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The Opener: Alonso, Keaschall, Soroka

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Here are three things for MLBTR readers to keep an eye on throughout the day today:

1. Alonso chasing down Strawberry:

Mets slugger Pete Alonso bashed the 251st home run of his career in a game against the Guardians yesterday, and his next home run will tie him with former Mets, Dodgers, and Yankees star Darryl Strawberry for the most home runs in Mets history. Strawberry hit 252 homers across 1109 games for the Mets in his career, while Alonso is at just 959 games; Strawberry has one additional season with the club and Alonso is further limited by the 60-game shortened season in 2020. Fans in Queens are surely hoping that Alonso’s latest homer will help their first baseman turn things back around, as he’s been hitting a paltry .188/.280/.426 since the start of July. Alonso will try to tie Strawberry’s record today against Guardians left-hander Logan Allen, who has a 4.06 ERA in 108 2/3 innings of work this year.

2. Keaschall to return from IL:

Multiple reports (including that from Dan Hayes of The Athletic) have indicated that the Twins are poised to activate top prospect Luke Keaschall from the injured list today. The 22-year-old’s return to action has been much anticipated, as he jumped out to a hot start when he went 7-for-19 with three doubles and five walks against just two strikeouts in his first seven games as a big leaguer earlier this year. Keaschall’s heroics were cut short, however, when he suffered a fractured forearm back in April. He’s been sidelined ever since, but now appears to finally be ready to return to the majors. The well-regarded youngster is very versatile, capable of handling first, second, and third base as well as center field. He mostly played second for the Twins earlier this year, however, and could push Edouard Julien out of the lineup for the Twins.

3. Soroka to the IL:

The Cubs are expected to place right-hander Michael Soroka on the 15-day injured list later today after he exited his start against the Reds last night after just two innings of work due to shoulder discomfort. It’s unclear exactly how long the 28-year-old will be on the shelf, but it’s a tough blow to a Cubs team that dealt two prospects to the Nationals for Soroka’s services ahead of the trade deadline in order to fortify a beleaguered rotation. It’s possible right-hander Ben Brown steps back into the rotation with Soroka unavailable, though southpaw Jordan Wicks is another option while right-hander Javier Assad is on a rehab assignment at Triple-A as he works towards his season debut. Regardless of who will eventually take what would have been Soroka’s next start, the Cubs will need to add another pitcher to their bullpen mix today to replace Soroka on the roster.

Write For MLB Trade Rumors

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We’re looking to add to the MLBTR writing team, in a part-time position that pays hourly.  The criteria:

  • Availability to take a regular eight-hour Saturday shift running from 3-11pm central time.  Strong availability on other days of the week would be a bonus.
  • Exceptional knowledge of all 30 baseball teams, no discernible bias. Knowledge of hot stove concepts like arbitration, the competitive balance tax, and other aspects of the collective bargaining agreement.
  • A high school degree is required, and further education is preferred. Please include your highest completed level of education in your application.
  • Writing experience is necessary, and online writing experience is preferred.
  • Attention to detail and ability to follow the MLBTR style and tone.
  • Ability to craft intelligent, well-written posts analyzing and contextualizing MLB hot stove news quickly and concisely.
  • Ability to use X, X Pro, and WordPress.  Experience with these is strongly preferred.
  • Ability to incorporate feedback to improve performance.
  • If you’re interested, email mlbtrhelp@gmail.com and explain how you stand out and qualify in a couple of short paragraphs.  Please attach your resume to the email.  We often receive several hundred applications, so unfortunately we will not be able to reply to each one.

At the end of your application, please fill in the blank:  After the ____ season ends, assuming he does not sign a contract extension or go to the minors, Angels shortstop Zach Neto will become a free agent.  Rather than give an explanation, simply write, “Neto question: [Year]” at the end.

Twins Have Expressed Interest In Ryan Pressly

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The Cubs released veteran reliever Ryan Pressly over the weekend. Chicago had designated the two-time All-Star for assignment on deadline day after acquiring Taylor Rogers. The 36-year-old is now free to explore other opportunities, which could include a return to either of his previous teams.

Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports that the Twins have reached out to Pressly’s camp to express interest. Meanwhile, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale wrote on Sunday that the Astros were thinking about trying to re-sign the righty. It’s unclear if the Astros have spoken with Pressly or were simply weighing the idea internally. In either case, there’s no guarantee the 13-year big leaguer continues pitching. Hayes writes that Pressly is considering his options, including retirement.

The decision wouldn’t be about money, at least not for the remainder of this season. Pressly is guaranteed his $14MM salary whether or not he signs elsewhere. The Astros are covering $5.5MM as part of the offseason trade that sent him to Chicago. The Cubs are on the hook for the other $8.5MM. If Pressly were to sign, his new team would pay the prorated portion of the $760K league minimum for his time in the majors — which would come off the Cubs’ books. There could be a long-term financial consideration in the sense that playing the final two months could elevate his stock before a return trip to free agency in the offseason. That’d only be relevant if he continues his career in 2026.

Before this season, Pressly had divided his MLB career between Minnesota and Houston. He pitched with the Twins between 2013-18, moving to Houston at the ’18 deadline. Pressly had been a productive reliever in the Twin Cities, but his career really took off with the Astros. He made both All-Star appearances and got his first closing opportunity in Houston. He made the postseason all seven years with the Astros, winning a ring in 2022. Pressly recorded 14 saves with a 2.78 ERA in 47 career playoff appearances.

If he were to return to one of his former clubs, one would imagine the Astros are the more desirable landing spot. They’re three games up in the AL West race and have a good shot to make the playoffs. Minnesota is eight games below .500 and decimated the bullpen at the deadline. They’re playing out the string and looking for relievers who can backfill the innings they traded away. Pressly is also a Texas native whose wife is from the Houston area — which was a consideration for the reliever in deciding whether to waive his no-trade clause to leave the Astros in the first place.

That said, a return to the Astros would presumably require pitching in lower-leverage spots. Pressly reportedly wasn’t thrilled with the Astros bumping him from the ninth inning to sign Josh Hader during the 2023-24 offseason. He didn’t force his way out of Houston — that was a team decision motivated by a desire to cut payroll — but GM Dana Brown acknowledged in January that the relationship between him and Pressly changed after the Hader signing. The Twins, who now have a bullpen comprising almost entirely journeymen and depth pickups, could promise him late-inning work. It’s also possible Pressly has fielded calls from other teams that haven’t been reported.

Pressly’s stint with the Cubs was a disappointment. He turned in a 4.35 ERA with a career-low 15% strikeout rate. He lost his hold on the closer role by the middle of April. Pressly remained an effective reliever as recently as last year, pitching to a 3.49 ERA over 56 2/3 frames with Houston.

Cubs Release Chris Flexen

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The Cubs released righty Chris Flexen, as first reflected on the MLB.com transaction log. Chicago had designated him for assignment last week. MLBTR has learned that Flexen declined an outright assignment, leading to the release. As a player with five-plus years of service time, Flexen will collect the remaining portion of his $1.5MM salary.

Flexen signed an offseason minor league deal and was called up at the end of April. That initially worked brilliantly. The 31-year-old fired 28 innings of 0.65 ERA ball over his first two months. Flexen’s 13.5% strikeout rate and pre-2025 track record suggested he was in line for significant regression. That arrived in July, when opponents blasted six home runs and tagged him for 15 runs (13 earned) through 15 2/3 innings. He allowed multiple runs in each of his final four appearances.

The Cubs pulled the plug last week. Flexen concluded his organizational tenure with a 3.06 earned run average over 43 2/3 innings. Estimators like SIERA, FIP and xERA all felt his true level was closer to allowing five earned runs per nine — essentially a match for the 4.95 ERA he posted over 160 innings for the White Sox a year ago.

Flexen has the ability to log multiple innings out of the bullpen or build back out as rotation depth. That’ll at least get him interest on a minor league contract, and it’s not out of the question that he finds a big league deal. A signing team would only pay him the prorated portion of the $760K league minimum for the final couple months. That’d be subtracted from the Cubs’ commitments.

Dodgers Place Tommy Edman On Injured List

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The Dodgers placed Tommy Edman on the 10-day injured list with a right ankle sprain. As expected, Max Muncy was reinstated from his own IL stint in the corresponding move.

Edman missed a couple weeks in May with ankle inflammation. He aggravated the injury while rounding first base on a single during yesterday’s win over Tampa Bay. Edman was immediately lifted for a pinch-runner, and manager Dave Roberts said postgame that it’d require an injured list stint. The switch-hitting Edman had a monster April, hitting eight home runs in the season’s first month. He hasn’t hit much since then, batting .214/.273/.323 in 210 plate appearances going back to May 1.

The Dodgers will lose one of their most valuable defensive players. Edman plays above-average to plus defense virtually everywhere on the diamond. He has played mostly second base but also taken a decent amount of innings in center field and at third base. The Dodgers also recently lost Hyeseong Kim to an IL stint. That presumably leaves second base to rookie infielder Alex Freeland, though it’s veteran utilityman Miguel Rojas who gets the nod there tonight after Freeland started four consecutive games at the hot corner.

Muncy will step back into an everyday role at third base. He’s back a month after suffering a bone bruise in his left knee. That’s a remarkably quick turnaround. Not only did the injury initially look gruesome, Muncy announced a six-week timetable even after imaging revealed he’d avoided ligament damage. Muncy was on a tear before the injury. After hitting .194 over the season’s first month, he raked at a .282/.410/.546 clip with 12 home runs from the start of May until the injury. He’s hitting fifth tonight against the Cardinals, who are turning to Sonny Gray in the series opener.

2026-27 MLB Free Agents

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The following players project to become free agents after the 2026 season.  The player’s 2027 age is in parentheses.  For MLBTR’s list of players who project to become free agents after the current season, click here.

Updated 8-4-25

Catchers

Travis d’Arnaud (38)
Jonah Heim (32)
Kyle Higashioka (37)
Ryan Jeffers (30)
Carson Kelly (32) – $7.5MM mutual option with a $1.5MM buyout
Reese McGuire (32)
Jake Rogers (32)
Tyler Stephenson (30)
Luis Torrens (31)

First Basemen

Jake Bauers (31)
Alec Bohm (30)
Nathaniel Lowe (31)
Ryan Mountcastle (30)

Second Basemen

Jazz Chisholm Jr. (29)
Mauricio Dubon (32)
Thairo Estrada (31)
Luis Garcia Jr. (27)
Nico Hoerner (30)
Jonathan India (30)
Gavin Lux (29)
Nick Madrigal (30)

Shortstops

J.P. Crawford (32)
Mauricio Dubon (32)
Ha-Seong Kim (31) – unless he opts out after 2025

Third Basemen

Alec Bohm (30)
Jazz Chisholm Jr. (29)
Mauricio Dubon (32)
Santiago Espinal (32)
Jonathan India (30)
Anthony Rendon (37)
Josh Rojas (33)
Edmundo Sosa (31)
Ramon Urias (33)

Left Fielders

Randy Arozarena (32)
Jake Bauers (31)
Dylan Carlson (28)
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (33) – $14MM club option with a $5MM buyout (unless Gurriel opts out after 2025)
Sam Haggerty (33)
Ian Happ (32)
Jonathan India (30)
Gavin Lux (29)
Chas McCormick (32)
Taylor Ward (33)

Center Fielders

Jeff McNeil (35) – $15.75MM club option with a $2MM buyout
Victor Robles (30) – $9MM club option with a $500K buyout
Myles Straw (32) – $8MM club option with a $1.75MM buyout
Tyrone Taylor (33)
Daulton Varsho (30)

Right Fielders

Ronald Acuña Jr. (29) – $17MM club option with a $10MM buyout
Nick Castellanos (35)
Jake Fraley (32)
Adolis Garcia (34)
Jorge Soler (35)
George Springer (37)
Seiya Suzuki (32)
Mike Tauchman (36)

Designated Hitters

Joc Pederson (35)
Jorge Soler (35)
George Springer (37)
Seiya Suzuki (32)

Starting Pitchers

Sandy Alcantara (31) – $21MM club option with a $2MM buyout
Jose Berrios (33) – can opt out of remaining two years, $48MM
Matthew Boyd (36) – $15MM mutual option with a $2MM buyout
Kris Bubic (29)
Corbin Burnes (32) – can opt out of remaining four years and $140MM
Jack Flaherty (31) – unless he opts out after 2025
Kyle Freeland (34) – $17MM player option for 2027 with 170 innings pitched in 2026
Luis Garcia (30)
Kevin Gausman (36)
Tony Gonsolin (33)
Sonny Gray (37) – $30MM club option with a $5MM buyout
Shota Imanaga (33) – various scenarios with club and player options
Jesus Luzardo (29)
Lance McCullers Jr. (33)
Casey Mize (30)
Frankie Montas (34)
David Peterson (31)
Nick Pivetta (34) – $14MM player option barring injury
Drew Rasmussen (31) – $8MM club option with a $500K buyout
Trevor Rogers (29)
Patrick Sandoval (29)
Antonio Senzatela (32) – $14MM club option
Luis Severino (33) – $22MM player option
Brady Singer (30)
Tarik Skubal (30)
Jeffrey Springs (34) – $15MM club option with a $750K buyout
Jameson Taillon (35)
Taijuan Walker (34)
Trevor Williams (35)
Kyle Wright (31)

Right-Handed Relievers

Bryan Abreu (30)
Jason Adam (35)
Jorge Alcala (31)
Dan Altavilla (34)
Adbert Alzolay (31)
David Bednar (32)
Taylor Clarke (34)
Emmanuel Clase (29) – $10MM club option with a $2MM buyout
Enyel De Los Santos (31)
Carlos Estevez (34) – $13MM club option with a $2MM buyout
Yimi Garcia (36)
Kevin Ginkel (33)
Brusdar Graterol (28)
Joe Jimenez (31)
Mark Leiter Jr. (36)
Evan Phillips (32)
Dennis Santana (31)
Josh Sborz (32)
John Schreiber (33)
Trevor Stephan (31) – $7.25MM club option with a $1.25MM buyout
Robert Stephenson (34) – $2.5MM club option
Ryan Thompson (35)
Trent Thornton (33)
Justin Topa (36)
Blake Treinen (39)
Jacob Webb (33)
Garrett Whitlock (31) – $8.25MM club option with a $1MM buyout

Left-Handed Relievers

Keegan Akin (32)
Kolby Allard (29)
Aaron Bummer (33)
Brock Burke (30)
Yuki Matsui (31) – can opt out of remaining two years, $13.5MM if he has not had Tommy John surgery or an elbow injury causing him to spend 130 consecutive days on the injured list in 2024-25
Adrian Morejon (28)
Steven Okert (35)
A.J. Puk (32)
JoJo Romero (30)
Alex Vesia (31)

The following players will be added to this list if their 2026 option vests or is picked up.  We will also be adding any player who signs a one-year deal in the 2025-26 offseason.

  • Ozzie Albies (30) – also has club option for 2027
  • Pete Alonso (32)
  • Jose Alvarado (32)
  • Scott Barlow (34)
  • Cody Bellinger (31)
  • Shane Bieber (32)
  • Yandy Diaz (35)
  • Pete Fairbanks (33)
  • Lucas Giolito (32)
  • Kendall Graveman (36)
  • Kyle Hart (34)
  • Tim Hill (37)
  • Pierce Johnson (36)
  • Tyler Kinley (36)
  • Andrew Kittredge (37)
  • Ramon Laureano (32)
  • Jonathan Loaisiga (32)
  • Brandon Lowe (32)
  • Jorge Mateo (32)
  • John Means (34)
  • A.J. Minter (33)
  • Max Muncy (36)
  • Andres Muñoz (28) – also has club options for 2027 and ’28
  • Kevin Newman (33)
  • Freddy Peralta (31)
  • Wandy Peralta (35) – also has player option for 2027
  • Salvador Perez (37)
  • Brooks Raley (39)
  • Colin Rea (36)
  • Luis Robert Jr. (29) – also has club option for 2027
  • Chris Sale (38)
  • Drew Smith (33)
  • Matt Strahm (35)
  • Robert Suarez (36) – $8M player options for 2026 and ’27 exercised or declined simultaneously after ’25
  • Brent Suter (37)
  • Jose Urquidy (32)
  • Tyler Wade (32)

Cardinals Claim Anthony Veneziano From Marlins

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The Cardinals claimed reliever Anthony Veneziano off waivers from the Marlins, as first reflected on the MLB.com transaction tracker. He’s been optioned to Triple-A Memphis. Miami had designated him for assignment last week when they promoted outfielder Jakob Marsee.

Veneziano is a 6’5″ lefty who has made 38 MLB appearances over the past three years. He has a combined 3.93 earned run average through 36 2/3 innings, striking out 20.6% of opponents against an 8.8% walk rate. He leans mostly on a mid-80s slider while averaging around 94 MPH on his fastball. Veneziano has managed serviceable big league production, but he has given up eight runs with an underwhelming 12:9 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 12 Triple-A appearances this year.

St. Louis traded Ryan Helsley, Steven Matz and Phil Maton at the deadline. They lost John King to an oblique strain last week. JoJo Romero is the only southpaw in Oli Marmol’s bullpen. He is now the team’s best reliever and probably going to get a decent amount of work in the ninth inning. Romero picked up the save, his first of the season, on Saturday in the team’s only win since the Helsley trade. Veneziano won’t jump right into the big league bullpen, but he’s the only other healthy lefty reliever on the 40-man roster.

Dodgers Claim Luken Baker, Designate Jack Little

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The Dodgers announced they’ve claimed first baseman Luken Baker off waivers from the Cardinals. According to the MLB.com transaction log, he’s been optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Los Angeles designated reliever Jack Little for assignment to clear a 40-man roster spot. St. Louis had not previously announced that Baker was dropped from the 40-man roster but evidently tried to run him through waivers.

It’s a bit surprising that the Cards went that route. They had four open spots on the 40-man roster, so it’s not as if they were pressed for space. (Their count remains at 36 after they claimed lefty reliever Anthony Veneziano from Miami.) They nevertheless decided to move on from Baker, a 28-year-old first baseman who is in his fifth Triple-A season.

A former second-round pick out of TCU, Baker ranked toward the back of the Cards’ top 30 prospects for a few seasons on the strength of his raw power. He has connected on 136 home runs in his minor league career, 96 of which have come at the Triple-A level. Baker owns a .249/.344/.507 batting line in more than 1600 Triple-A plate appearances. He’s down to a meager .196/.309/.397 slash in 65 games this year, so the Cards determined he wasn’t getting another MLB opportunity. Baker has had sporadic big league appearances, hitting .206 with four homers in just under 200 plate appearances between 2023-25.

Before this claim, the Dodgers did not have a single healthy position player who was on optional assignment. Baker at least provides a healthy bat whom they can call upon if necessary without making a future 40-man roster transaction. He’s in his last minor league option year.

Little, 27, is a 6’4″ righty who made his big league debut last month. He has had two very brief stints on the MLB roster, combining to toss three innings of two-run ball. The Stanford product owns a 4.64 ERA with slightly worse than average strikeout (21.1%) and walk (10.3%) rates across 36 appearances with OKC. Little had gotten out to a strong start to the Triple-A campaign, but he has surrendered 17 earned runs in 19 innings dating back to the beginning of June. The Dodgers will put him on waivers this week.

Twins Claim Thomas Hatch

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The Twins claimed righty Thomas Hatch off waivers from the Royals, reports Dan Hayes of The Athletic. Kansas City had designated him for assignment over the weekend. The Twins subsequently announced the claim and added that the corresponding active roster move will be announced when Hatch reports to the team tomorrow. Minnesota had two vacancies on the 40-man roster after last week’s sell-off.

Hatch will be hoping for a longer run in the Twin Cities than he received in Kansas City. He only made one big league appearance with the Royals, giving up two runs in one inning. He’s out of minor league options, so the Royals quickly designated him for assignment after they selected his contract earlier in the week. It was the second time this season that K.C. had designated him almost immediately after a call-up. He went unclaimed on waivers in June, but the Twins placed a claim this time around as they look for fresh arms to fill out a bullpen that they tore down at the deadline.

The 30-year-old Hatch should be able to provide length out of Rocco Baldelli’s bullpen. He has worked as a starter with Kansas City’s Triple-A affiliate for the entire season. Hatch has managed decent results, working to a 4.22 earned run average across 91 2/3 innings. His 20.1% strikeout rate is a little below average, but he’s getting grounders at a 53% clip while showing solid control. Hatch has a five-pitch mix and sits around 93 MPH with both his sinker and four-seam fastball while working as a starter. He was able to push that into the 94-95 range in his lone MLB appearance in short relief.

Hatch has now pitched in parts of five big league seasons, combining for a 5.14 ERA across 70 innings. He had a brief stint in Japan last year and would have pitched this season with the Doosan Bears in Korea had the team not flagged something in his physical. The Twins will need to keep him on the MLB roster or designate him for assignment themselves.

Yankees Sign Kenta Maeda To Minor League Deal

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5:20pm: New York has made it official, signing the Boras Corporation client to a minor league contract. Maeda has been assigned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

1:35pm: The Yankees are discussing a possible deal with right-hander Kenta Maeda, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post. Maeda had been with the Cubs on a minor league deal but was released on the weekend, according to his MLB.com transactions tracker.

Presumably, the Yankees would be looking to sign Maeda on a minor league deal as well. The 37-year-old has had plenty of good years but hasn’t been in good form lately. He signed a two-year, $24MM deal with the Tigers going into 2024 but that deal hasn’t worked out. He struggled enough last year to get moved to the bullpen, finishing the year with a 6.09 earned run average in 112 1/3 innings.

Here in 2025, Maeda hasn’t been able to bounce back. He started the year back in the Detroit bullpen but was designated for assignment after he allowed seven earned runs in eight innings. He cleared waivers, elected free agency and signed the aforementioned minor league deal with the Cubs. He has since been pitching out of the rotation in Triple-A Iowa. He tossed 57 1/3 innings over 12 starts with a 5.97 ERA. His 45.7% ground ball rate in that time was decent but his 18.1% strikeout rate and 10% walk rate were both subpar.

For what it’s worth, Maeda has been improving. He allowed four earned runs in two innings in his first start for Iowa. In his second, it was five earned runs in 3 2/3. Then he allowed nine earned runs in just one inning in the third start. At that point, he had a laughable 24.30 ERA through three Triple-A appearances. The Cubs stuck with him and he has since tossed 50 2/3 innings over his nine most recent starts with a 3.55 ERA, 20% strikeout rate and 8.8% walk rate. Over his past five starts, he has a 4.13 ERA and 25.4% strikeout rate. In his last three outings, he has a 3.18 ERA in 17 innings with a 27.5% strikeout rate and 5.8% walk rate.

That’s a lot of cherry picking to make Maeda look good in small samples, but it perhaps suggests bit of positive momentum now that he’s been back in a regular starting role for the first time in about a year.

It’s risky to bet on such small samples but there’s not much downside for the Yanks in taking a flier. Since the Tigers released him, they’re still on the hook for the majority of what remains of his salary. That means the Yanks would only owe him a prorated version of the league minimum for any time Maeda eventually spends on their roster.

The Yankees are without starters Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt for the rest of the year, both of them having undergone Tommy John surgery. Ryan Yarbrough filled in for a while but he himself has been shelved by an oblique strain. The club was connected to starting pitchers ahead of the deadline but didn’t end up pulling the trigger.

They currently have Max Fried and Carlos Rodón atop their rotation. Luis Gil had spent the entire season on the injured list due to a lat strain until a few days ago. He finally made his season debut yesterday but issued four walks in 3 1/3 innings while allowing five earned runs. Will Warren and Cam Schlittler are also in the rotation but each has an ERA around 4.60. Marcus Stroman was just released to open a roster spot.

Veteran Carlos Carrasco had been in the system as non-roster depth but he was recently flipped to Atlanta for a player to be named later or cash. Prospect Chase Hampton required Tommy John surgery earlier this year. If Maeda is brought aboard on a minor league deal, he could try to position himself as the next man up for a spot start or as an injury replacement.

Photo courtesy of Junfu Han, Imagn Images

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