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Astros Talked With Mets About Jeff McNeil, Brett Baty, Ronny Mauricio

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The Astros are keen on adding left-handed hitting to their righty-heavy lineup, and “at least inquired” with the Mets about the availability of Jeff McNeil, Brett Baty, and switch-hitter Ronny Mauricio, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  Since the Mets are known to be open to dealing from their infield depth, a trade between the two sides would seem to make sense on paper, though it isn’t known if the discussions gained any traction.

McNeil is in something of a different category than the other two players, as McNeil is an established big league commodity.  In fact, the 33-year-old is again producing above-average offense after a couple of down years, as McNeil is hitting .251/.356/.453 with nine home runs over 265 plate appearances.  Between this steady bat and McNeil’s ability to play both second base and all three outfield positions (with a particular focus on center field this year), it is hard to imagine the Mets parting ways with such a key cog in their lineup.

On the financial side of things, McNeil is controlled through 2027 as per the four-year, $50MM extension he signed with New York prior to the 2023 season.  He is owed the remainder of his $15.75MM salary for 2025, another $15.75MM in 2026, and there is a $2MM buyout on a $15.75MM club option for 2027.  Barring a similar contract heading back to the Mets, a McNeil trade would put the Astros well over the luxury tax threshold, which seemed to be an unofficial spending limit for the club last offseason.  Recent reports indicate that Houston might well consider exceeding the tax line in certain circumstances, but bringing McNeil aboard may not qualify.

Landing Baty or Mauricio is perhaps more of a viable option for the Astros, though New York would also want something significant for either player, given their years of team control and their still-recent status as top-100 prospects.  Baty has hit only .220/.284/.352 over 865 PA in the majors, however, and perhaps has fallen out of favor after once being viewed as the Amazins’ third baseman of the future.  Mauricio has a more respectable .245/.303/.400 slash line from a small sample of 238 career PA, and he is back in action this season after missing the entire 2024 campaign recovering from a torn ACL.

While the two youngsters still have something to prove as big leaguers, the change-of-scenery potential could be attractive to the Astros, as well as Houston’s more immediate near-term needs.  The Astros were thin on left-handed hitting even before the heavy swath of injuries that sent seven position players to the IL — Yordan Alvarez, their most prominent lefty-swinger, has now missed close to three months due to a hand fracture.

Jeremy Pena is expected back at shortstop within the next few days, so Baty or Mauricio could be used at second or third base.  Isaac Paredes and Brendan Rodgers are also on the IL and not expected back soon, so a new face at second base would move Jose Altuve into left field on a more regular basis, thus addressing Houston’s outfield needs.  (GM Dana Brown outlined this possible scenario this past weekend.)

Rangers Place Jacob Webb On 15-Day IL, Promote Luis Curvelo

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The Rangers placed right-hander Jacob Webb on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to July 29) due to back spasms.  Righty Luis Curvelo was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move, as initially reported earlier today by Daniel Alvarez-Montes of El Extra Base.  Curvelo was already on the 40-man roster, so no additional roster move was necessary.

Signed to a one-year, $1.25MM free agent deal last winter, Webb has provided steady work out of the Texas bullpen this year, with a 3.75 ERA over 48 innings.  His 19.5% strikeout rate is the lowest of his six MLB seasons, and a .232 BABIP has helped Webb outperform his 4.15 SIERA.  Still, there isn’t a big gap between Webb’s real-world numbers and his expected numbers, as he has done an outstanding job of inducing soft contact.  The righty’s seven percent walk rate is also a personal best.

Losing Webb for at least the next two weeks won’t help a Rangers team that is fighting for a playoff berth, especially since Chris Martin was also put on the IL due to a calf strain last week.  The Texas relief corps has been very impressive overall this year, but the Rangers are known to be looking for high-leverage relievers to try and bring a steady closer into the mix before tomorrow’s trade deadline.

Curvelo’s first in-game appearance will mark the 24-year-old’s big league debut.  Despite his young age, Curvelo is in his seventh season of pro ball, as he started as a 17-year-old in the Mariners’ system in 2017.  He joined the Rangers this past winter on a Major League contract, speaking to the amount of interest Curvelo generated despite his lack of MLB experience.

Curvelo made his Triple-A debut this season and has a 3.26 ERA, 23.5% strikeout rate, and 10.6% walk rate over 38 2/3 innings with Round Rock.  These aren’t the kind of special numbers that it would take to get a relief-only pitcher onto a team’s top prospects list, yet Curvelo has looked good enough against Triple-A batters that he’ll now get his first chance to show his wares at the MLB level.  It remains to be seen if Curvelo will just get a cup of coffee in the majors or if he’ll get a longer look if he pitches well, considering that the Rangers’ bullpen situation could be quite different after tomorrow.

Cubs Designate Chris Flexen

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The Cubs have designated right-hander Chris Flexen for assignment, according to multiple members of the Cubs beat (including Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times).  Right-hander Gavin Hollowell was called up from Triple-A Iowa in the corresponding move.

Signed to a minor league deal this past winter, Flexen’s contract was selected to Chicago’s roster at the start of May and he immediately reeled off 21 1/3 innings over 12 outings without allowing an earned run.  Even through 29 innings and 16 appearances, Flexen’s ERA stood at a minuscule 0.62, making him look like a gem of an under-the-radar signing.

Unfortunately, the magic has worn off, as Flexen has given up 13 ER over his last five outings, translating to a 7.98 ERA over his last 14 2/3 innings of work.  The warning signs were apparent before Flexen’s rough July got underway, as he has only a 12.4% strikeout rate over his 43 2/3 total innings, and the right-hander has benefited greatly from a .226 BABIP.  Since Flexen’s 3.09 ERA is dwarfed by a 4.94 SIERA, the Cubs have decided to move on from the 31-year-old.

Flexen worked primarily as a multi-inning reliever, and his tenure in Wrigleyville included one four-inning start.  He has been a starter for most of his career and tossed 160 innings for the White Sox just in 2024, but his low-strikeout and contact-heavy approach makes him a risk for regular turns in a rotation, as Flexen’s 2021-22 seasons with the Mariners represent his only consistent run of results as a starter at the MLB level.  Eating innings in any capacity is a valuable skill, however, so it certainly seems as though another club in need of some bullpen depth might claim Flexen on waivers or work out a low-level trade with the Cubs.

The contract selection locked in a $1.5MM salary for Flexen over the 2025 season.  With 91 days of Major League service time logged this season, Flexen now has over five years of career service time, so he can now reject an outright assignment to the minors and elect free agency if he clears waivers.

Royals Designate Rich Hill For Assignment

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The Royals announced that veteran southpaw Rich Hill has been designated for assignment.  The move opens up roster space for right-hander Thomas Hatch, whose contract has been selected from Triple-A Omaha.

After being released by the Red Sox last September, the 45-year-old Hill didn’t sign a contract until inking a minors deal with Kansas City in May.  Hill pitched 11 outings of ramp-up work in the minor leagues before his contract was selected to the Royals’ roster a week ago today, and he’ll head into DFA limbo with a 5.00 ERA to show for his two starts in a K.C. uniform.

Hill allowed just one earned run over five innings against the Cubs but received no run support in a 6-0 loss on July 22, and the Braves touched him up for four earned runs (on six walks, three hits, and two homers allowed) in as many innings in a start yesterday.  That was apparently enough for the Royals to designate Hill, and he may now be headed for yet another chapter in a career that has now stretched across 21 Major League seasons.

If Hill clears waivers, he obviously has more than enough service time to reject an outright assignment to Triple-A, so the ball is in his court as to his next step.  Hill may opt to just remain with the Royals, and while the club could release him, the Royals may want some rotation depth available in Omaha with so many other starters on the injured list.

A waiver claim isn’t out of the question, given how many teams need starting depth right now, and could still need more arms depending on how the trade deadline shakes out.  Pitching-needy clubs could wait until after the 5pm CT deadline on Thursday to put in a claim on Hill, should they have a sudden hole to fill in a rotation following a trade or two.

Should Hill head to free agency once more, it remains to be seen if he’ll be able to find another minor league contract elsewhere, given how long it took him to land with the Royals.  Yet another reunion with the Red Sox can’t be ruled out, or Hill could try to find a brand-new organization in an attempt to secure a unique place in the record books.  Hill and Edwin Jackson share the record for most career teams (14), so suiting up with a 15th different club at the big league level would make Hill the most well-traveled player in MLB history.  Retirement is naturally another option, if Hill decides to finally hang up his cleats after 24 total years in pro ball.

To put it in perspective, Hatch was only seven years old when Hill was drafted by the Cubs in 2002.  Hatch signed a minor league deal with K.C. during the offseason and has yet to see any big league action — his contract was previously selected on June 5 but just for the first game of a doubleheader, and Hatch was DFA’ed before the nightcap.

Assuming that this stint with the Royals leads to an in-game appearance, it will mark Hatch’s first time on a Major League mound since the 2023 season.  The 30-year-old Hatch posted a 4.96 ERA over 69 MLB innings with the Blue Jays and Pirates from 2020-23 before he spent the 2024 campaign in Japan with the Hiroshima Carp.  Hatch has a 4.22 ERA, 20.1% strikeout rate, and 7.2% walk rate across 91 2/3 innings and 18 Triple-A starts this year, and he’ll be the next pitcher to try and fill a hole in Kansas City’s injury-riddled rotation.

Marlins Select Troy Johnston’s Contract

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The Marlins have selected the contract of first baseman/outfielder Troy Johnston from Triple-A, as MLB.com’s Christina De Nicola reported earlier today.  No corresponding moves are needed, as Miami haf space on both its 26-man and 40-man rosters following the now-official trade that sent Nick Fortes to the Rays.

Johnston will be making his Major League debut whenever he appears in a game, which will mark a long-awaited career highlight for the 28-year-old.  A 17th-round pick for the Marlins in the 2019 draft, Johnston has played at the Triple-A level in each of the last four seasons, with a solid .267/.345/.438 slash line, 35 home runs, and 57 stolen bases (from 66 attempts) to show for 1224 plate appearances at Miami’s top affiliate.

Despite these numbers, Johnston is only now getting his first look at the big league level.  Ely Sussman of the Fish On First blog observes that Johnston would have been eligible for minor league free agency this year if he hadn’t been selected to the 40-man roster, so today’s move erases that scenario.

For now, the left-handed hitting Johnston figures to get some at-bats at first base in a platoon with the righty-swinging Eric Wagaman.  He could also get some time at DH when Agustin Ramirez is behind the plate, and since Kyle Stowers missed yesterday’s game with an illness, Johnston might get some work in the outfield.  Some more playing time could emerge for Johnston depending on the Marlins’ deadline plans, as Jesus Sanchez is a speculative trade candidate.

Red Sox Sign Chadwick Tromp To Minors Contract

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The Red Sox have signed Chadwick Tromp to a minor league contract, as WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford encountered the catcher in the Triple-A Worcester dugout today.  The Orioles designated Tromp for assignment earlier this week and he elected free agency two days ago after clearing waivers, as Tromp had the right to reject an outright assignment in favor of a return to the open market.

The decision has now led to a quick new agreement with the Sox, as Tromp joins the fifth different organization of his 13-year pro career.  Tromp has appeared in each of the last six Major League seasons but only in sparing fashion, with 67 games on his MLB resume.  That includes two games with the Braves and six games with the Orioles in 2025, with Tromp getting 22 plate appearances (and delivering a .515 OPS).  He has hit .221/.230/.390 over 178 PA in the bigs and a much more respectable .253/.327/.416 slash line in 1414 career PA at the Triple-A level.

Solid glovework has been Tromp’s key to continual employment rather than his bat, and his lack of minor league options has already led to two trips through DFA limbo this year.  He’ll now join Seby Zavala as Worcester catchers with some big league experience, providing the Red Sox with some depth behind the active roster’s tandem of Carlos Narvaez and Connor Wong.

Tigers Interested In Merrill Kelly, But Prioritizing Relief Pitching

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A once-dominant season for the Tigers has sprung some leaks, as the club has lost 13 of its last 16 games.  Detroit still has a nine-game lead in the AL Central so it’s far from panic mode just yet, but some help is clearly needed at the deadline, as evidenced by yesterday’s trade that brought Chris Paddack to the rotation in place of the injured Reese Olson.

Another rotation upgrade could be under consideration, as John Gambadoro of 98.7 FM Phoenix writes that “the Tigers like Merrill Kelly.”  The Diamondbacks right-hander is seen as likely to be moved by the deadline since Arizona has started moving other impending free agents like Josh Naylor, though it remains to be seen if the Tigers could emerge as an ardent suitor.  Gambadoro notes that the Tigers are primarily focused on adding relief pitching, which tracks with recent reports linking Detroit to such bullpen arms as Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, and David Bednar.

This isn’t to say that president of baseball operations Scott Harris isn’t exploring plenty of options, as the Tigers are also reportedly showing interest in third basemen like Ke’Bryan Hayes and another big Arizona trade chip (and former Tiger) Eugenio Suarez.  Detroit’s rotation also needed help even before Olson went down, as there’s still uncertainty over the fifth starter’s role behind Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty, Casey Mize, and now Paddack.

Adding Kelly would be a nice way to solidify the starting pitching situation, which in turn would indirectly also make things a little easier on Detroit’s struggling relief corps.  Kelly has bounced back well from an injury-shortened 2024 season by posting a 3.22 ERA over 128 2/3 innings for the D’Backs this year.  His 23.5% strikeout rate, 45% groundball rate, and 7.4% walk rate are all above league average, though a .247 BABIP has helped Kelly get away with allowing a lot of hard contact.

His higher 3.78 SIERA reflects that batted-ball luck, though Kelly has continued the good form he has shown for almost all of his seven-season run with the Diamondbacks.  Kelly also posted good numbers during Arizona’s NL pennant run in 2023, and this postseason experience would be helpful to a Tigers squad that surely has designs on making a deeper playoff run this October.  Only around $2.31MM remains on Kelly’s $7MM salary, making him an affordable fit for pretty much any contender.

Kelly discussed his situation with the Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro and other reporters on Saturday, following what could be the right-hander’s final start in a D’Backs uniform in 2025, but perhaps not ever.  Even if he is dealt before Thursday’s deadline, Kelly said he and his agent have both expressed interest in a reunion in free agency this winter.

“Obviously, I understand the nature of the beast and the business aspect of it,” Kelly said.  “The idea of, if I do get traded and if I do go somewhere…the chance to win is obviously in the forefront of my mind.  That all being said, I love being here. I have always loved being here. I would always be open to being a Snake moving forward.”

Yankees Notes: Judge, Bellinger, Goldschmidt, Slater, Schlittler

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Aaron Judge’s right flexor strain continues to be the overarching story impacting the Yankees’ business on and off the field as the trade deadline approaches.  Manager Aaron Boone provided some more details on Judge’s status in an interview with Jomboy Media’s “Talkin’ Yanks” podcast (link to X) today, saying that Judge is slated to start hitting off a tee no later than tomorrow.  It will still be 10-15 more days before Judge is able to throw, however, keeping with the initial expectation that Judge will be limited to DH duty when he is able to return to New York’s lineup.

Judge received a PRP injection in order to help the healing process, and if he is able to swing without discomfort, that should allow him to get back into the field at least as a designated hitter.  It’s a good sign that Judge is already set to take some swings, though there won’t be many sighs of relief in the Bronx until Judge is officially back from the 10-day IL, and perhaps not until he is able to take his regular spot back in right field.  The longer Judge is DH-locked, the longer Giancarlo Stanton will have to play the outfield, which is itself a roll of the dice considering Stanton’s lengthy injury history.

The ripple effect of Judge’s injury can’t be understated, as the superstar’s absence adds to the recent misery for a Yankees team that is 15-24 over its last 39 games.  While the Yankees are 57-49 and remain the AL’s top wild card team, SNY’s Andy Martino reported yesterday that the club was considering selling some talent at the deadline if Judge’s elbow issue had proved to be season-ending.  Following up on that report, Martino adds that the Yankees floated Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt in talks with at least one team.  Goldschmidt is an impending free agent, and Bellinger can opt out of his $25MM player option for 2026 and enter the open market as well following the season.

This could just be due diligence and an example of how front offices tend to prepare for any scenario, as Martino again stressed that it is quite unlikely that the Bronx Bombers will be anything but deadline buyers.  New York has already been busy on the trade front in adding Ryan McMahon and Amed Rosario, and remain linked to multiple other players on the rumor mill.

Austin Slater is the latest name in the mix, as ESPN’s Buster Olney lists Slater as one of the right-handed hitting outfielders on the Bombers’ list of possible targets.  The veteran outfielder is hitting .244/.308/.437 over 131 plate appearances for the White Sox this season, with an .897 OPS in 74 PA against left-handed pitching.

A right meniscus tear shelved Slater for about five weeks earlier this season, but has looked good since returning in May.  Slater is one of the more inexpensive rentals on the market, as he has only around $580K remaining on his $1.75MM salary for the 2025 campaign.  He’d fit into any team’s budget at that number, so plenty of teams beyond just the Yankees figure to be checking in with the White Sox.

As Martino noted, the Yankees may be more apt to make modest deadline upgrades than to swing any real headline-grabbing trades.  If the club did do something a little more consequential like move a highly-touted prospect, Cam Schlittler might be a player to watch, as MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch writes that the right-hander “is rumored to be near the top of several wish lists” from rival teams.

Schlittler is just three starts into his big league career, with a 4.91 ERA over his 14 2/3 inning in the Show.  His 13.2% walk rate and three home runs allowed are signs of growing pains, but Schlittler has posted very good numbers in the minors since being a seventh-round pick for New York in the 2022 draft.  Offering a big league-ready young starter can open the door in many trade talks, yet given how the Yankees are themselves stretched for rotation depth, they might well see the value in keeping Schlittler for the rest of the 2025 stretch run, let alone for the future.

Padres Interested In Anthony Bender

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The Padres are one of multiple clubs with trade interest in Marlins right-hander Anthony Bender, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal.  Bender was listed 38th on MLBTR’s most recent ranking of the top 50 trade deadline candidates, and he is a controllable player who isn’t eligible for free agency until after the 2027 season.

A 20th-round pick for the Royals back in the 2016 draft, Bender has spent all four of his Major League seasons in Miami, where he has quietly established himself as a very solid bullpen arm.  Bender has a career 2.98 ERA over 178 innings, including a 1.83 ERA over 44 1/3 frames this season.  The grounder specialist has a 50% groundball rate, and Bender’s key pitch is a sweeper that has dominated opposing batters since the reliever introduced the pitch to his arsenal prior to the 2024 season.

Bender’s strikeout rates have been inconsistent, and his modest 19.9 K% this year is well below the league average.  As a groundball pitcher, batted-ball luck is a more prominent factor in Bender’s results, and his .188 BABIP explains why his SIERA (4.16) is far above his eye-opening ERA.  Bender has also allowed a lot of hard contact this year but not high-impact contact, as he has strong barrel metrics and has given up only three homers in his 44 1/3 innings this year (and 14 home runs in his career).

The Marlins haven’t really had a primary closer this season, and Bender has been in the mix by recording three saves.  It would seem that most teams interested in his services would probably view him as a set-up man more than a closer candidate, though the Padres’ situation is interesting in this regard.  Closer Robert Suarez is technically under contract through the 2027 season, though he is widely expected to opt out of the final two years of his deal and test free agency this winter, making him unofficially something of a rental player heading into the deadline.

There has been speculation that the Padres could look to trim some salary by dealing Suarez to a team in need of saves, and then having one (or a closer committee) of Jeremiah Estrada, Jason Adam, and Adrian Morejon handle the ninth inning.  Bender could hypothetically be added to this mix, giving San Diego another experienced arm for high-leverage work.  The Padres are known to be working within pretty tight payroll parameters while trying to remain in contention, so trading Suarez and acquiring a reliever like Bender at a lower cost would be a creative way of threading the needle.

It should be noted that Miami is 25-14 over its last 39 games, bringing the Fish up to a 50-55 record.  While this is a sign that the rebuild is moving in a positive direction, there is no indication that the Marlins will be doing anything but selling before Thursday’s trade deadline.  Cal Quantrill is the only impending free agent on Miami’s roster, so the Marlins seem likely to trade from their long list of controllable players with some MLB experience (like Bender) to continue to add more young talent.

Minor MLB Transactions: 7/29/25

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Here’s the latest on some players who were recently designated for assignment and cleared waivers, with all info coming from each respective player’s MLB.com profile page…

  • Reliever Chris Devenski elected free agency rather than accept an outright assignment to the Mets’ Triple-A team.  New York designated Devenski for assignment last week, and since he has been outrighted in the past, he had the right to reject the Triple-A assignment and return to the open market.  The right-hander signed a minor league deal with the Mets last winter and delivered a 2.38 ERA over 11 1/3 MLB innings, with a solid 6.7% walk rate.  Devenski’s .226 BABIP and 20% strikeout rate weren’t as impressive, which could explain why the Mets took the DFA route instead of optioning Devenski to Triple-A, as they did on three previous occasions this season.  Devenski has enough big league service time that he had to agree to being optioned to the minors, so it could be that he rejected another trip to Syracuse.
  • The Phillies outrighted right-hander Ryan Cusick to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.  Cusick was DFA’ed three days ago, making the fourth time the righty has been designated this season, though this is the first time he cleared waivers without being claimed away by another team.  The flurry of roster moves has seen the A’s, Tigers, White Sox, and Phillies all have Cusick in their organizations within the last two months, though it appears as he’ll be sticking in Philadelphia for a little while longer.  Cusick has a 7.99 ERA over 23 2/3 combined Triple-A innings this season, and the former first-round pick (selected 24th overall by the Braves in the 2021 draft) is still waiting for his Major League debut.
  • The Royals outrighted outfielder Tyler Gentry to Triple-A Omaha.  Gentry was designated for assignment a week ago as part of the corresponding roster moves to officially add Rich Hill to the K.C. roster.  A third-round pick for the Royals in the 2020 draft, Gentry made his MLB debut in the form of three games and five plate appearances during the 2024 season, but hasn’t since returned to the Show.  Gentry has hit only .205/.277/.365 over 249 plate appearances with Omaha this year.

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