MLBTR Podcast: The CBA Standoff Begins
The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
- The MLBPA’s opening CBA proposal (1:50)
- MLB’s proposal, which pushes for a hard cap/floor system (10:10)
- Is it surprising that the owners are aligned when they have different priorities? (20:35)
- Will competitive balance picks come up later in the negotiations? (28:55)
- Competitive balance proposals often come from limiting player agency (31:45)
- Many fans dislike Rob Manfred but are aligned with him on wanting a cap (36:35)
- How should the MLBPA think about the public relations battle? (40:00)
- Is the player-fan relationship different in the age of the internet? (47:10)
- Can any optimism be taken from the fact that both sides addressed the economic imbalances of the game? (51:00)
- We don’t know what Manfred thinks about his legacy (55:05)
- The looming expiration of many broadcast deals after 2028 (56:15)
- Is the character of the ownership group is different than previous eras? (1:04:55)
Check out our past episodes!
- Gage Jump, Tigers Trade Speculation, And The Twins’ Roster Shuffle – listen here
- Colt Emerson Debuts, Blue Jays’ Rotation Issues, And What To Make Of The Mets And Astros – listen here
- Patrick Bailey To Cleveland, The Struggling Astros, And Arizona’s Outfield Changes – listen here
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!
Photo courtesy of Kirby Lee, Imagn Images
Corbin Burnes Suffers Teres Major Strain, Likely Out Until September
Diamondbacks right-hander Corbin Burnes has suffered a teres major strain and will be shut down from his throwing progression. Manager Torey Lovullo says Burnes probably won’t be back until September with this setback. Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic was among those to relay the news.
The righty underwent Tommy John surgery in June of last year. That procedure normally comes with a recovery period of 14 months or longer, which would have put Burnes in line for a return in August. He was optimistic about beating that, telling reporters in February that he expected he could return around the All-Star break in July. He faced live hitters last week, per Piecoro, but any hope of a July return is now dashed.
It’s an unfortunate development for Burnes and the Diamondbacks, as both parties were hoping he could be a late-season factor. Lovullo didn’t rule him out for the season but he now has an even tighter window to make an impact on the 2026 season.
Arizona will continue with a starting five of Merrill Kelly, Zac Gallen, Michael Soroka, Eduardo Rodriguez and Ryne Nelson. It hasn’t been a great group overall but has been one of the better rotations in the National League over the past month. All aside from Gallen have pitched well of late, but Soroka is the only one missing bats at an average or better rate. Nelson has also worked around one of the highest home run rates in MLB.
It feels fairly tenuous and there’s very little in terms of rotation depth. Prospects Mitch Bratt, Kohl Drake and Dylan Ray are all on the 40-man roster and at Triple-A Reno. None of those three have pitched in MLB, and only Drake (who has an ERA above 8.00) is currently healthy. There’s not much to be done right now beyond hoping the rest of the rotation stays healthy. Arizona is four games above .500 and currently holds the NL’s final Wild Card spot. If they can hang in the postseason picture, adding a starter at the deadline feels like a must.
This also all but ensures what already looked like an obvious call for Burnes not to opt out of the remaining four years and $140MM on his six-year free agent deal. There was an outside chance Burnes could’ve considered that if he made a seamless return from the elbow surgery and dominated in the second half — especially with a dismal free agent class after Tarik Skubal. That’s not going to happen anymore. Gallen and Soroka are impending free agents (the latter after his mutual option is bought out), so the D-Backs will need a healthy Burnes in 2027.
Angels Select Shaun Anderson
The Angels announced that they have selected the contract of right-hander Shaun Anderson. He’ll take the active roster spot of left-hander Sam Aldegheri, who was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake after last night’s game. Catcher Travis d’Arnaud was transferred to the 60-day injured list to open a 40-man spot.
Anderson has been bouncing on and off the Halos’ roster for most of the past two years. Since he is out of options, he needs to be removed from the 40-man roster when the Angels want to swap him out for another pitcher. This is the fifth time he has been selected to the roster since the start of 2025. He gives the bullpen a fresh arm and is usually designated for assignment after a few appearances. Each time, he has cleared waivers, elected free agency and then re-signed.
It’s not just the Angels and Anderson who have this kind of arrangement. Carlos Carrasco has been doing a similar thing in Atlanta, ditto Albert Suárez in Baltimore. While those players would probably prefer more stable MLB gigs, the fact that they keep clearing waivers indicates no one is willing to give them that kind of job. In this setup, at least they get sporadic hits of major league pay and service time. The teams, meanwhile, effectively get a 41st man on their 40-man rosters.
Last night, Grayson Rodriguez started for the Angels and only lasted 3 2/3 innings, allowing eight earned runs in the process. Aldegheri came in and pitched 5 1/3 scoreless frames to finish the game, throwing 89 pitches. Since Aldegheri wasn’t going to be available for the next few days, the Angels have added Anderson so that they won’t be short-handed in the bullpen.
Anderson has a 6.35 earned run average in 180 career innings, dating back to his 2019 debut with the Giants. Since the start of 2025, when his run with the Angels began, he has a 7.71 ERA in 28 innings. He’s been throwing four to five innings in his recent minor league appearances, so he gives the club an option for long relief if they need one again in the near future.
As for d’Arnaud, he landed on the 10-day IL on May 7th due to right foot plantar fasciitis. His 60-day count is retroactive to that date, so he’s ineligible to be reinstated until early July. His current status isn’t clear but the Angels evidently don’t expect him back for at least another month.
Photo courtesy of Jay Biggerstaff, Imagn Images
Reds Release Josh Staumont
The Reds have released right-hander Josh Staumont, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. It’s possible his minor league deal had a June 1st opt-out, since that’s a common date for such provisions.
Staumont, 32, was once a second-round pick of the Royals and had some success with that club. From 2019 to 2021, he tossed 110 2/3 innings for Kansas City, allowing 2.93 earned runs per nine. His 11.4% walk rate in that time was high but he struck out 26.7% of batters faced.
His results back up in 2022 and 2023, as he posted a 6.09 ERA over those two campaigns. His 25.3% strikeout rate was still strong but his control problems got worse, as he walked 15.8% of opponents. There was some bad luck in there, as his .329 batting average on balls in play and 62.8% strand rate were both to the unfortunate side. His 4.56 SIERA suggested he deserved better but still indicated he wasn’t as good as in the previous seasons. He required thoracic outlet syndrome surgery in July of 2023.
He was non-tendered ahead of the 2024 season and signed with the Twins. He gave Minnesota 24 1/3 innings with a 3.70 ERA, but in this case, he was lucky for that number to be so low. His 17.6% strikeout rate and 13.7% walk rate were both subpar. His .246 BABIP and zero home runs allowed were helping him out tremendously, which is why his SIERA was 5.06. His four-seamer averaged 94.3 miles per hour, more than two ticks below where he was in 2021. The Twins released him in August.
He signed a minor league deal with the Reds for 2025 but was placed on the full-season injured list in March due to an undisclosed ailment. The Reds then re-signed him for 2026. He started the season back on the minor league IL but was able to start a rehab assignment in May. He logged seven innings between the Complex League and High-A, allowing one earned run. He struck out 11 of the 31 batters he faced, a 35.5% clip. He walked three opponents, a 9.7% clip, though he also hit two batters.
Staumont is little more than a lottery ticket at this point but perhaps someone will pick him up. His numbers this year are a very small sample at the lower levels of the minors but he was punching guys out at an encouraging rate. Given his track record, perhaps he can find another minor league deal as he continues trying to put his injuries behind him.
Photo courtesy of Sam Greene, Imagn Images
Yunior Marté Elects Free Agency
Right-hander Yunior Marté, who was designated for assignment by the Reds earlier this week, has cleared waivers. He has informed the club he will exercise his right to elect free agency. Charlie Goldsmith of Charlie’s Chalkboard passed along the update.
Marté, 31, signed a minor league deal with Cincinnati in the offseason. He just got a very brief look in the majors. He was selected to the roster on Friday and appeared in that night’s game, allowing four earned runs in a third of an inning. He was designated for assignment on Monday.
Though Marté’s performance didn’t help, the quick hook was likely related to the club’s roster situation. Both Graham Ashcraft and Pierce Johnson hit the injured list in quick succession recently. Chase Burns had a start pushed back due to illness, forcing the club to improvise a bullpen game. As the Reds have tried to dance around those situations, Marté, Lyon Richardson and Brandon Leibrandt all got added to the roster but then designated for assignment after one appearance.
Prior to getting called up, Marté was with Triple-A Louisville. In 19 1/3 innings for that club, he allowed 5.12 earned runs per nine. That’s obviously not a good number but there was some more intrigue under the hood, as his .377 batting average on balls in play and 66% strand rate were both unfortunate numbers. His 12.6% walk rate was too high but he was striking out 27.4% of batters faced and inducing grounders on 50% of balls in play.
In situations like this, it’s common for the player to return to his previous club on a new deal. Perhaps Marté will re-sign with the Reds in the coming days but he’ll have a chance to explore other opportunities. He has a 5.94 ERA in 113 2/3 major league innings with the Giants, Phillies and now Reds. He spent last year in Japan, posting a 1.95 ERA for the Chunichi Dragons, though with a lot of help from a .213 BABIP. His four-seamer and sinker average in the upper-90s. His main secondary pitch is a mid-80s slider.
Photo courtesy of Frank Bowen IV, Imagn Images
Padres Designate Nick Castellanos For Assignment
The Padres announced that first baseman/outfielder Nick Castellanos has been designated for assignment. Infielder/outfielder Samad Taylor has been selected to take his place on the active and 40-man rosters.
Castellanos, 34, spent many years as a middle-of-the-order threat. Ahead of the 2022 season, the Phillies signed him to a five-year deal worth $100MM. Before that deal had run its course, Castellanos wore out his welcome in Philly. In the 2025 season, he slashed .250/.294/.400 for a wRC+ of 90. Since he’s a poor outfield defender, he was considered to be below replacement level for the year. He also clashed with then-manager Rob Thomson, which didn’t seem to help matters.
He was still signed through 2026, with a $20MM salary. It was well known throughout the winter that the Phils were looking to move on. In the end, they weren’t able to line up a trade, so Castellanos was released just as camps were opening in February. That left the Phils on the hook for the money. Any other club could sign Castellanos and would only owe him the prorated league minimum for any time spent on the roster. That amount would be subtracted from what the Phillies paid.
The Padres quickly volunteered, signing Castellanos within a few days of his release. It was a low-risk move from a financial perspective but it hasn’t worked out. Castellanos has a .191/.221/.339 line through 122 plate appearances this year. His .228 batting average on balls in play isn’t doing him any favors but his 4.1% walk rate and 27.9% strikeout rate are both a few ticks worse than average, in addition to being worse than his own career numbers. He has good career numbers with the platoon advantage but isn’t hitting pitchers of either handedness this year, with a .182/.206/.303 line against southpaws.
San Diego rolled with Castellanos long enough for him to return to Philadelphia in a new uniform. The Padres kicked off a series at Citizens Bank Park last night, though Castellanos wasn’t put into the game. They have now decided it’s time to move on. He will likely be released again in the coming days.
Time will tell if any other club is willing to give Castellanos a shot. As mentioned, he is having a poor season and was struggling last year as well, though he has been a force at the plate at times. As recently as 2024, he was able to hit 23 home runs and slash .254/.311/.431 for a 104 wRC+. That included a .269/.324/.506 line and 124 wRC+ against lefties. If any club thinks he can get back to that level, he will be cheap.
The Padres will instead turn to Taylor, who they signed to a minor league deal in the winter. He is hitting .319/.406/.500 in Triple-A, leading to a 122 wRC+. That line is buoyed by a .371 batting average on balls in play but Taylor’s 11.7% walk rate and 17.6% strikeout rate are both solid clips.
Taylor has often put up big numbers in the minors but hasn’t yet clicked in very limited big league looks. He has been sent to the plate 83 times over three separate seasons with the Royals and Mariners, hitting just .205/.272/.260 in that time.
Ideally, he can produce some offense resembling his minor league numbers. Even if he can’t, he should be able to provide value in other ways. He is a threat on the bases, for instance. He has nine steals already this year and has been in the 40 to 50 range in many of his minor league seasons. He can also provide a bit of defensive versatility, as he has been playing second base and all three outfield spots this year. In previous seasons, he has played shortstop and third base as well.
The Friars currently have Jake Cronenworth on the injured list, so there’s a hole at second base. They have been using Sung-Mun Song and Fernando Tatis Jr. to cover that spot. They also lost Ramón Laureano to the IL this week, so perhaps they want Tatis to go back to being a regular in the outfield. Song has a .154/.290/.192 line on the year, so perhaps Taylor can take some second base playing time from him. If that pans out, then Tatis can remain in the outfield with Jackson Merrill, Gavin Sheets, Jase Bowen and Bryce Johnson.
Even if Taylor doesn’t work his way into a regular role, he should be a useful as a bench player who can do some pinch-running and defensive replacement work. If he gets squeezed when Cronenworth and Laureano come back, he is out of options.
Photo courtesy of David Frerker, Imagn Images
Reds Option TJ Friedl, Recall Noelvi Marté
The Reds announced that outfielder TJ Friedl was optioned to Triple-A Louisville after last night’s game. Fellow outfielder Noelvi Marté has been recalled to take Friedl’s place on the active roster.
It’s the first optional assignment in almost four years for Friedl. The Reds recalled him from the minors in August of 2022. He has been in the majors or on the injured list since then. He established himself as an above-average big leaguer in 2023. He got into 138 games for the Reds, hit 18 home runs and stole 27 bases. He slashed .279/.352/.467 for a 117 wRC+. When combined with his strong defense, mostly in center field, FanGraphs credited him with 4.1 wins above replacement on the year.
2024 was a bit of a step back. Friedl made multiple trips to the injured list and only appeared in 85 games. When on the field, he produced a subpar .226/.310/.380 line and 90 wRC+, though that was held back by an unfortunate .229 batting average on balls in play. He bounced back in 2025 with a .261/.364/.378 line and 109 wRC+ in 152 games. His defensive metrics weren’t quite as strong but he was still worth 2.9 fWAR that year.
2026 has been a disaster so far. He has a .179/.259/.256 line and 44 wRC+. That may be partially due to a low BABIP of .230 but Friedl has regressed in other areas. His 23.6% strikeout rate is close to league average but is easily the worst of his career, as he has usually been in the 15 to 17% range. His 7.3% walk rate is also a personal worst and more than four ticks below last year’s 7.3% clip. He only has two home runs with more than a third of the season in the books.
The Reds have decided they’ve seen enough and have sent him to the minors, ideally for a reset that gets him back on track. If he can find his groove again or someone else on the roster gets injured, he could be recalled to the majors in the future.
Friedl crossed three years of service time last year and qualified for arbitration. The Reds are paying him $3.8MM this year. He has already crossed the four-year mark in terms of service here in 2026 and could be retained via arbitration for 2027 and 2028, though he would be a non-tender candidate after this season if he continues struggling.
Marté’s arc has been somewhat similar to that of Friedl. He had an encouraging debut in 2023, slashing .316/.366/.456 in 35 games. He couldn’t carry that over into 2024, as he hit .210/.248/.301. He had a decent 2025 showing, with a .263/.300/.448 line. He started 2026 with a brutal .138/.194/.138 line in 11 games and got sent down to the farm.
Since then, he has been killing the ball in Triple-A. He has eight home runs and a .369/.409/.575 line for the Bats. His .395 BABIP isn’t sustainable but he is only striking out at a 14.8% clip, less than half of the 32.3% pace he had in the majors earlier this year. Cincinnati will hope that he can bring some of that up to the show with him.
It’s worth checking in on Marté’s service time. He came into 2026 with his service clock at one year and 139 days. Based on the previous cutoffs, he had a really good chance to qualify for arbitration as a Super Two guy after 2026 if he got to 2.139. But since he spent close to two months on optional assignment, that’s no longer the case.
But he has a chance to keep his previous pace for free agency. When he was optioned, his service clock was at 1.158, which is 14 days shy of the two-year mark. If he Reds keep him up for at least two weeks, he will hit that line, meaning free agency after 2030 will still be possible for him.
Frield has been sharing center field with Blake Dunn and Dane Myers. Marté was mostly a right fielder last year but he has been seeing a decent amount of center field time in the minors, so perhaps he will be a factor up the middle. JJ Bleday should have the left field job locked down since he is hitting .291/.387/.632. Spencer Steer is hitting .277/.351/.461 but has been splitting his time between the outfield corners, first base and second base. Will Benson is also in the mix but he is hitting .188/.324/.353 on the year.
Photo courtesy of Denis Poroy, Imagn Images
Austin Voth Elects Free Agency
Right-hander Austin Voth has elected free agency, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. That indicates he cleared waivers after being designated for assignment a few days ago. Players with at least three years of service time or a previous career outright have the right to reject further outright assignments in favor of the open market. Voth qualifies on both counts.
Voth, 34 this month, has been on Toronto’s roster a couple of times this year as an emergency arm. In both cases, he was quickly bumped off the roster after one appearance. Back in April, he gave them 2 2/3 innings against the White Sox, allowing one earned run. He was designated for assignment, elected free agency, then signed a new minor league deal. He was called up again last week, then tossed 3 1/3 innings against the Orioles, allowing five earned runs this time.
In these situations, it’s common for the player and club to reunite, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if Voth and the Jays quickly worked out a new pact. That’s especially true since the Jays are still scrambling to deal with a big injury problem. Each of José Berríos, Shane Bieber, Dylan Cease, Max Scherzer, Cody Ponce, Lazaro Estrada and Bowden Francis are on the IL right now. Jake Bloss is on the minor league IL. Berríos, Ponce and Francis are done for the year.
For now, the Jays have Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage and Patrick Corbin in three rotation spots. Around those three, they are patching things together with bullpen games. Many of those have seen the Jays lean hard on Rule 5 pick Spencer Miles, who came into the year with less than 15 professional innings, none higher than the Single-A level.
It’s possible that Cease, Scherzer, Bieber, Estrada and Bloss will be back in the mix in the coming weeks but the rotation depth is going to be flimsy for the near term, so the Jays would probably be open to bringing Voth back.
For his career, Voth has a 4.77 earned run average in 366 1/3 innings, working both as a starter and a reliever. He pitched for the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan last year, posting a 3.96 ERA over 22 starts for that club. He has spent most of this year with Triple-A Buffalo, posting a 2.90 ERA over eight starts there. That’s surely a misleading figure, as his .274 batting average on balls in play and 84.8% strand rate have both been on the lucky side, which is why his FIP is 5.00. Regardless, the Jays probably want him back for depth, though he now has the chance to consider some other opportunities.
Photo courtesy of Steven Bisig, Imagn Images
Andrew Wantz Elects Free Agency
The Rays announced that right-hander Andrew Wantz has cleared waivers and elected free agency. Tampa designated him for assignment a few days ago. He has a previous career outright, which gives him the right to reject further outright assignments in favor of the open market.
It was a very brief stint in the majors for Wantz. He was selected to the roster on Friday and designated for assignment on Sunday. He made one appearance, allowing five earned runs in an inning and two thirds.
The Rays were spinning plates for a while there, due to a few unique situations. Griffin Jax was hit by a comebacker last Tuesday and was removed after two innings. The next day, Steven Matz started, coming off a stint on the injured list with no rehab assignment. He lasted three innings, which led to Jonathan Heasley absorbing four frames in relief. After that, the Rays bumped off Heasley and added Wantz to give them a fresh arm. On Saturday, starter Drew Rasmussen only went four innings. Wantz was one of five relievers who pitched behind him. Wantz is out of options, so he was designated for assignment when they freshened up the bullpen once more.
Earlier in his career, Wantz had some decent results with the Angels. He tossed 117 innings for that club from 2021 to 2023, allowing 3.85 earned runs per nine. His 9.7% walk rate was a bit high but he struck out 25.4% of batters faced.
In 2024, the Angels tried stretching him out in the minors, which didn’t work. He posted a 6.17 ERA in seven appearances for Triple-A Salt Lake and then underwent some kind of elbow surgery. The details on that procedure were murky but he was outrighted off the roster at season’s end and then signed a two-year minor league deal with the Rays for 2025 and 2026.
He was back on the mound late last year with encouraging results, allowing just one earned run in 13 innings. He wasn’t able to carry that over into 2026, as he put up a 7.04 ERA in Triple-A before being called up for emergency action. That number was at least a bit misleading, as his .403 batting average on balls in play and 57.3% strand rate were both on the unfortunate side. His 20.7% strikeout rate, 9.9% walk rate and 45.8% ground ball rate were all close to average. His 4.04 FIP suggested he deserved far better.
In situations like this, it’s common for the player to re-sign with the club he just walked away from. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Rays re-sign Wantz in the near future but he has the chance to explore other opportunities.
Photo courtesy of Gary A. Vasquez, Imagn Images
Latest On Athletics’ Rotation
The Athletics have taken a few rotation hits lately, with both Luis Severino and Aaron Civale hitting the injured list, the former due to a shoulder strain and the latter due to right shoulder tendonitis. Per Martín Gallegos of MLB.com, Civale has already begun a throwing progression but the update on Severino isn’t nearly as encouraging. Severino has been diagnosed with a strain of shoulder capsule and subscapularis muscle. He will be re-evaluated in four to six weeks.
Though Gallegos doesn’t specifically say so, the implication seems to be that Severino will be shut down for that four-to-six-week timeline. That timeline would take him pretty close to the All-Star break. Even if he is declared healthy then, he would need some kind of ramp-up period before going out on a rehab assignment. In other words, he may be on the IL into August.
That’s not an ideal development for the club, nor for the pitcher. For the A’s, Severino has been a mainstay of their rotation. The results haven’t been ace-like, but Severino has taken the ball and given them a chance to win. He signed a three-year, $67MM deal ahead of the 2025 season then gave the club 29 starts last year with a 4.54 earned run average. This year, he made 12 more starts with a 4.16 ERA.
The club’s temporary home of Sutter Health Park, normally the home of the Giants’ Triple-A club, has been very hitter-friendly and may have impacted Severino’s numbers. He had a 6.01 ERA at home last year and is at 5.33 this year. On the road, he had a 3.02 ERA last year and is at 3.38 in 2026.
Perhaps the home/road situation is oversimplified, since it’s not as though he’s been dominant under the hood. Since signing with the A’s, his 8.3% walk rate and 42% ground ball rate are close to average but his 19.4% strikeout rate is a few ticks worse than par. He has an overall 4.20 FIP and 4.47 SIERA since signing with the club. Regardless, it’s surely unwelcome that the A’s will be looking to proceed without Severino for several weeks.
For him personally, it could impact his contract situation. Severino can opt out of his deal after the current campaign, walking away from $22MM. He was trending towards a borderline decision, based on his decent but not astounding numbers. Since he has complained about the club’s facilities in the past, perhaps that would have tipped him towards opting out, but this injury might make that less likely.
Turning back to the club, they have Gage Jump and Jeffrey Springs listed as their probable pitchers for their next two games. J.T. Ginn should be following on Thursday. Despite the Severino and Civale injuries, they optioned Jacob Lopez today when they called up Kade Morris and Mason Barnett. Lopez has a 6.75 ERA this year, with subpar strikeout and walk rates of 15.6% and 13.6% respectively.
The club hasn’t made any formal announcements about the other rotation spots. Morris and Barnett could start. José Suarez has starting experience but has mostly been throwing under two innings in his appearances since joining the club last month. Gunnar Hoglund won’t be in the mix since he recently underwent season-ending hip surgery.
Since Civale has already started throwing, perhaps he will be back in the mix soon. If the A’s need another arm before he gets back, they have Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang, Joey Estes and Luis Morales on optional assignment, with Lopez now on his way to join that group.
The American League playoff race is wide open. Despite a 28-31 record, the A’s currently sit just half a game back of a Wild Card spot. If they manage to hang in the race into July, they should be looking for pitching at the deadline, even if Severino is working his way back to the club by then.
Photo courtesy of Darren Yamashita, Imagn Images