Headlines

  • Nationals Fire PBO Mike Rizzo, Manager Dave Martinez
  • Brewers Activate Brandon Woodruff
  • Clarke Schmidt Expected To Undergo Tommy John Surgery
  • Bobby Jenks Passes Away
  • Braves Release Alex Verdugo
  • Top 40 Trade Candidates For The 2025 Deadline
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

Remove Ads
  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Oakland Athletics
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2025 Trade Deadline Outlook Series
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Agency Database
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Tigers To Select Jahmai Jones

By Darragh McDonald | June 6, 2025 at 2:05pm CDT

The Tigers are going to select the contract of infielder/outfielder Jahmai Jones, reports Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. Infielder Andy Ibáñez has been optioned to Triple-A Toledo as the corresponding active roster move. Petzold suggests that outfielder Akil Baddoo could be designated for assignment to open a 40-man spot, though it’s unclear if that’s pure speculation or not.

Jones, 27, signed a minor league deal with the Tigers in the offseason. He has since been playing for Triple-A Toledo and putting up good numbers, with a .276/.392/.482 line and 139 wRC+. That’s at least partially inflated by a .345 batting average on balls in play but Jones also has six home runs and is drawing walks at a strong 11.7% clip while keeping his strikeouts down to a reasonable 22.4% level.

In addition to that strong work at the plate, Jones has stolen eight bases and bounced around the diamond. He has lined up defensively at all three outfield spots and second base. He hasn’t had any action at the infield corners this year but has done so previously in his career.

That’s a nice performance but the issue with Jones is that he has always performed well in the minors but hasn’t clicked in the majors yet. Dating back to the start of 2021, he has a .263/.382/.453 line and 122 wRC+ on the farm. In the majors, he has a far worse .198/.257/.278 line and 50 wRC+, though he’s only been allowed to make 137 total plate appearances scattered over several seasons dating back to 2020.

It’s possible the Tigers envision a short-side platoon role for Jones, a right-handed hitter. The Detroit outfield has three regular lefties in Riley Greene, Parker Meadows and Kerry Carpenter. They also have other lefties getting playing time, including Colt Keith, Zach McKinstry and Trey Sweeney. Though Jones hasn’t clicked in the majors overall, he has a .304/.360/.565 line against southpaws and has good numbers against them in the minors as well.

Jones is out of options, so he can’t be easily sent back down to the minors if the Tigers want to shake up the roster later. But if he manages to stick, he can be cheaply controlled for years to come as he doesn’t yet have enough service time to qualify for arbitration and won’t be able to get there by the end of this season.

Jones getting a roster spot will cost Ibáñez his. Ibáñez was claimed off waivers from the Rangers going into 2023 and has been a fixture of the Tigers since, but with diminishing production. He hit .264/.312/.433 for a 104 wRC+ in 2023, followed by .241/.295/.357 and an 87 wRC+ last year. So far in 2025, he’s down to .213/.292/.319 and a 77 wRC+. He’ll try to get back on track in Toledo. Once he spends 20 days on optional assignment, he’ll burn his final option year and will be out of options going into 2025.

Photo courtesy of Junfu Han, Imagn Images

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Detroit Tigers Transactions Akil Baddoo Andy Ibanez Jahmai Jones

23 comments

Tyler Alexander Elects Free Agency

By Steve Adams | June 6, 2025 at 1:59pm CDT

Brewers left-hander Tyler Alexander passed through waivers unclaimed after being designated for assignment and rejected an outright assignment to Triple-A, per Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. He’s elected free agency instead and is now clear to explore opportunities with any team.

Alexander, 30, inked a one-year deal worth a guaranteed $1MM over the winter. He’s worked in a swingman role with Milwaukee, tallying 36 1/3 innings across 21 appearances (four of them “starts” as an opener) and pitched to an unsightly 6.19 ERA. He’s fanned a below-average 18.3% of opponents but posted a strong 7.8% walk rate.

Metrics like FIP (3.57) and SIERA (4.26) feel Alexander has pitched far better than that rudimentary ERA would suggest. Part of that stems from a .331 average on balls in play that’s about 40 points higher than league-average. Alexander has also uncharacteristically struggled to strand runners; he’s left just 47.2% of his runners on base this year — miles below his career 71.7% mark. That career mark sits right around the 72% mark that most pitchers tend to regress toward over larger samples.

Alexannder has pitched 485 1/3 big league innings dating back to his 2019 debut with the Tigers. In that time, he’s recorded a 4.67 earned run average with a 19% strikeout rate and 5.3% walk rate. The 2015 second-rounder is a pronounced fly-ball pitcher and doesn’t throw particularly hard, sitting 90.2 mph on his four-seamer in 2025, but he has good command and experience pitching in a variety of roles. The Brewers are also on the hook for the remainder of his salary, minus the prorated minimum for any time spent on another club’s big league roster, making Alexander an affordable depth play for any club in need of depth for the bullpen or rotation.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Milwaukee Brewers Transactions Tyler Alexander

5 comments

Athletics To Select Seth Brown

By Darragh McDonald | June 6, 2025 at 1:45pm CDT

The Athletics are going to call infielder/outfielder Seth Brown back up the majors, reports Martín Gallegos of MLB.com. He was outrighted to Triple-A Las Vegas a couple of weeks ago and will need to be re-selected to the 40-man roster. The A’s will therefore have to make a corresponding move or moves to open room for him there and on the active roster.

Brown’s return to the majors seems to have been caused by him turning on the Game Genie when he got sent down. In nine games for the Aviators, he hit seven home runs, helping him produce a ridiculous .500/.512/1.071 line and 282 wRC+ over 43 plate appearances.

That’s a small sample of work but Brown has been good in the majors before, though obviously not that good. Over 2021 and 2022, he slashed .224/.294/.457 for a wRC+ of 111. Unfortunately, that dropped down in 2023, with a .222/.286/.405 line and 91 wRC+. His struggles continued in 2024 but he finished strong, with a .263/.304/.413 line and 107 wRC+ in the second half.

That prompted the A’s to tender him an arbitration contract for 2025, with the two sides avoiding arb and agreeing to a $2.7MM salary for this year. Through 61 plate appearances, he hit .212/.328/.308 for an 89 wRC+ and got sent down. Players with at least three but less than five years of service time can reject outright assignments but must forfeit their remaining salary to do so. Brown accepted his assignment, hit the crap out of the ball for a while and is now coming back.

Time will tell how the A’s plan to use Brown but it’s possibly related to the Shea Langeliers injury. The catcher left yesterday’s game with a “left flank injury” and was sent for an MRI. It’s possible that he will be placed on the injured list with some kind of oblique injury. If Tyler Soderstrom moves in from first base to take up catching duties again, Brown could factor into the first base/left field/designated hitter mix alongside Brent Rooker, JJ Bleday and Drew Avans.

Photo courtesy of Jayne Kamin, Oncea-Imagn Images

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Oakland Athletics Transactions Seth Brown

4 comments

Reds Designate Austin Wynns For Assignment

By Steve Adams | June 6, 2025 at 1:27pm CDT

The Reds have designated catcher Austin Wynns for assignment, the team announced Friday. His spot on the roster will go to first baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand, who is being reinstated from the injured list.

Wynns, 34, has hit brilliantly in limited time with Cincinnati, slashing .390/.429/.661 in 63 plate appearances dating back to last season. That includes a .400/.442/.700 line in 43 plate appearances in 2025. That outrageous output is propped up by a .513 average on balls in play, however, and it belies a career slash line of .241/.287/.354 for the journeyman Wynns.

Because Wynns is out of options, the Reds couldn’t simply send him to the minors. He’d first need to pass through waivers, which may well be where he’s headed now that he’s been designated for assignment. He’s a career .274/.363/.401 hitter in parts of seven Triple-A seasons — solid Triple-A production for any catcher, particularly a third one on a team’s depth chart.

Third catcher has indeed been Wynns’ role since Tyler Stephenson returned from an oblique strain. Stephenson and Jose Trevino have logged nearly all the time at catcher since Stephenson made his season debut. Wynns hasn’t logged a single plate appearance in June and tallied only seven trips to the plate in May, despite being healthy and on the active roster that entire time.

The Reds will have five days to trade Wynns before he has to be placed on outright waivers, though they could start the waiver process (which takes 48 hours) at any point between now and then. If Wynns does pass through waivers unclaimed — which he’s done eight prior times in his career — he’ll have the right to reject a minor league assignment in favor of free agency.

Encarnacion-Strand, 25, has been out since mid-April with a back injury. The Reds acquired him alongside Spencer Steer three years ago in the trade that sent Tyler Mahle to Minnesota. At the time, Encarnacion-Strand’s stock was on the rise. The former fourth-round pick was ripping through Triple-A pitching and looked poised to make the jump to the big leagues. He did just that in 2023 and hit well as a rookie: .270/.327/.477, 13 homers in 241 plate appearances.

Since that time, wrist and back injuries have tanked Encarnacion-Strand’s output at the plate. He’s never been one to take many walks and has always been too much of a free swinger, and both of those flaws have been magnified as his power has dissipated amid health troubles. Over the past two seasons, “CES” has only 183 plate appearances in the majors, during which he’s batted .179/.208/.295.

In the absence of Encarnacion-Strand, Steer has been playing first base regularly. It’s possible the Reds will slide the versatile Steer across the diamond to make room for Encarnacion-Strand at first base. Neither player is a good defender at the hot corner, however, and Santiago Espinal is also in the mix at third base. The Reds could begin to move Steer all over the diamond again, as they’ve done in the past, if the goal is everyday at-bats for Encarnacion-Strand at first base. If not, Encarnacion-Strand could slide into a more limited role as a righty-swinging power bat off the bench.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Cincinnati Reds Transactions Austin Wynns Christian Encarnacion-Strand

17 comments

White Sox Designate Ryan Cusick For Assignment, Option Korey Lee

By Darragh McDonald | June 6, 2025 at 12:45pm CDT

The White Sox announced that they have selected the contract of catcher Kyle Teel, a move that was reported yesterday. In a corresponding active roster move, fellow catcher Korey Lee has been optioned to Triple-A Charlotte. To open a 40-man spot, right-hander Ryan Cusick has been designated for assignment.

Cusick, 25, was just claimed off waivers two days ago. While it may seem odd to grab a player and then cut him so quickly, it’s possible the Sox are hoping he will clear waivers this time, which is a possibility. Cusick started this season with the A’s but was put on waivers by that club a little over a week ago. He was claimed by the Tigers, the team with the best record in baseball and therefore the last waiver priority. That means the 28 other teams, apart from the A’s and Tigers, passed.

The Tigers then put him back on waivers but the White Sox, with a roster spot just opened by Miguel Castro’s season-ending knee injury, claimed him this time. Now that Cusick is going back on the wire yet again, it’s possible he goes through unclaimed. The Tigers nudged Cusick off by reinstating Parker Meadows from the 60-day IL and they have also since reinstated Sawyer Gipson-Long, tightening up their roster and perhaps giving them less ability to claim Cusick again.

If he does indeed pass through waivers unclaimed, the Sox would be retaining a former first-round pick. Atlanta grabbed Cusick 24th overall in 2021 and then flipped him to the A’s as part of the Matt Olson deal a few months later. The A’s tried to develop Cusick as a starter without success. He tossed 143 innings over the 2022 and 2023 minor league seasons, missing time due to injury and posting a 5.60 earned run average in that span.

He was moved to a relief role halfway through the 2024 season and showed some flashes of intrigue there. His final 26 innings of the year resulted in a 1.73 ERA. Walking 11.8% of opponents in that span was less than ideal but he recorded strikeouts at a 28.2% clip. That was enough that the A’s thought he could get snapped up in the Rule 5 draft, so they gave him a 40-man spot in November.

He couldn’t carry that strong performance in 2025, or at least hasn’t yet. He had a 6.75 ERA in 14 2/3 Triple-A innings to start the season, giving out 13 walks to just 11 strikeouts. That kicked off his trip through the waiver wire in recent weeks. The next few days will reveal whether he will stick in the White Sox’ system or perhaps get claimed yet again.

Lee’s optional assignment is also notable, as it sheds more light on Chicago’s catching plans. They have had Lee and Edgar Quero as their primary catching duo for most of the season. With Teel’s promotion, it wasn’t clear how they would distribute the playing time.

It was possible to envision a three-catcher setup, as the club doesn’t have an everyday designated hitter. Teel has also been doing some work at first base. With Andrew Vaughn having been recently optioned, it would have been possible for Lee, Quero and Teel to all get regular playing time by sharing the catching duties as well as DHing and maybe Teel playing some first base.

Instead, it seems the Sox will go with a more straightforward two-catcher setup, though it will be a very inexperienced duo. Teel has yet to make his debut while Quero has just 38 games under his belt.

Lee isn’t exactly a veteran but he has been around a bit longer than those two. He’s still only 26 years old but got some brief big league time in 2022 and 2023 before becoming a regular in 2024. All told, he has 175 major league contests on his track record. That’s not a ton, relatively speaking, but it does make him the most experienced of the three catchers and the one most familiar with the Chicago pitching staff.

He also has the least upside of the three. He was a notable prospect, getting selected 32nd overall by the Astros in 2019, but his production has stalled out at the upper levels. He has a .192/.231/.315 batting line and 51 wRC+ in the majors. Dating back to the start of 2023, he has a .281/.331/.395 line and 85 wRC+ at the Triple-A level. Outlets such as Baseball Prospectus and Statcast aren’t thrilled with his work behind the plate either.

Quero and Teel, on the other hand, have each hit well at the Triple-A level recently. Quero’s major league offense hasn’t produced much power yet but he’s drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts, leading to a passable .256/.343/.306 line and 91 wRC+. Rolling with the Quero/Teel duo gives the Sox a fairly inexperienced catching corps in the short term but it seems that doesn’t bother them. They surely aren’t expecting to compete anytime soon, so they will let their best catchers get the big league playing time and gain that experience during the rebuilding process.

That will leave Lee in the minors as a depth option. If he stays down for at least 20 days, he will burn his final option year in 2025. If that comes to pass, that would leave him out of options going into 2026.

Photo courtesy of Rick Scuteri, Imagn Images

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Chicago White Sox Transactions Korey Lee Kyle Teel Ryan Cusick

28 comments

Francisco Lindor Dealing With Fractured Toe, Expects To Avoid Injured List

By Anthony Franco | June 6, 2025 at 11:31am CDT

Francisco Lindor sat out yesterday’s 6-5 loss to the Dodgers. The star shortstop is day-to-day after fracturing his right pinky toe when he was hit by an 89 MPH slider from Tony Gonsolin in the first inning on Wednesday. Lindor finished that game and told reporters that he unsuccessfully lobbied manager Carlos Mendoza to remain in the lineup last night (link via Will Sammon of The Athletic).

Lindor said that he does not expect to go on the injured list. “I think it’s going to be a nagging thing. It’s a bone; it’s a broken bone. I think it takes six weeks for a bone to be fully healed,” he added. Mendoza said the Mets gave no consideration to using Lindor off the bench last night. Luisangel Acuña drew into the lineup at shortstop as the #9 hitter, while Brandon Nimmo moved up to Lindor’s customary spot atop the batting order.

It was just the second time all season that Lindor was out of the lineup. He is annually one of the most durable players in the sport. Lindor has only been on the IL one time since being traded to New York — a five-week absence in 2021 due to an oblique strain. He appeared in all but three of the team’s games between 2022-23. The Mets scaled that back slightly last season, though he still made 152 appearances and came close to 700 plate appearances. Only Matt Olson, Marcus Semien, Pete Alonso and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. have played in more games since the start of 2022.

Lindor has led off every game he’s started this season. Starling Marte and Nimmo have hit atop the order in the other two contests. Nimmo would probably get the bulk of the time there if Lindor needs a few more days off. It’s possible that the Mets will build in a few more staggered off days for last year’s MVP runner-up over the next month than they otherwise would in order to help manage the discomfort. Acuña would be the top choice to fill in defensively, with Ronny Mauricio as an alternative if they want a higher offensive ceiling than Acuña brings to the table.

In a more encouraging health development, Sean Manaea is set for his first game action of the season. The veteran lefty will begin a rehab assignment at High-A Brooklyn tonight, writes Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Manaea will throw around 35 pitches in his first outing, Mendoza said on Wednesday. Manaea strained his right oblique early in camp.

Lingering soreness required an April platelet-rich plasma injection. He’ll need multiple rehab starts and is likely looking at a return to MLB action around the end of this month. Rehab assignments for pitchers can last up to 30 days. Manaea is coming off a 3.47 ERA across 181 2/3 innings. He re-signed on a three-year deal with a $75MM guarantee (with over $23MM deferred) in December.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

New York Mets Francisco Lindor Sean Manaea

26 comments

Twins Recall Travis Adams For MLB Debut

By Steve Adams | June 6, 2025 at 11:10am CDT

11:10am: The Twins announced that Adams has been recalled from Triple-A St. Paul. Southpaw Kody Funderburk was optioned to St. Paul in his place.

9:07am: The Twins are calling up right-hander Travis Adams for what will be his major league debut, as first announced by Adams’ agent, Lonnie Murray of Sports Management Partners, on Instagram. He’ll likely slot into the bullpen to provide some length after the A’s snapped a nine-game losing streak by putting 14 runs on the board against Minnesota yesterday. Adams is already on the 40-man roster and was optioned to Triple-A in spring training (hence it being a “recall” despite never having pitched in the majors). As such, the Twins will only need a corresponding 26-man move to bring him up.

Adams, 25, was the Twins’ sixth-round pick back in 2021. Minnesota already added him to the 40-man roster in November in order to protect him from being selected in the 2024 Rule 5 Draft. Given that Adams was coming off a season in which he posted 127 innings with a 3.90 ERA, 22.6% strikeout rate, 6.7% walk rate and 43.8% ground-ball rate between Double-A and Triple-A, it stands to reason that a few clubs might have indeed had interest in plucking him from the upper levels of the Twins’ farm were he left unprotected.

So far in 2025, Adams has pitched well. He’s made two abbreviated starts and 11 long relief appearances, totaling 42 innings with a 3.43 ERA, 21.3% strikeout rate, 5.7% walk rate and 43.4% ground-ball rate. He hasn’t pitched more than 4 1/3 innings in any game this season, but he’s averaged 58 pitches per outing in his past five turns — including 66 pitches in his most recent appearance — so he ought to be stretched out for whatever role the Twins envision.

Baseball America ranks Adams 22nd among Twins farmhands, while MLB.com lists him 21st. He doesn’t have one standout plus pitch but offers a wide array of average pitches and solid command. Each of BA, MLB.com and FanGraphs give Adams credit solid-average 50 grades on his fastball and a 55 (above-average) grade either on one other pitch or his command (his cutter at BA, his slider at FG, his command at MLB.com). Generally speaking, the 6’1″ righty is considered a back-of-the-rotation arm or potential multi-inning reliever.

It’s possible the Twins will consider Adams for some starts down the road. Fellow prospect David Festa was touted among the sport’s top 100 minor leaguers prior to exhausting his rookie status and was solid through three turns earlier this season, but he’s been slowed by some biceps/shoulder inflammation recently and was torched for eight runs in 3 2/3 innings in that blowout against the A’s yesterday. Festa got the first look in the rotation in place of the injured Pablo López — who’ll be out several months due to a teres major strain — but it’s not clear after yesterday’s rough outing whether he’ll get another look.

For now, the Twins have four starters locked in. Veterans Joe Ryan (2.91 ERA), Bailey Ober (3.48 ERA) and Chris Paddack (3.58 ERA) have all pitched well this season. Rookie right-hander Zebby Matthews, another top-100 arm, had a rocky first outing in the majors this season but has turned in a 3.94 ERA with a 20-to-5 K/BB ratio in 16 innings over his past three turns. That quartet seems set for the time being, with Festa, Adams and righty Simeon Woods Richardson (who was optioned last month but has looked better in Triple-A) among the options for the fifth spot on the staff.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Minnesota Twins Travis Adams

17 comments

Rangers To Recall Luis Curvelo For MLB Debut

By Steve Adams | June 6, 2025 at 10:08am CDT

The Rangers are planning to recall right-hander Luis Curvelo for his MLB debut, reports Daniel Álvarez Montes of El Extra Base. Curvelo is on the 40-man roster after signing a big league deal in free agency this offseason and was optioned to Triple-A this spring (hence this technically being a “recall” despite never having pitched in the majors).

Curvelo, 24, originally signed with the Mariners out of Venezuela as a teenager during the 2017-18 international signing period. He became a minor league free agent this past offseason and landed a major league deal with Texas after having pitched to a 2.57 ERA with a 30.6% strikeout rate and 7.1% walk rate in Double-A last year.

So far in 2025, Curvelo has continued down that impressive trajectory. In his first crack at the Triple-A level, the 6’1″ righty has logged 22 innings with a pristine 1.64 earned run average, a 26.9% strikeout rate and a 7.5% walk rate. He’s been an extreme fly-ball pitcher in the past but is currently carrying a better-than-average 44.6% ground-ball rate. Curvelo is averaging 95.5 mph on his four-seamer and 95.0 mph on a sinker this year, but he’s thrown his 84.2 mph slider at a nearly 55% clip — far and away the most frequently used offering in his three-pitch repertoire.

Prior to the 2025 season FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen credited Curvelo with a 70-grade slider (on the 20-80 scale) but a 45 fastball that “plays down” due to the right-hander’s sub-par command. Outside of a rough 2022 season in High-A, Curvelo has never had much trouble throwing strikes — but he’s struggled at times with his precision/command within the strike zone.

Curvelo will be the second fresh arm added to manager Bruce Bochy’s relief corps for this weekend series against the Nationals. Veteran righty Chris Martin was just reinstated from the 15-day injured list last night. Texas optioned righty Kumar Rocker to Triple-A Round Rock to clear a roster spot for Martin’s return. They’ll need to open a second spot for Curvelo.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Texas Rangers Luis Curvelo

4 comments

The Opener: Teel, Cubs, Tigers, Langeliers

By Nick Deeds | June 6, 2025 at 8:36am CDT

Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world heading into the weekend:

1. Teel to debut:

It’s an exciting day for White Sox fans. Top catching prospect Kyle Teel is slated to be promoted to the majors for the first time today. The centerpiece of the return for Garrett Crochet, Teel was beaten to the majors by infielder Chase Meidroth but is a consensus top-50 prospect in the sport who has slashed .295/.394/.492 in 50 games at the Triple-A level this year. The 23-year-old was drafted 14th overall just two years ago and will become the tenth player from the first round of his draft class to make his big league debut. The White Sox are currently splitting time behind the plate between Korey Lee and Edgar Quero, and it’s not yet clear how playing time will be divided between the three or if one of the other two catchers will be optioned to Triple-A. Teel has begun to take some reps at first base as well. Chicago’s 40-man roster is at capacity, meaning the club will need to make a corresponding move in order to select Teel.

2. Series Preview: Cubs @ Tigers

The two best records in baseball are set to meet for a three-game set this weekend as the Cubs head to Detroit to take on the Tigers. After squeaking into the playoffs by the skin of their teeth last year, things have really come together for Detroit in 2025. Longtime prospect Spencer Torkelson is breaking out, and the addition of Gleyber Torres has been a boon to the team’s infield production.

Meanwhile, the Cubs improved their fortunes by trading for star outfielder Kyle Tucker over the winter, and that addition has been complemented by the breakout of center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong. Game 1 will see reigning AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal (2.26 ERA) take on Cubs youngster Ben Brown (5.72 ERA). Game 2 will feature Cubs veteran Jameson Taillon (3.76 ERA) on the bump against righty Keider Montero (4.02 ERA), while the series finale will pit top Cubs prospect Cade Horton (3.51 ERA) against right-hander Jack Flaherty (3.72 ERA).

3. Langeliers undergoes MRI:

The A’s are waiting for more information on the status of catcher Shea Langeliers after he departed in the middle of his at-bat due to pain in his left side. The club has termed it a “left flank injury” to this point, and MLB.com’s Martin Gallegos reports that Langeliers underwent an MRI last night for further evaluation. It wouldn’t be a shock to see the catcher wind up on the injured list for at least some time, and if that were to happen the club would likely be left to utilize a tandem of Willie MacIver and Jhonny Pereda — a notable offensive downgrade.

However, manager Mark Kotsay suggested back in spring training that Tyler Soderstrom — who started several games behind the dish in Cactus League play — could still be an occasional option at catcher. He’s considered a sub-par defender there, but on a short-term basis he could fill in. Soderstrom hasn’t caught in 2025 beyond those spring training reps. He also only logged one big league game there in 2024, but he started 21 minor league games at catcher last year and has 165 professional games (not including spring training) at the position.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

The Opener

42 comments

How Should The Cardinals Approach The Deadline?

By Anthony Franco | June 5, 2025 at 11:59pm CDT

The Cardinals are amidst a transition year. That's true literally, as John Mozeliak will turn control of baseball operations to Chaim Bloom at season's end. Dating back to last fall, they've framed this season as one primarily about evaluating and developing young players. It's not a rebuild, but their only move to improve over the winter was a bargain $2MM signing of setup man Phil Maton.

It set them up as expected deadline sellers. Impending free agents Ryan Helsley and Erick Fedde ranked among the likeliest players to move in July. It was surprising that the Cards even held both players into the season. Nolan Arenado's contract and no-trade clause meant he'd be a tough player to move midseason, but those rumors figured to resurface.

The team is trying its best to avoid those conversations. They have a 34-27 record that has them narrowly ahead of San Francisco and Milwaukee for the NL's final playoff spot. They've outscored opponents by 28 runs, giving them the fifth-best run differential in the National League. They went an MLB-best 19-8 in May. They've played like a contender so far. One opposing GM who was eyeing trade targets on the St. Louis roster succinctly told Jeff Passan of ESPN this week that the team's better than expected play "sucks" for potential buyers.

Much can change in the next six to eight weeks, but the front office may find itself in a tricky spot. Mozeliak addressed the situation in a chat with Derrick Goold of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch last week. "We went into this year with an understanding this was going to be about opportunity for players and depending on what they do with it would determine our next steps, right?" he rhetorically asked. "So when you think about how the public had us as sellers — whether it was selling this offseason or selling at the trade deadline. It might look a little different based on how we’re playing."

It's an acknowledgment that the team could play its way off selling. At the same time, that wouldn't provide much clarity on how aggressively the team should add if they remain competitive. That's a tougher call, especially because of the way their first half has unfolded. The team may be better than expected, but the production has come mostly from their more established players -- particularly on offense. If the Cards are going to upgrade, the most obvious spots to do so would limit the playing time of a pair of young hitters on whom much of their season is supposed to be focused.

Unlock Subscriber-Exclusive Articles Like This One With a Trade Rumors Front Office Subscription

BENEFITS
  • Access weekly subscriber-only articles by Tim Dierkes, Steve Adams, and Anthony Franco.
  • Join exclusive weekly live chats with Anthony.
  • Remove ads and support our writers.
  • Access GM-caliber tools like our MLB Contract Tracker
Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Front Office Originals MLBTR Originals St. Louis Cardinals

47 comments
AJAX Loader
Load More Posts
  • Top Stories
  • Recent

Nationals Fire PBO Mike Rizzo, Manager Dave Martinez

Brewers Activate Brandon Woodruff

Clarke Schmidt Expected To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

Bobby Jenks Passes Away

Braves Release Alex Verdugo

Top 40 Trade Candidates For The 2025 Deadline

Rays Reinstate Ha-Seong Kim

Yankees Have Shown Interest In Ryan McMahon

Royals Interested In Bryan Reynolds

Rangers Option Josh Jung

Kevin Pillar Announces Retirement

Braves Place Spencer Schwellenbach On IL With Elbow Fracture

Giants Exercise 2026 Option On Manager Bob Melvin

Yordan Alvarez Shut Down Due To Setback With Hand Injury

Astros Place Jeremy Peña On Injured List With Fractured Rib

Tucker Barnhart To Retire

Tyler Mahle To Be Sidelined Beyond Trade Deadline

Reds Release Jeimer Candelario

Dave Parker Passes Away

Griffin Canning Diagnosed With Ruptured Achilles

Trade Deadline Outlook: Chicago Cubs

Latest On Rockies’ Expected Deadline Approach

Kolby Allard Elects Free Agency

Rangers Re-Sign Billy McKinney To Minor League Deal

White Sox Outright Vinny Capra

White Sox Sign Kyle Tyler To Minor League Deal

Nationals Sign Luis Garcia

Poll: The Yankees’ Biggest Need At The Deadline

Yankees Place Mark Leiter Jr. On IL With Fibular Head Stress Fracture

Rhys Hoskins Expects To Be Out Roughly Six Weeks

MLBTR Newsletter - Hot stove highlights in your inbox, five days a week

Latest Rumors & News

Latest Rumors & News

  • Sandy Alcantara Rumors
  • Luis Robert Rumors
  • Alex Bregman Rumors

 

Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android App Store Google Play

MLBTR Features

MLBTR Features

  • Remove Ads, Support Our Writers
  • Front Office Originals
  • Front Office Fantasy Baseball
  • MLBTR Podcast
  • Trade Deadline Outlook Series
  • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
  • Contract Tracker
  • Transaction Tracker
  • Extension Tracker
  • Agency Database
  • MLBTR On Twitter
  • MLBTR On Facebook
  • Team Facebook Pages
  • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

Rumors By Team

  • Angels Rumors
  • Astros Rumors
  • Athletics Rumors
  • Blue Jays Rumors
  • Braves Rumors
  • Brewers Rumors
  • Cardinals Rumors
  • Cubs Rumors
  • Diamondbacks Rumors
  • Dodgers Rumors
  • Giants Rumors
  • Guardians Rumors
  • Mariners Rumors
  • Marlins Rumors
  • Mets Rumors
  • Nationals Rumors
  • Orioles Rumors
  • Padres Rumors
  • Phillies Rumors
  • Pirates Rumors
  • Rangers Rumors
  • Rays Rumors
  • Red Sox Rumors
  • Reds Rumors
  • Rockies Rumors
  • Royals Rumors
  • Tigers Rumors
  • Twins Rumors
  • White Sox Rumors
  • Yankees Rumors

Navigation

  • Sitemap
  • Archives
  • RSS/Twitter Feeds By Team

MLBTR INFO

  • Advertise
  • About
  • Commenting Policy
  • Privacy Policy

Connect

  • Contact Us
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • RSS Feed

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top

Register

Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version