest piece of wood I can find, but right now, the Dodgers’ rotation is….

  /looks upwards for any falling pianos
  /looks both ways before crossing a busy street

  ….reasonably healthy right now?  Wrobleski has been pitching well and has earned the right to keep getting some starts.  Sheehan will definitely get more looks as the season goes on, and as the staff undoubtedly is altered again by returns and other injuries

Frankensteve

• The Mariners haven’t traded elite prospects for rentals in the Dipoto era. With such a tight, if not mediocre, American League, could this be the year they make splashes and actually make a legitimate effort to get to the World Series (as difficult as that may be with the lack of available talent and number of hopeful teams looking for upgrades).

Mark P

• Moving Harry Ford seems like the most feasible “splash” move of an elite prospect possible, given that the M’s have already made the big commitment to Cal Raleigh.  I suggested last week that the Mariners could do worse than simply calling Ford up to help out with their DH needs, but dealing him for a more prominent proven bat is also plausible

H.Kim Dodgers

• Is hitting .400 not enough to be an everyday starter these days? The phones are gonna be ringing off the hook for me at the deadline. Hope I can get on a team where I’m an everyday player.

Mark P

• I don’t think Kim is at all regretting joining such a stacked team, and his time will come.  Now that Edman is getting back into OF duty, that could get get Pages into LF in Conforto’s place, and open up 2B for Kim more often.

Mayor

• Would you consider Alex Cobb a bust for the Tigers? If so to they trade at the deadline for another starter?

Mark P

• It’s June 29 and he hasn’t thrown in the majors yet, so yeah, unfortunately Cobb’s deal is looking like a big whiff at the moment.  The fact that he’s still dealing with hip inflammation isn’t great.

  Detroit’s rotation is still awfully strong even without Cobb, and Olson will be back within the week.  The Tigers probably will explore other needs before focusing too much on the rotation

John

• Hall of Fame question. Should Cooperstown change their policy and allow someone to be inducted both as a player and a manager? In basketball that is allowed ( Jerry West for example as a player and executive) . Joe Torre is in as a manager but he also had a 57.8 WAR as a player- more than Dave Parker for instance. Not saying Torre should be a HOF but he should be considered

Mark P

• I’m not sure you necessarily need two inductions for the same person, even if an individual has excelled both on and off the field.

  I am in favor of something like a “cumulative” vote, for a candidate who might not be quite over the line as just a player or just as a manager/executive, but the sum total of their career makes them worthy.  This was the argument for Gil Hodges for a while before the Era Committee just put him in as a player

Aaron Judge

• I can’t carry the team the whole year and now that I’m struggling we don’t look so good

Mark P

• The Yankees did score 12 runs today, but I see your point.  Judge having (again) one of the literal best seasons in the history of baseball has elevated this lineup to an incredible extent, and he had to (relatively) cool off at some point

Al Kaline Battery

• Riley Greene -does the world realize how good I am?

Mark P

• Looks like Greene will be getting some spotlight time come October, the way the Tigers are playing.  He still needs to cut back on the strikeouts, but everything else is aces

Michael Harris Sr

• When will the Braves send my son down to AAA to regain confidence and figure out the strike zone?

Mark P

• Harris wasn’t in the lineup for Atlanta’s last two games, which is in part a function of the Phillies’ left-handed starters, but Snitker said it was intended as a mental break.  Monday is also an off-day for the Braves, so the team is hoping Harris can reset himself after this mini-rest period.

Etc.

• Arizona won’t trade Eugenio Suarez unless they drop out of the race and he isn’t worth much more than salary relief, correct?

Mark P

• Salary relief?  Suarez would arguably be the best hitter available at the deadline if the D’Backs decided to sell.  Even as a rental, Arizona would get a nice return for him.

Noah Schultz to Cubs

• Matt Shaw, James Triantos, and a prospect for Noah Schultz and a pitcher?  Who says no?

Mark P

• The Cubs, since if they’re moving all that young talent, it will only be for premium established help

Bregman

• I think he will opt out from the 40m next year from Redsox. What contender might look at him for 3/100?? Tigers again??

Mark P

• Bregman isn’t opting out for another short-term, high-AAV contract.  He’ll be looking to cash in big, much closer to the $200MM that was at least his initial asking price last winter

Guest

• Bednar and Keller are we playing for Pittsburgh or Chicago in 2 weeks?

Mark P

• Pittsburgh. just because I think the Bucs wait until closer to the deadline before making any significant sells.

Dodgers POBO

• We want Framber and won’t take NO for answer!  Could Rushing do it straight up? If he helps us win another WS it would be worth it.

Mark P

• But to my earlier point, why would the Astros do this?  They’d be moving a SP who would be their #1 or #2 starter in a playoff series, thus putting Houston on the lookout for finding more pitching.

  While Valdez could leave for nothing in free agency after the year, “if he helps [Houston] win another WS, it would be worth it.”

Etc.

• Teams can sort of trade draft picks, right? Like SF just did for Devers. They just have to pick the guy and then wait how long? before he’s tradeable.

Mark P

• I believe teams cannot trade a player until at least six months after the draft.
• Time to wrap things up for the evening.  Thanks for all the questions in another spirited chat, and we’ll be back with more next weekend!
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