With the first major trade of July finally in place, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day:
1. Who’s next to go on the Diamondbacks?
The Diamondbacks had been on the fence between buying or selling for weeks, but they’ve finally planted their stake in the ground by being the first team to sell off a rental player this summer when they shipped first baseman Josh Naylor to the Mariners last night in exchange for pitching prospects Brandyn Garcia and Ashton Izzi. With Naylor out the door, the biggest question for fans in Arizona is who will follow him? Eugenio Suarez is looked at by many as the prize of this deadline when it comes to rentals amid a season where he’s already clubbed 36 homers, but Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen are intriguing rental starters as well. Arizona has even reportedly received some interest on outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and the final year-and-a-half of his three-year pact with the club from the 2023-24 offseason.
2. Could O’Hearn be on the way out of Baltimore?
Naylor isn’t the only slugging, lefty-swinging first baseman on the market. That description also applies to Ryan O’Hearn of the Orioles, a fellow rental bat in the midst of an even stronger season than Naylor. The 31-year-old O’Hearn is having a career year in 2025, with a .281/.375/.452 slash line and 12 home runs in 89 games despite having topped out at 15 across an entire season previously. A team in need of offensive firepower like the Reds, Rangers, Padres, or Brewers could make plenty of sense for O’Hearn, although the Reds and Rangers appear to be on the buy-sell bubble at this point. San Diego is also apparently considering a buy-and-sell strategy for the deadline. Like Naylor, O’Hearn’s limited defensive versatility could make him a tough fit for teams like the Yankees, Dodgers, Cubs, and Mets who are more surefire buyers but generally have talent locked in at first base, at designated hitter and in the outfield corners.
3. Who will the Cardinals trade?
The Cardinals didn’t work out a trade yesterday, but they’ve still made waves in recent days. After president of baseball operations John Mozeliak acknowledged that he was meeting with Nolan Arenado to discuss the third baseman’s no-trade clause earlier this week, St. Louis designated potential trade chip Erick Fedde for assignment in a move that signals they don’t intend to keep the righty regardless of if they find a suitor for his services or not. Most recently, longtime closer Ryan Helsley publicly acknowledged that he feels he has about a “90 percent chance” to be pitching elsewhere on August 1. Helsley is likely St. Louis’s top trade chip, especially given the struggles Fedde has faced this year. Most veterans on the roster like Arenado, Miles Mikolas, Sonny Gray, and Willson Contreras have no-trade clauses they’ve not indicated an interest in waiving to this point, so a sell-off in St. Louis could be focused on players like Helsley, veteran righty Phil Maton, and lefty Steven Matz.
“ Naylor isn’t the only left-handed slugger who primarily plays first base with some occasional cameos in the outfield available this summer.”
When did Naylor play OF this year? He played 1 game in 2023, and 5 in 2024. Why am I always finding errors in writing and I’m not the journalist… Research isn’t that hard.
He isn’t playing the outfield any longer but he has played some games out there in the past. So this may be a bit overstated but it’s not totally wrong.
Nobody was trading for Naylor to play the outfield.
It sounds like you just said hes had some cameos in the outfield, which was stated, and and which he has. Not commenting while correcting a post that doesnt require correction isn’t that hard.
Just another reason to subscribe 🤷♂️
Just another excuse not to.
It is a bit annoying that they are putting more and more content behind the paywall. Eventually, I will simply stop looking at this site, as I did with ESPN a long time ago.
bigun,
They’re adding content that’s behind the paywall, moving very little free content there.
It’s hilarious you think that they care at all. In order for most successful websites to function they need to bring in money. It’s not like they’re doing something unheard of in the industry.
Tough crowd
*Miserable crowd
Let go of the anger, RyanD. Life is too short to get bent out of shape about small things such as this.
The site is called MLB Trade Rumors.
@ ryan
Nit-picking. Don’t be so easily riled.
Helsley is getting traded at this point, especially after his comments. I will say the Dodgers give the Cardinals a nice package for him. I still the Mariners are the frontrunner for Suarez.
Is it the Cardinals thinking what a nice package or is it the Dodgers thinking what they’re ideal of a nice package would be?
It would be the Cardinals thinking they received a nice package. Sorry, should’ve been more clear.
Mo will trade him for three players to be dfa’d by the end of the season.
Whatever they get for Helsley, Matz, and Maton is better than watching them walk away with nothing to show for it. Helsley will certainly bring back the best return. Matz and Maton have pitched well enough to bring back something. I don’t expect any other players to be traded at the deadline unless someone is willing to overpay for a player.
I’m thinking now that the D’Backs may have a backup plan for Suarez, how much Suarez is liked by the clubhouse, fanbase, and organization and how much he likes playing for AZ and the city, I could really see the D”backs saying well if we can’t get what we think is at least fair value, let’s hold on to him and try re-signing him in the off season. I don’t believe they are just going to take anything for him just to make a deal.
He’s worth a qualifying offer which either keeps him for a year or brings back a draft pick. Someone will have to make a good offer to get him.
They could trade him for anything, and still try to re-sign him in the off season.
I’d only do that if the return is better than the compensatory draft pick.
The Mets could dump Winker for a box of band aids, then trade Vientos for pitching. I see a perfect fit for Ohearn.
“Like Naylor, O’Hearn’s limited defensive versatility could make him a tough fit for teams” – Uh the man plays 1B, Corner OF and DH, TF else you want a left handed player to do?
Hopefully cards trade nobody. I hear Bloom takes over 08/01.
Those no trade clauses are great for the players, but really handcuff franchises.
Being a D’Backs fan,I had no problem in trading Naylor, and what they received back, they are prospects. Naylor has let the team down defensively, a lot of first pitch swinging, not really a sound fundamental player. Don’t get me wrong I like him as a player, but I have seen better all-around first baseman that I would rate Naylor. I say in the MLB Naylor would sit for me around the middle about 13 to 17 in all-around first baseman.
desertdawg
Agree, I think we were all spoiled by Christian Walker’s Platinum Standard defense and heady game!
You were spoiled at first base since 2011.
And … the bashing of a departed player who “wasn’t that good for us after all despite how we loved him mistakenly when he was with our team” has begun.
But you have a long ways to go to match the Boston fans.
I think Naylor was the first leg of the trade with Seattle. Suarez could be heading to Seattle too and that leg will be stacked with prospects. The Naylor return seems off a little and the stack that is returned for Suarez would even it out some.
Yohel Pozo Is having a good year. The Cardinals should flip him too since he’s a free agent at the end of the year. St. Louis is stocked with catchers and DH types.
The problem with trading Pozo is the guy who would trade him. Mozeliak’s track record indicates he would likely trade Pozo for Bozo.
Pozo is Siani from last season. Pozo has 3 options and both have multiple years of control. Whether Pozo should be starting instead of Pages should be up for debate.
Pozo signed a one year contract as a free agent. He’s a free agent at the end of the year.