Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Trade Deadline Outlook: Detroit Tigers

By | at

MLBTR’s new team-by-team deadline preview series continues with a look at the Tigers. Detroit entered the season as fringe contenders, but have emerged as the clear best team in the American League and possess MLB's best record overall coming out of the All-Star break. That's been thanks to some surprise breakout performances, as well as the club's top stars playing as expected. The Tigers are one of the most obvious buyers in the sport this trade season, though with a well-balanced roster there are few glaring holes they're desperate to upgrade.

Record: 59-38 (99.0% playoff probability, per FanGraphs)

For other entrants in this series, see this post.

Buy Mode

Potential needs: Infield, center field, starting pitching, bullpen help

The Tigers have a well-constructed team without many needs they absolutely must upgrade. With that being said, there's at least some room for improvement virtually everywhere on the roster. A roster full of versatile position players who can be moved around as needed means that the Tigers can afford to be creative in upgrading their lineup this summer, and for a team with an above-average but not necessarily outstanding offense that figures to be a good place to start. Players like Javier Baez and Zach McKinstry are capable of playing virtually all over the diamond as needed, and while others like Colt Keith and Matt Vierling aren't quite as versatile, they can at least move around a handful of positions to give Detroit some further flexibility.

As presently constructed, the clearest hole in the Tigers' lineup appears to be center field. The combination of Parker Meadows and Vierling simply hasn't gotten it done this year. Both spent time on the injured list early in the season but now sport wRC+ marks of 55 and 50 respectively, although both of those figures come in fairly small sample sizes. That's especially true of Vierling, who has been healthy enough to get into just 13 games this season. Perhaps the Tigers could bet on the pair to find the form they flashed last year if given enough runway, but both hitters have options remaining and the club will surely be looking to maximize this opportunity given the dwindling team control of Tarik Skubal.

Cedric Mullins is a rental who could be available and would raise the floor for the Tigers in the outfield, with a 101 wRC+ this year and at least passable defense (though his bat has gone cold after a huge April). Mullins typically does his best work against right-handed pitching with a 115 wRC+ for his career and below-average numbers against fellow lefties, but this season he's actually posted reverse splits with a 140 wRC+ in 72 plate appearances against southpaws as compared to an 86 wRC+ against righties in a larger sample. Perhaps the Tigers would be willing to offer him everyday reps in the outfield, but even in some sort of timeshare with Baez, Meadows, and Vierling, Mullins would be an upgrade for a weak spot in the club's lineup.

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

Poll: Which Team Should Be Most Aggressive For Eugenio Suarez?

By | at

After entering the season with big expectations, the Diamondbacks have been dogged by injuries throughout the year and seen key players like Zac Gallen and Brandon Pfaadt perform below expectations. It’s left them with a 47-50 record headed into the second half, and while the front office has not yet outright declared themselves sellers, they seemingly haven’t closed the door on the idea either.

Arizona has a number of intriguing rentals they could dangle this summer to contending clubs, but perhaps the best of them all is third baseman Eugenio Suárez. The 33-year-old is in the midst of what figures to be a career year and has already clubbed 31 homers in just 95 games. As the best bat available this summer, he should attract plenty of attention. For which teams would he make the most sense? A look at some of the top options:

New York Yankees

The Yankees entered 2025 without a solid plan for the infield, and their situation has only gotten more dire. Oswaldo Cabrera suffered an ankle injury that’s left him unlikely to return to the field this year, and the club recently cut ties with DJ LeMahieu in order to move Jazz Chisholm Jr. back to second base. That leaves New York to rely on Oswald Peraza and Jorbit Vivas at the hot corner, a combination that doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. Suárez would be the perfect addition to a Yankees lineup that has too often relied on Aaron Judge to carry the load of producing on a regular basis by himself, and Suárez’s righty bat would help to balance a lineup dominated by lefties like Chisholm, Cody Bellinger, Ben Rice, and Austin Wells. As tempting as Suárez may be, however, injuries to players like Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt leave the rotation perhaps even more in need of reinforcements than the lineup. The Yankees would also pay a 110% tax on what’s left of Suárez’s $15MM salary ($5.89MM as of this writing).

Chicago Cubs

The Cubs have had a strong year so far and entered the All-Star break in first place thanks primarily to their star-studded offense. Shoring up a patchwork rotation should be the top priority for this team, but Chicago does have one of the worst third base situations in the majors. Matt Shaw entered this year as a consensus top-30 prospect in the sport and may well still be the team’s long-term solution at the hot corner, but his 61 wRC+ won’t cut it on a contender. Jon Berti and Vidal Brujan have been no better offensively, so any upgrade at third would need to be external. There aren’t many teams for whom Suárez would represent a more substantial upgrade over their internal options, and adding him to the middle of the Cubs’ order to push players like Dansby Swanson and Ian Happ down the lineup would make one of the league’s best offenses even more potent.

Milwaukee Brewers

Nipping at Chicago’s heels in the NL Central race, the Brewers sit just one game back after playing extremely well the past few weeks. With Brandon Woodruff, Freddy Peralta and Jacob Misiorowski set to front the rotation and several solid back-end options, the Brewers appear to be the rare contender mostly set on the pitching front. Where they could use upgrades is on offense — particularly on the left side of the infield. Caleb Durbin has done a solid enough job at third base, but with Joey Ortiz struggling at shortstop and no obviously impactful trade candidates at that position, perhaps adding Suárez could bolster the lineup while allowing the Brewers to occasionally shift Durbin to second base and Brice Turang to shortstop. While the position fit is perhaps imperfect, Suárez would help transform the middle of a Milwaukee lineup that has seriously missed the contributions of Willy Adames this year. It’s fair to wonder whether Suárez fits the within the budget, however.

Seattle Mariners

Perhaps the best fit for Suárez would be a homecoming of sorts. The Mariners have long needed help on offense to complement their cache of young pitching talent, and this year is no different. Rookie Ben Williamson is handling the hot corner on a regular basis as things stand and playing good defense with minimal offense (.259/.294/.321, 79 wRC+).

Bringing Suárez back into the fold would transform the lineup, giving the team a second bona fide slugger alongside Cal Raleigh who could form a strong offensive nucleus with Randy Arozarena and Julio Rodriguez. The Mariners traded Suárez to the D-backs in the first place following the 2023 season — a move necessitated by an ownership mandate to reduce payroll. There is interest in a reunion, but would Seattle submit the top bid to reacquire a rental player they traded 21 months ago when other more surefire postseason clubs are in the bidding?

Other Options

The four clubs mentioned above are arguably the strongest fit for Suárez’s services, but they’re far from the only realistic options. The Reds would represent another homecoming for Suárez and have one of the worst third base situations in the majors at the moment. The Tigers — Suárez’s original organization — have gotten solid production from All-Stars Zach McKinstry and Javier Baez at the hot corner, but both are versatile and Suárez would add some more thump to a win-now lineup. The Blue Jays have a solid offense and are enjoying a breakout season from Addison Barger at third base, but he could just as easily be moved to right field to clear the deck for Suárez. The Mets have moved Mark Vientos off third base amid a difficult season, and Suárez would be a clear upgrade over Ronny Mauricio and Brett Baty on the infield.

Suárez’s elite power and ability to play a solid third base make him an attractive target for any club hoping to add a little thump to the lineup. Which team should push hardest to acquire him? Have your say in the poll below:

The Opener: Royals, Bubble Teams, Transactions

By | at

Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day:

1. Are the Royals buyers?

The first post-draft trade of the year took place yesterday and, while it shouldn’t shock anyone that the Pirates sold off veteran infield rental Adam Frazier, it’s at least a mild surprise that the buying club was the Royals. Kansas City has a pedestrian 47-50 record to this point in the year and remains 4.5 games out of the AL Wild Card picture. While they aren’t buried in the postseason picture, FanGraphs gives them just an 11.7% chance of making the postseason. That left many assuming that they were more likely to sell off short-term pieces like Seth Lugo than add rental players this summer, though it’s at least possible Frazier is something of a special case. The Royals are familiar with the 33-year-old after he was part of the club last year, and given the fact that he’s hitting just .255/.318/.336 this season he wasn’t exactly expensive in trade.

Still, the deal makes the Royals a team to keep an eye on coming out of the break, as a win streak could push them further away from selling. The Royals open the second half with three games in Miami, followed by three in Chicago against the Cubs. They’ll then host the Guardians and Braves in their final two series prior to the July 31 deadline.

2. Bubble teams nearing decision time:

While the Royals may have tipped their hand about their deadline plans to some extent, they’re far from the only team on the bubble between buying and selling. Fresh rumors about the Diamondbacks’ deadline strategy surfaced yesterday, and it wouldn’t be a shock if teams like the Braves, Twins, Rangers, and Reds joined them in sending some additional signals about their trade deadline strategies coming out of the All-Star break. Depending on how many teams decide to sell this summer, perhaps there’s even room for an opportunistic club more clearly on the buy-side of things like the Red Sox or Rays to part ways with a piece like Jarren Duran or Taj Bradley (both of whom have been in the rumor mill) in the right deal.

3. Transactions kicking up ahead of return to play:

Yesterday saw a handful of transactions around the league as teams start to begin preparations for the second half. The Rangers placed Jake Burger on the injured list to maximize their ability to backdate the IL stint, and it’s possible that any players around the league nursing potential injuries who played on Sunday could similarly be placed on the shelf today if their club believes a minimum stint is on the table. Aside from that, there was some movement surrounding the waiver wire as Elvin Rodriguez was plucked off waivers by the Orioles while Rob Brantly was DFA’d by the Marlins. Multiple players triggered opt-out provisions in their minor league contracts as well. Additional minor transactions like those could begin to take place today as teams prepare for their impending return to the field tomorrow, to say nothing of the possibility of another trade or two breaking today.

Poll: Which Team Had The Most Impressive First Half?

By | at

The All-Star game is now behind us, and we’re in the lull before games kick back up and the second half begins. There’s still plenty of baseball left to play, but in the meantime we’ll take stock of the state of the 2025 season and weigh which team impressed the most during the first half of the season. A look at some of the league’s top teams:

Detroit Tigers (59-38)

Entering the All-Star break with MLB’s best record is a surefire way to get serious consideration for an accolade like this, but the Tigers are arguably even more impressive than their record lets on given just how much they’ve outperformed their preseason expectations. Fangraphs projected the Tigers for a record of just 83-79, with a  sub-50% chance to make the postseason. Detroit would have to win only 25 games over the season’s final ten weeks in order to beat that projection, thanks to strong performances from surprise All-Stars Javier Baez, Gleyber Torres, and Zach McKinstry alongside the ever impressive work of stars like Riley Greene and Tarik Skubal.

Los Angeles Dodgers (58-39)

That the Dodgers have the best record in the National League is practically assumed in recent years, which speaks to the overwhelming dominance of the team Andrew Friedman and the rest of the front office have constructed. Shohei Ohtani is back on the mound and putting together another likely MVP campaign, Will Smith is having a career season behind the plate, and bottom-of-the-lineup players like Andy Pages and Hyeseong Kim are contributing. While dominance in Los Angeles is hardly a surprise, it’s nonetheless impressive that they’ve been able to maintain their high standard of play even in spite of the rising tide of competitive teams in the National League, extended slumps from both Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, and a patchwork rotation that at points in the first half had more Cy Young awards on the injured list than healthy members of its projected Opening Day rotation.

Chicago Cubs (57-39)

The Cubs’ front office entered 2025 feeling pressure after seven years without winning a playoff game and four without so much as a postseason appearance. That helped convince them to swing a trade for superstar Kyle Tucker, who has anchored their lineup alongside breakout MVP candidate Pete Crow-Armstrong. Tucker and Crow-Armstrong get the majority of the attention, but Seiya Suzuki, Michael Busch, and even veteran backstop Carson Kelly have put together strong seasons in their own rights. A pitching staff that lost both of its top starters early has been carried by a strong showing from offseason addition Matthew Boyd. It’s been enough to put them in the driver’s seat of the NL Central, and while that may have been expected entering the season, Chicago has made a statement by entering the second half in position to nab a bye through the Wild Card round.

Houston Astros (56-40)

After getting knocked out of the first round of the playoffs last year and the aforementioned Tucker trade, the Astros were a trendy pick to finally lose their grip on the AL West this year. They’ve answered the doubters impressively, plugging along despite getting virtually no production from Yordan Alvarez—or any other left-handed hitter, for that matter. Isaac Paredes has looked right at home in Daikin Park, and Cam Smith has taken to the majors quite well despite being getting just a handful of games at the Double-A level ahead of his big league debut. The real story of the season for the Astros has been in the rotation, however, as Hunter Brown has stepped up to make himself a true ace and legitimate Cy Young contender in a season where Houston would’ve otherwise had little certainty outside of pending free agent Framber Valdez.

Toronto Blue Jays (55-41)

The narrative surrounding the Blue Jays was such a bleak one entering this season that it’s impossible to ignore how quickly they’ve managed to turn things around. After missing out on the big fish in free agency for the second consecutive year, it seemed entering the season that the questions facing Toronto this summer would be about the future of Ross Atkins as GM and whether or not they’d need to trade Vladimir Guerrero Jr. before the deadline. A resurgent season from George Springer, a career year for Alejandro Kirk, and the breakout of Addison Barger have come together to help push this club to the top of a competitive AL East, however, and with both Guerrero and Kirk locked up long term the Jays should be looking towards brighter days in the future, as well.

Other Options

While those five teams have put together some of the most impressive first halves of the season, they’re far from the only contenders. The Phillies and Mets are locked in a tight battle for control of the NL East, and the starting pitching in Queens has been a pleasant surprise given the contributions of pieces like Griffin Canning (before his season-ending Achilles tear) and Clay Holmes. The Giants and Cardinals both entered this season viewed as potential deadline sellers but have put together strong enough campaigns to remain within the thick of the playoff race.

The Brewers appeared to be a question mark after losing Willy Adames and Devin Williams this offseason, but they’re just one game back of the Cubs in the NL Central and might get even better down the stretch now that Brandon Woodruff and Jacob Misiorowski are contributing. The Mariners have been able to hang in the playoff picture despite lengthy absences for both George Kirby and Logan Gilbert, while the Yankees have overcome significant rotation injuries. The Rays entered the season without even having a proper ballpark and look as strong as ever even after selling off key pieces like Paredes and Tyler Glasnow in recent years.

With so many strong performances in the first half, which team was the most impressive? Have your say in the poll below:

The Opener: Draft Pick Signings, Robertson, Twins

By | at

On the heels of an exciting All-Star game, here are three things to keep an eye on around the baseball world while the league is on break:

1. Draft pick signings:

This year’s iteration of the MLB draft wrapped up earlier this week, and that means it’s time for clubs around the league to work on signing their picks. The Mariners have reportedly already reached an agreement with third-overall pick Kade Anderson, and several reports of lower-level pick signings have begun to emerge as well. Teams figure to spend the next few weeks hard at work to sign their drafted players, as the deadline to strike a deal with members of this year’s class is on July 28. Teams aren’t just negotiating with players they drafted, however. Undrafted free agents have also begun signing, with 22 of the league’s 30 teams having already signed at least one such player according to Baseball America.

2. Will Robertson sign somewhere?

It’s not often that big league-caliber free agents of note remain unsigned into July, but that’s exactly the situation closer David Robertson has found himself in. After not signing during an offseason where he held firm on his asking price, Robertson has begun throwing for teams and is getting recent interest from multiple clubs. Robertson could be an attractive addition to a contending club looking for bullpen help given that he would cost nothing but money, though missing the first half of the season could come with consequences in terms of his performance. Still, bringing in a player with a career 2.91 ERA and 177 saves across 16 years in the majors without having to surrender prospect capital in trade could be a very attractive option for some clubs in contention that either have weak farm systems or are hesitant about prices on the relief market this summer.

3. Could the Twins’ impending sale impact their deadline decisions?

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred spoke to reporters about a variety of topics yesterday, and included in those comments was a belief on Manfred’s part that the Pohlad family would be successful in their efforts to sell the Twins in due time. With the league’s commissioner expressing confidence in public that a sale will go through just two weeks before MLB’s trade deadline, it’s not hard to wonder if the Twins’ deadline approach could be impacted by the looming specter of a sale on at least some level. That could manifest in multiple ways. President of baseball operations Derek Falvey has said he’s not focused on selling, and the Twins are just two games under .500 and four games back in the Wild Card hunt. A potential sale could impact the team’s willingness to take on additional money, however, and it could well have some influence on how far back Minnesota needs to be in the standings before selling off some veteran pieces.

Poll: Who Will Win The 2025 All-Star Game?

By | at

The All-Star game is later today, and fans around the game are waiting eagerly for the star-studded event while baseball’s best players prepare to take the field. These days, the Midsummer Classic doesn’t hold the same influence as it did when it decided home field advantage for the World Series prior to the 2017 season. Even so, the exhibition remains a point of pride for players. The AL has historically dominated over the years, as they won every year between 2013 and 2022 until the NL finally snapped that streak in 2023. The junior circuit took the crown back last year, however. Who will emerge victorious this year? There’s a level of randomness to a one-game event like this one that can’t be ignored, but that doesn’t mean we can’t evaluate the talent on each roster and attempt to predict who will come out on top.

The starting pitchers for each league are difficult to choose between. Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes are two of the most dominating arms in the sport. Skenes has a 2.01 ERA and 27.9% strikeout rate this year, while Skubal has a 2.23 ERA backed up by an absurd 33.4% strikeout rate. Perhaps Skubal’s overwhelming strikeout stuff could give the American League a slight edge, but a number of other arms will appear throughout the game as well. The National League has a couple of more unconventional picks, as veteran lefty Clayton Kershaw will take the mound at some point during the game as a “Legend Pick” by the commissioner’s office despite his numbers in ten starts this year being more solid than spectacular. Another wild card on the NL roster is rookie Jacob Misiorowski, who has started just five MLB games so far but has a 33.7% strikeout rate that rivals that of Skubal.

While there are some reasons to think the pitching options favor the junior circuit, the NL benefits from having arguably the stronger group of position players. Perhaps no one in the NL can hold a candle to the pairing that is Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh, but with Jose Ramirez sitting the game out this year and the unconventional pick of Javier Baez patrolling center field to start the game for the AL it’s not hard to see how the senior circuit could stake out an advantage. All nine of the NL’s elected starters figure to participate in the game, meaning Skubal and the rest of the AL’s pitchers will have to contend with a heart of the order that figures to feature Shohei Ohtani, Ronald Acuna Jr., and Kyle Tucker. The NL also figures to be no slouch defensively, with Francisco Lindor and Pete Crow-Armstrong offering two of the sport’s very best gloves up the middle.

Of course, it’s not just the starters who will play in the game. Jonathan Aranda, Byron Buxton, and Bobby Witt Jr. are among the options on the AL’s star-studded bench, though players like Pete Alonso, Elly De La Cruz, and Corbin Carroll are hardly slouches in their own right. Should Boone and Roberts opt to go for traditional closers in this evening’s game, both will have formidable options as well. Edwin Diaz is representing the Mets this year with a 1.66 ERA and 19 saves so far, while Astros southpaw Josh Hader sports a 2.53 ERA and 25 saves.

Both rosters are extremely impressive from top to bottom, as any collection of All-Stars should be. Which side will come out on top in tonight’s contest? Have your say in the poll below:

The Opener: All-Star Game, Trade Season, MLBTR Chat

By | at

Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day:

1. 2025 All-Star Game:

The main event of the All-Star break is set to take place later today when some of the biggest stars from the AL and NL take the field for the Midsummer Classic. Reigning American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal will take the mound to represent the junior circuit, managed by Yankees skipper Aaron Boone. The National League, led by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, will counter with 2024 National League Rookie of the Year and Cy Young finalist Paul Skenes. Skubal has a 2.23 ERA in 19 starts this year and leads the majors with a 2.01 FIP, while Skenes leads the majors with a 2.01 ERA in 20 starts. Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, Mariners catcher and Home Run Derby champ Cal Raleigh, Orioles first baseman/designated hitter Ryan O’Hearn, and A’s shortstop Jacob Wilson will all start the game in their first career All-Star appearances. The game is slated to begin at 8pm local time in Atlanta and will air on FOX.

2. Trade season to begin?

The 2025 draft has now officially concluded, and that means the attention of front offices around the game can turn fully towards the impending trade deadline. There have already been a handful of deals, including last month’s shocking Rafael Devers blockbuster and the swap that sent draft capital from the Orioles to the Rays in exchange for reliever Bryan Baker last week. For the most part, teams have held off on making moves of real significance. Several clubs on the fringes of playoff contention are still weighing whether to sell off for the future or make an effort to push in this year — or some combination of both. While fans wait for the deals to start rolling in, MLBTR Front Office subscribers and check in on our Trade Deadline Outlook series. Our Top 40 Trade Candidates for the 2025 Deadline, meanwhile, is available to all readers as a primer for trade season.

3. MLBTR chat today:

With the All-Star break underway and the draft in the rearview mirror, MLB’s trade deadline is just over two weeks away! Plenty of deals should be expected between now and then now that trade season can finally kick into full swing, with a number of contenders surely interested in patching holes in their roster ahead of the stretch run. Whether you’re looking ahead to the deadline or still trying to sort between the contenders and pretenders, MLBTR’s Steve Adams has you covered in a live chat scheduled for 1pm CT today. You can click here to ask a question in advance, join in live once the chat begins, or read the transcript once the chat is complete.

The Opener: Home Run Derby, Draft Day 2, Rodriguez

By | at

Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. 2025 Home Run Derby:

All-Star week is officially underway, and with it comes the return of an All-Star week staple: the Home Run Derby. Eight sluggers will battle it out for the $1MM prize, and this year’s participants are Byron Buxton of the Twins, Junior Caminero of the Rays, Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the Yankees, Oneil Cruz of the Pirates, Matt Olson of the Braves, Cal Raleigh of the Mariners, Brent Rooker of the Athletics, and James Wood of the Nationals. The event is scheduled to begin at 8pm ET this evening, and will air on ESPN. Of this crop of contestants, only Olson has participated previously; he was eliminated in the first round back in 2021 while representing the A’s. It’s hard to view anyone other than catcher Cal Raleigh as the favorite headed into today’s event given his MLB-leading 38 homers this year. If he can take home the trophy, he’ll be the first catcher to do so in the event’s history and the first Mariners representative to win the Derby since Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr.

2. MLB Draft Day 2: 

Yesterday, MLB held the first three rounds of the 2025 draft. Eli Willits was drafted first overall by the Nationals, while consensus top talent Ethan Holliday went fourth overall to the Rockies. The full results of the first round can be found here. Now, the attention of teams will turn towards the later rounds of the draft. Rounds 4 through 20 are scheduled to take place today as teams around the league wrap up the draft, with Round 4 slated to begin at 11:30am ET this morning. A handful of top talents fall outside of the first few rounds every year, and that’s once again the case this season. A look at MLB Pipeline’s Draft Tracker reveals three top-50 talents in the draft have not yet been chosen: Oregon outfielder Mason Neville, Lincoln-Way East HS southpaw Jack Bauer, and Memorial HS right-hander Matthew Fisher.

3. Rodriguez to see doctor about ailing elbow:

Rays right-hander Manuel Rodriguez was pulled off his rehab assignment on Friday after experiencing some soreness in his elbow in conjunction with unusually low velocity. Rodriguez, who saw an alarming drop to just 91.2 mph during his latest outing after averaging 96.9 mph throughout the year, will be further evaluated today. The 28-year-old was a key piece of the Rays’ bullpen this year prior to his injury, with a 2.08 ERA and 2.98 FIP in 31 appearances. The Rays acquired Bryan Baker from the Orioles last week in hopes of bolstering their relief corps, though his team debut did not go well (three runs in one inning). A notable absence for Rodriguez could spur Tampa Bay’s front office to further address the bullpen.

Multiple Teams Showing Interest In Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax

By | at

Virtually every contender is looking for relief help come the deadline each season, and the 2025 campaign figures to be no exception to that. According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, two members of the Twins’ bullpen are getting plenty of attention from rival clubs this trade season: closer Jhoan Duran and setup man Griffin Jax. Nightengale highlights the Phillies as one potential suitor, a suggestion that lines up with reporting last week regarding Philadelphia’s interest in the pair, and goes on to list the Tigers, Cubs, Dodgers, and Reds as other clubs that are intrigued by Minnesota’s impact arms.

It’s not hard to see why teams would have interest in the duo. Duran is the bigger name of the two. The 27-year-old has averaged more than 100 mph on his fastball every season of his career and pairs his impressive 31.0% career strikeout rate with a career ground ball rate of 63.9%. That ability to both miss bats and keep the ball on the ground is hard to match, and Duran’s 2.38 ERA since making his big league debut back in 2022 speaks for itself. Jax, meanwhile, pitched poorly as a starter in his rookie season but has posted a 3.22 ERA with a 2.63 FIP, a 30.3% strikeout rate, and a 50.3% ground ball rate since moving to the bullpen in 2022.

A .391 BABIP has held Jax’s results back this year, but he’s striking out an absurd 38.0% of batters faced while walking 5.8%. Duran, meanwhile, has by far the lowest K-BB% of his career in 2025 but is making up for it with an eye-popping 69.2% ground ball rate. Duran is in the midst of the stronger season and has substantial closing experience that Jax lacks, but either one should bring Minnesota back a haul if traded this summer between their dominance and the fact that they can both be controlled via arbitration through the end of the 2027 season.

Of course, all of this hinges on the Twins actually being interested in selling. President of baseball operations Derek Falvey suggested just a few short weeks ago that the club was not “focusing on” the possibility of selling this summer. Minnesota has gone 11-8 since Falvey made those comments, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see them decide to hold onto controllable pieces like Duran and Jax. On the other hand, trading one of the club’s two dominant relievers could make it easier for the club to address other holes in the roster while still retaining the other to serve as one of the sport’s best closers going forward.

Looking at the potential suitors, the Phillies and Reds make a ton of sense as teams that could desperately use reinforcements in the bullpen. Philadelphia’s gamble on Jordan Romano this past winter hasn’t worked out, and a PED suspension for Jose Alvarado means that he’ll not only miss half the year but be ineligible to pitch in the postseason for the Phillies this year. That leaves the club in desperate need of the sort of lockdown relief arm they lost when they allowed both Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez to walk in free agency last year. As for the Reds, Cincinnati’s closer Alexis Diaz was torched to a 12.00 ERA in six outings before being optioned to Triple-A and eventually traded to Los Angeles, where he’s continued to struggle.

The Cubs and Tigers have less glaring needs at the back of their bullpen, but both figure to be very aggressive this summer as they currently sit positioned for a bye through the first round of the playoffs. Adding a dominant closer at the deadline can be a way to push a good team over the edge and make them favorites in the postseason, and while incumbent closers Daniel Palencia and Will Vest are impressive relievers it’s not hard to see why Chicago or Detroit would want a more proven option in the ninth for a playoff run. As for the Dodgers, the club’s splashy additions of Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates to the back of their bullpen have looked a bit shakier than anticipated, and given how aggressively L.A. prioritized adding relief help in the winter it’s understandable they would continue to do so this summer with both of their star additions sporting ERAs approaching 4.00.

Mets Activate Sean Manaea From 60-Day Injured List

By | at

The Mets have activated left-hander Sean Manaea from the 60-day injured list for his season debut. Right-hander Austin Warren was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move, and the Mets already had a vacant 40-man spot for Manaea to take over.

Manaea, 33, has been sidelined all season by an oblique strain and a loose body in his left elbow. He’s now back and ready to resume pitching for a Mets club that’s in a tight battle with the Phillies over control for the NL East, though as noted by MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo he’s slated to pitch in relief of Clay Holmes in his return to the mound today before shifting into a rotation role in the future. The lefty’s rehab starts this season have left something to be desired, as he’s pitched to a 6.27 ERA in 18 2/3 innings of work. Even so, his return should be a major boost for the Mets rotation given that he was their major expenditure on the starting pitching market this past offseason.

That three-year, $75MM guarantee from the Mets is more than justified by his performance last year. The veteran lefty delivered a sterling performance in his first season with New York, where he pitched to a 3.47 ERA in 181 2/3 innings of work while making 32 starts and striking out 24.9% of his opponents. Manaea’s return means that the Mets’ on-paper starting rotation entering the 2025 campaign will be fully healthy for the first time when they return from the All-Star break, as Kodai Senga and Frankie Montas have both recently returned from their IL stints of their own that kept them sidelined for much of the first half.

That trio joins Clay Holmes and David Peterson to round out the Mets’ rotation, and now that the group is fully healthy the club’s need for additional starting pitching help is greatly reduced. Even so, the losses of Griffin Canning, Paul Blackburn, and Tylor Megill to the injured list mean that the Mets are likely to be in the market for some sort of starting pitching help, whether it’s a front-of-the-rotation arm who allows them to utilize a six-man rotation or a depth starter who can swing between the bullpen and rotation as needed. There figures to be plenty of demand for starting pitching, however, and with other clubs like the Cubs, Astros, and Blue Jays likely to be very aggressive on that front it could behoove the Mets to look more towards other areas of the roster as they look for upgrades this trade season, so long as they’re confident in the health of their current group of starters.

As for Warren, the 29-year-old righty has a 1.69 ERA in four appearances for the Mets this season. He’s pitched for the Angels and Giants as well across his five seasons in the majors, and has totaled a 3.00 ERA in 54 innings of work since making his debut back in 2021. He’ll head back to the minor leagues, where he has a career 3.98 ERA and a 26.1% strikeout rate in five seasons of work at Triple-A, and wait for his next opportunity.

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