Headlines

  • Mets, Yankees Among Teams To Show Recent Interest In David Robertson
  • Stuart Sternberg Has Agreed To Sell Rays To Patrick Zalupski, Deal Expected To Be Final By September
  • Nationals Select Eli Willits With First Pick Of 2025 Amateur Draft
  • 2025 MLB Draft, First Round Results
  • Red Sox Place Hunter Dobbins On 15-Day IL Due To ACL Tear
  • Astros Promote Brice Matthews
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

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

MLBTR Chat Transcript

By Steve Adams | July 15, 2025 at 1:00pm CDT

Steve Adams

  • Good morning! Hope everyone enjoyed the Derby last night! We’ll get going at 1pm CT today, but feel free to submit questions ahead of time.
  • Greetings!
  • Let’s begin.

Tim

  • What’s a comparative contract to what bichette is looking for?

Steve Adams

  • He’s going to hit free agency ahead of his age-28 season and as (assuming this keeps up) a well above-average hitter in six of his seven MLB seasons, with an injury-ruined 2024 campaign being the outlier.I don’t see any reason he wouldn’t be looking to top the deals signed by Javier Baez (6 years, $140MM), Trevor Story (6/140), Dansby Swanson (7/177) and Willy Adames (7/182) — especially since he’s going to hit free agency a year younger than all of them were when they got to the market.

Brian

  • Biggest Phillies need at deadline…OF help or bullpen arms?

Steve Adams

  • Bullpen help, but it doesn’t have to be one or the other.

Steve Cohen

  • Who would you list as the leading Candidates for ROY in each league? Does Jacob  Misorowski have a legitimate shot?

Brewers Fan

  • Assumig Misiorowski wins the ROY, how does that change his status with us? Do we lose a year of control? He wasn’t promoted early enough to get a draft pick through the promotional program thing right? The rules around that stuff always confuse me…

Steve Adams

  • I love Misiorowski, but Rookie of the Year talk is pretty premature with only five starts. I think it’s fine that they took the buzzworthy rookie and put him on the All-Star team, but to call him the ROY favorite when Drake Baldwin is hitting .279/.351/.479 with plus defense in 65 games feels aggressive.Miz could absolutely end up getting there, but he needs to stay healthy and needs to remain as effective as he’s been, which isn’t a surefire thing for a guy who’s walking 11% of his opponents and benefiting from a .160 BABIP.

    Misiorowski will earn a full year of service if he finishes first or second in ROY voting. The Brewers wouldn’t get a pick for that since he wasn’t called up until  midseason.

Curious A’s Fan

  • Is JJ Bleday the A’s best (realistic) trade chip at the deadline?

Steve Adams

  • They’d be selling low, but I can see it. Jeffrey Springs is a more realistic trade option who’d net a decent return, though.

My Name

  • With Buxton’s comments about having a no trade clause, will reporters be done with the trade rumors?

Read more

Steve Adams

  • I’ve never understood the Buxton trade speculation. He has a full NTC and has said repeatedly he’s happy where he is, and the Twins have given zero indication they’re motivated to trade him, Lopez, etc.

Seebs

  • When do you see Crawford coming up and Kepler being traded for a bag of balls?

Steve Adams

  • I could see Kepler being moved regardless of a Crawford promotion. Phils could try to add another outfielder who’s a better fit and simultaneously ship Kepler elsewhere. Doesn’t seem like it’s been the most … agreeable … fit so far.

Desertdawg

  • Do you see the D’Backs going complete fire sale this trade deadline?

Steve Adams

  • No, but I think they’ll trade some impending free agents …. Suarez, Naylor, Gallen, Kelly, Grichuk, Beeks,, Miller if he’s healthy

Mark

  • Why don t the braves just sell their not going anywhere this season

Steve Adams

  • They will — partially anyway. I’d be surprised if they don’t trade Raisel Iglesias and Marcell Ozuna. Maybe Rafael Montero.

Chris H

  • Do the Angels have enough to get E. Suarez from the D-Backs?  In general, I think they should be sellers at the trade deadline, but the hole at 3B has to be filled by someone other than Moncado, Rengifo, or Newman.

Steve Adams

  • Moncada has been fine when healthy. Trading anything of note — and Suarez will cost plenty of note — for a rental upgrade would be a significant misstep for the Angels.

Frustrated Nats Fan

  • How long will THIS rebuild last?

Steve Adams

  • Depends on the direction in the offseason and the Lerners’ willingness to spend to improve the roster.With Gore, Abrams, Wood, Crews and House there’s a decent foundation in place, but that was true last offseason and the biggest move ownership seemingly was comfortable with was re-signing Trevor Williams.

    I’m skeptical they’ll have the pitching to contend and am warming to the idea of them trading Gore for a king’s ransom, but that feels like it’d be an offseason endeavor so that whoever is dictating the return in that package is the permanent GM and not an interim solution.

bass

  • top 2 likeliest closers to be traded at deadline?

Steve Adams

  • David Bednar and Kyle Finnegan?

JT Snow

  • What FV would Joe Ryan bring back?

Steve Adams

  • Multiple young big leaguers and/or 50-FV types.

Trade Deadline Question

  • Good afternoon Steve,
    Who do you think will be the biggest name traded before the deadline?  Bregman might be off that list due to the Red Sox recent 10 game winning streak.  So who do you think will be the biggest name/contract that’s traded?

Steve Adams

  • I don’t think Bregman was ever plausibly on that list. There was some speculation and there were reports to the effect of “If the Red Sox made him available, Team X would be interested.”But realistically, trading a player with a $40MM AAV and a pair of opt-outs remaining is extraordinarily difficult.

    Biggest names that have a real chance to move… Sandy Alcantara, Mitch Keller, Eugenio Suarez, Zac Gallen, Adolis Garcia, Raisel Iglesias, Marcell Ozuna, basically any impending free agent in Baltimore

Jax and Duran

  • Which one of us is most likely to be dealt this month? Are either of us talking extensions with out current employer?

Steve Adams

  • Neither, but Jhoan Duran costs more so I suppose nominally it’d be him. Would take a silly offer from another club to try to force the Twins’ hand.

RAGBRAI

  • If I put the o/u at 3.5 Pirates traded by the deadline, which would you take?

Steve Adams

  • Over.David Bednar, Andrew Heaney, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Caleb Ferguson will all go. Dennis Santana, Mitch Keller, Adam Frazier, Tommy Pham could all go, too. Teams will try on Oneil Cruz, but that seems like a reach.

JN

  • Would Naylor or Suarez cost more to get from AZ?

Steve Adams

  • Suarez, but Naylor should still net a real return.

JErry DIpoto Mind Trick

  • What kind of player could Harry Ford bring back?

Steve Adams

  • He’s a near-MLB-ready catching prospect with a sizable offensive ceiling; he should get them a bat they can control for multiple years, if they move him (which isn’t a given). I’ve seen people ask if Ford would net both Suarez and Naylor, but:1) I don’t think I’d give up Ford for two pure rentals
    2) Not that the D-backs “wouldn’t want” Harry Ford, but they already have a high-end catcher in Gabriel Moreno, so I wonder whether Ford would really be their focus, particularly given the overall depth of the Mariners’ farm system.

Matt Arnold

  • Could I move a young arm for Lawrence Butler or Tyler Soderstrom to give the A’s a young controllable arm in the rotation?

Steve Adams

  • I think you could build a viable trade framework between the A’s sending Soderstrom to the Brewers, sure. Something built around Logan Henderson, perhaps.

Draft Day

  • Sooooo many shortstops taken in the first round of the draft! Why do you think that happened?

Steve Adams

  • Shortstops are generally the best players/athletes on their teams and can slide down the defensive spectrum. Shortstops, pitchers, catchers, third basemen and center fielders are going to dominate the top rounds of the draft in a given year. I’m not sure there was an unprecedented number of shortstops selected or anything within this year’s first few rounds — though 15 of the first 30 is obviously quite a lot. Just happened to be the nature of this year’s class, I supposse.

Brewer Fan

  • Idk how much you follow draft prospects, but any team you think had a particularly good draft?

Steve Adams

  • I don’t focus hugely on the draft. It’s not my area of expertise or anything. I’m not a scout, and if we were going to cover the draft in earnest, it’d be something that’d require a resource to dedicate more than like half their time to, which isn’t a great ROI for us.There’s tons of great draft content at Baseball America, MLB Pipeline, FanGraphs, Baseball Prospectus, ESPN (Kiley McDaniel) and The Athletic (Keith Law).

Soler

  • Would halos have to eat some of his contract to trade him?

Steve Adams

  • They’d have to eat almost all of it. He’s a bat-only player whose bat has been 18% worse than average, and he’s earning $13MM this year and next.

the sad Braves fan

  • How much has Marcell Ozuna’s value declined by his hip injury and poor performance. Thank you for doing these chats!

Steve Adams

  • It’s down, for sure, but there aren’t going to be tons of impact bats available on the market, so he should still garner plenty of interest and net a return of some note.

rocky colovito

  • would not dbacks get more for Suarez if they exercised his $15 M option for next year and traded so team receiving gets 1/2 years of service?

Steve Adams

  • Suarez doesn’t have a $15MM option. They had a $15MM option on him for the 2025 season, which they picked up. He’s a pure free agent at season’s end.

Cards Fan

  • Do you see the Cards buying or sellers at the deadline?

Steve Adams

  • Both? I think they’ll trade Fedde and be open to moving Helsley but could also see them swinging deals to bring in some younger big league arms, for instance.

Patrick

  • Are the Reds buyers or sellers? If buyers, who would they go after?

Steve Adams

  • I’m working on their entry in our ongoing Trade Deadline Outlook series right now. I lean toward modest buyers and expect them to be in on a variety of right-handed-hitting bats and/or some help at 1B.They do have a tough start to the second half with the Mets, Rays and Dodgers standing as three of their first four series opponents, so if it goes south in a hurry that could change.

Orioles

  • What are we doing with Mayo? He’s just sitting on the bench and he needs AB’s

Steve Adams

  • I have long since given up trying to understand what the Orioles are doing with Coby Mayo and Heston Kjerstad. At this point I just hope both of them get traded so they can get an honest everyday look somewhere.You could argue that Kjerstad sort of got that this season, but it was like four weeks of mostly regular at-bats before they started reducing his role.

    I’m not even a huge Kjerstad believer — I like Mayo more — but I still find it baffling that he’ll be 27 in February and have close to two years of MLB service but so far has all of 300 MLB plate appearances across parts of three seasons.

Detmers

  • Lots of halos questions but would cubs send Cassie for detmers 1 for 1? Who says no?

Steve Adams

  • I’m the resident “Detmers will be good eventually!” guy, and I still wouldn’t do Caissie/Detmers 1-for-1 if I were the Cubs.

Jays Hopeful

  • Will the jays swing big this trade deadline? Will they consider moving Arjun Nimmala or Trey Yesavage for a real upgrade?

Steve Adams

  • I expect the Jays to be one of the most active and aggressive buyers at the deadline and don’t think they’ll really have anyone truly off limits. Yesavage is close enough to the majors that he could help in the second half, though, so I can’t imagine him going unless it’s for a controllable and meaningful pitching upgrade.

Natitude

  • What would the potential return be on Mackenzie Gore and 2 years of control?  Should the Nats new leadership entertain such an offer?

Steve Adams

  • Should top what the White Sox got for Garrett Crochet. I don’t think it’d happen before the offseason though, if at all.

Adam

  • Does Willi Castro bring back a real return?

Steve Adams

  • If the Twins sell some veteran pieces, yeah, Castro should net them a nice prospect. That’s not the direction the team is considering right now though, and they open the second half with series against the Rockies, Dodgers and Nats — so two of three pretty winnable series right out of the gate.

Braves Fan

  • I think the Braves should consider trading Murphy. SD needs a catcher. Could Atl pay some of Murphy’s contract and get a better return?

Steve Adams

  • I think they probably will, but catchers are tough to trade midseason — it’s hard to learn an entirely new pitching staff on the fly, mid-playoff push — and there will be more interested clubs in the offseason.Also not at all convinced the Padres have the money to add Murphy. If they had that kind of payroll space, they’d have put together a more interesting slate of offseason additions than Jason Heyward, Connor Joe, Martin Maldonado, Elias Diaz, Jose Iglesias and Gavin Sheets.

    (Yes, they signed PIvetta, but they backloaded that deal in mammoth fashion,  which only further points to limited 2025 resources)

Yoshida

  • Do the redsox trade him?  How much of the contract would they have to eat?

Steve Adams

  • 80-90% of it?Jesse Winker, another LHH “outfielder” who’s best relegated to platoon DH work, got a year and $7.5MM this winter.

Daniel Byrne

  • Tigers are deficient in the bullpen. Do you anticipate they will try to strengthen it?

Steve Adams

  • Every contender will try to strengthen its bullpen. Tigers are no exception and will probably be more aggressive than most, given the steps back from Hurter, Holton, Brieske, etc. this year.

Chris Young

  • Adolis is available? Who am I getting for him?

Steve Adams

  • I don’t think Garcia has massive trade value, given his salary and looming arbitration raise. But I do think the Rangers will listen on him for those reasons. They’ve tried, unsuccessfully, to retool their offense. Garcia probably gets a raise to $13MM+ for his final season of club control. Texas already has more than $131MM on the books next year, and that’s not even including Joc Pederson’s $18.5MM player option, which he’ll exercise.So you’re at $150MM in payroll and need to replace Tyler Mahle, Patrick Corbin and Jon Gray on the roster, plus half the bullpen (Shawn Armstrong, Hoby Milner, Chris Martin, Luke Jackson).

    And you have questions at catcher and the infield corners.

Colin

  • Jose Ramirez available? I’d love to see him in Seattle for a package starting with Harry Ford, Williamson and a bunch of prospects

Steve Adams

  • No, and he has a no-trade clause. But that sort of trade would be tons of fun (and cost more than Ford, Williamson and a smattering of mid-range prospects)

Taker55

  • Who is in the running for this year’s most unforeseeable QO? Trent Grisham?

Steve Adams

  • Grisham is a decent one. Ryan O’Hearn, Tyler Mahle are another couple options after a quick scour of my free agent leaderboards. Probably blanking on an under-the-radar name or two

bill

  • Any chance K Ruiz gets offloaded by the Nats to a team looking for a change of scenery upgrade a t C

Steve Adams

  • With all due respect to Ruiz, I’m not sure which team that’s hoping to add a catching upgrade looks at him and thinks, “Yeah, that’s our guy.” His bat has declined three straights years. His framing is poorly rated. He’s not great at blocking balls. And he’s owed $35MM over five seasons from 2026-30.

FA

  • Any chance Rizzo or Candelario or more of the free agents sign soon? Deadline seems like the time to sign imo

Steve Adams

  • Candelario already signed a minor league deal with the Yankees. Seems like David Robertson is gearing up to sign soon.

Philly A’s

  • Do you see any of this year’s draft picks making it to a bullpen this year?

Steve Adams

  • Gage Wood joining the Phillies in September seems feasible.

Suarez

  • If he isn’t moved, can he get a QO?

Steve Adams

  • He can and wil
  • will*

Guest

  • By telegraphing his extreme need for a left fielder, isn’t Preller harming his bargaining position?

Steve Adams

  • Anyone who watched the Padres sign Connor Joe and Jason Heyward this winter and then saw their LFs produce a combined .221/.282/.322 slash through the All-Star break would know they badly want a left fielder whether Preller stayed silent or whether he took out nationwide billboards proclaiming that he’s interested in any and all left fielders.

Tom Kelly’s blues

  • Is a 56 win 52 loss record on 7/31 good enough for the Twins to buy?

Steve Adams

  • Yeah. I imagine that’d probably give them a share of the Wild Card in the AL or put them within 1-2 games. I doubt they even need to be quite that far over .500.That said, the Twins are up for sale and had major payroll concerns over the winter. I don’t know that they’re going to have the resources to make any significant adds, and even if they did, this front office tends to be pretty conservative on the buy side of things.

Jerry Dipoto

  • Over/under 1.5 trades for me this deadline?

Steve Adams

  • Over

Baines3

  • Best guess-Luis Robert to…

Steve Adams

  • Giants or Reds, with White Sox eating most of the remaining guarantee. (Total guess — I just picked two plausible buyers who rank near the bottom of the league in terms of offense versus left-handed pitching, since that’s one thing Robert is still doing well)

Norbert

  • Do the Angels trade Trout?

Steve Adams

  • No

Darthyen

  • Doesn’t Lourdes Gurriel Jr. make the most sense for what the Blue Jays need (not including pitching) He won’t cost much in prospect return mostly money (depending how much money, if any, Ariizona sends in the deal), he fills the RH left field bat with power and even play some passable first base. Bringing in Gurriel, with everyone healthy, will push Barger to third 80-90% of the time, Clemment to utility role, Lucas to some platoon/bench role and the rest to the minors

Steve Adams

  • He’s a league-average bat who’s owed $18MM beyond the current season ($14MM 2026 salary, $4MM buyout on a 2027 option).There are better and/or more affordable LF options. Not sure I’d call Gurriel a RH bat “with power,” either. He has average power, I suppose, although that’s playing at a stadium that’s very beneficial to right-handed hitters. (Rogers Centre is as well, but a bit less so)

John

  • Would Harry Ford net the M’s Willi Castro and Griffin Jax (assuming Twins are sellers)?

Steve Adams

  • Have to imagine the Twins would do that even if they weren’t intent on selling.

GM Joe

  • Last year I believe there was no top 100 prospect traded.  Does this trend continue???

Steve Adams

  • Depends how you view “top-100 prospects.” Thayron Liranzo was a 50-FV guy at the time and wound up pretty quickly landing on Top 100 lists post-draft. Agustin Ramirez was a top-100 guy, or close to it. Jake Bloss had crept onto the back end of BA’s Top 100 at some point.People get overly hung up on numerical rankings of prospects when the gap between someone ranked, say, 60th in the game and someone ranked 115th is pretty negligible.
  • Also, for what it’s worth, multiple Phillies beat writers saying Dombrowski is going to be more aggressive in his search for bullpen arms and target the Emmanuel Clase types of the world certainly suggests the Phils will be willing to splash some prospects around.
  • Ok, I’ve got to wrap this up. I’m on X @Adams_Steve and Bluesky @adams-steve.bsky.social if you have more questions.If you want more opinions from the MLBTR team, you can learn about our Front Office subscription package and sign up here. In addition to ad-free viewing on the site and in the app, you’ll get weekly analysis/opinion columns from Anthony Franco and myself, a weekly mailbag column from Tim Dierkes, weekly fantasy baseball chats and columns with Nicklaus Gaut, weekly subscriber-only chats with Anthony Franco and me (where your odds of getting a question answered are much better), direct Q&A opps with Darragh McDonald, access to our new Trade Deadline Outlook series, access to our Contract Tracker, GM Tracker and our Agency Database, and more. It all starts at $2.99/month.

    Thanks and enjoy the rest of your week!

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

MLBTR Chats

5 comments

Guardians Place Paul Sewald On Injured List

By Steve Adams | July 15, 2025 at 12:24pm CDT

The Guardians placed right-hander Paul Sewald on the 15-day injured list due to a right shoulder strain, reports Tim Stebbins of MLB.com. The move is retroactive to July 12, and a corresponding transaction has not yet been announced by the club. It’s not clear how long Sewald is expected to be out.

It’s the second time this season that the 35-year-old Sewald has been placed on the injured list due to a strain in his throwing shoulder. The former D-backs and Mariners closer signed a one-year, $7MM deal with Cleveland in free agency and struggled for much of April before heading to the IL for what would wind up being a stay of more than two months. Sewald was only reinstated from the injured list on July 5, but it seems his return will only last for a week.

In his limited time with the Guardians, Sewald has pitched to a 4.70 ERA with terrific strikeout and walk rates of 29% and 6.5%, respectively. That’s all come in a sample of just 15 1/3 innings. Sewald allowed eight runs in 11 2/3 innings prior to his original IL stint (6.17 ERA) and returned with 3 2/3 shutout frames before now heading back to the 15-day IL. He’s been more homer-prone than usual in that small sample (1.76 HR/9) and has seen his fastball velocity dip from an average of 91.4 mph last year to just 90.3 mph this season.

Sewald has never thrown particularly hard, but his velocity has been in a steady decline in recent seasons. He averaged a career-best 92.5 mph in 2022 but dipped to 92.2 mph, 91.4 mph and 90.3 mph in subsequent seasons. His swinging-strike rate has dropped accordingly in each season, though he’s still managed to continue posting strong strikeout rates.

Sewald’s placement on the injured list just over two weeks before the trade deadline is increasingly notable, given his team’s recent slide in the standings. The Guardians dropped 10 straight games from June 27 through July 6, though they lessened some of that sting by closing out the first half with six wins in seven games. They’re now three games under .500 and four and a half games out of the final Wild Card spot in the American League.

Cleveland will open the second half with winnable series against the A’s, Orioles, Royals and Rockies — all of whom have records that are comparable to or worse than the Guardians’ own mark of 46-49. If the Guards slip further down the standings, they’d be increasingly likely to listen to offers on short-term veterans like Sewald. If he’s facing a notable absence, that scenario is off the table. Conversely, if the Guardians slice through that slate of opponents in the two weeks between now and the trade deadline, they’d presumably be more apt to add to the club, and Sewald’s absence could increase the front office’s desire to add to the bullpen.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Cleveland Guardians Paul Sewald

4 comments

Mets, Yankees Among Teams To Show Recent Interest In David Robertson

By Steve Adams | July 15, 2025 at 11:27am CDT

Free agent reliever David Robertson has been throwing for interested clubs recently, reports Will Sammon of The Athletic. Two of his former clubs, the Mets and Yankees, have at least looked into the possibility of signing Robertson, per the report. Several other clubs are expected to scout a throwing session for Robertson over the next week or so.

Robertson, who turned 40 in April, hasn’t signed with a team since the 2024 season concluded. The right-hander was one of several notable older veterans who didn’t find offers to his liking in free agency. Lance Lynn encountered a similar situation and opted to retire. J.D. Martinez is unsigned as well and recently received some interest from the Rangers. Robertson’s recent and upcoming showcases for interested teams serve as a notable update on his status, signaling both an intent to play and at least some level of readiness to take the mound.

The lack of a compelling offer for Robertson wasn’t due to any downturn in results. The former All-Star and 16-year MLB veteran was terrific for Texas in 2024, pitching 72 innings of 3.00 ERA ball. Robertson picked up 34 holds and two saves while fanning a huge 33.4% of opponents against a 9.1% walk rate. He averaged 93.3 mph on his go-to cutter, which tied his 2023 mark for the highest of any single season in his career. Robertson’s 11.7% swinging-strike rate was a dip from his 2022-23 levels (13.3%) but right in line with his career 11.8% mark.

Back in April, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported that Robertson had been seeking a $10MM annual salary in free agency over the winter. He earned $11.5MM with the Rangers last year ($5MM of it deferred). The Phillies also showed some interest in Robertson early in the season, even before Jose Alvarado was hit with an 80-game PED suspension, and they’re known to be on the lookout for bullpen help. It would stand to reason that they’re still interested in a reunion with Robertson themselves.

Presumably, Robertson will be prioritizing a deal with probable contenders. The Yankees, Mets and Phillies all fit that billing and are all among the top eight teams in terms of current playoff odds, per FanGraphs. The Tigers, Cubs, Astros, Blue Jays, Brewers and Mariners are all in extremely favorable postseason position as well, holding at least an 80% postseason chance per the odds at FanGraphs and/or Baseball Prospectus.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

New York Mets New York Yankees Newsstand Philadelphia Phillies David Robertson

52 comments

Orioles Outright David Bañuelos

By Steve Adams | July 14, 2025 at 5:19pm CDT

The Orioles announced Monday that they’ve passed catcher David Bañuelos through waivers and assigned him outright to Triple-A. He had the right to elect free agency but will instead accept his assignment to Norfolk. The 40-man roster count drops to 38.

The 28-year-old was added to the Orioles’ big league roster last week after the team had traded reliever Bryan Baker to the Rays. Bañuelos was already traveling with the O’s on their taxi squad, and he was selected to the roster ahead of a doubleheader versus the Mets.

A short-term stint seemed likely, given that Bañuelos was selected due to his proximity on the taxi squad and a desire to avoid playing a man down in that twin bill. He’d been the third catcher on the roster behind Jacob Stallings and Alex Jackson, though Baltimore gave him a couple of plate appearances during his brief run. Bañuelos has just three MLB plate appearances and is still looking for his first big league hit. He did reach base for the first time in his career when he was hit by a pitch yesterday.

Bañuelos is the consummate glove-first catcher. He’s a career .197/.276/.362 hitter in parts of four Triple-A seasons but has been praised as a plus defender behind the dish dating back to his days at Long Beach State. He was originally a Mariners draftee but has spent the bulk of his pro career in the Twins’ system after Minnesota acquired him from Seattle in exchange for international bonus space. Bañuelos became a minor league free agent after the 2023 season and has since signed a pair of minor league pacts with the Orioles, who clearly value having his defensive skills on hand in the upper minors. He’s now accepted multiple outright assignments to remain with the O’s, so it seems like a mutually agreeable arrangement.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Baltimore Orioles Transactions David Banuelos

9 comments

Adolis Garcia Drawing Trade Interest

By Steve Adams | July 14, 2025 at 3:20pm CDT

Rangers outfielder Adolis Garcia has been drawing trade interest from several teams as the deadline creeps closer, reports Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com. It’s not yet clear whether or how aggressively the Rangers will sell at this year’s deadline. Texas sits one game below .500 and 8.5 games out of first place in the American League West, but the Rangers are just 3.5 games back from the final Wild Card spot in the American League.

Garcia, 32, is in the midst of a second straight down year at the plate. He slugged 97 home runs for Texas from 2021-23 while batting a combined .246/.305/.472 (113 wRC+), but he’s hitting .228/.282/.401 in 1010 plate appearances dating back to last season (91 wRC+). He’s been hot for the past month, however, as evidenced by a .266/.312/.469 slash over his past 141 trips to the plate. He’s ripped six homers and eight doubles in that span and done so while striking out at a reasonable 21.3% clip (against a 6.4% walk rate).

That dip in strikeouts is particularly encouraging. Garcia fanned in nearly 27% of his plate appearances from Opening Day through early June, and he punched out at a 27.8% rate last year. He’s cut down considerably on his chase rate and his swinging-strike rate during this recent hot stretch, and when he does make contact, the quality is strong: 92.8 mph average exit velocity, 13.9% barrel rate, 48.5% hard-hit rate.

In addition to a recent uptick in offensive performance, Garcia is enjoying a bounceback year defensively as well. The two-time All-Star and 2023 Gold Glove winner saw his once-excellent defensive grades crater in 2024. Defensive Runs Saved (-5) and Statcast’s Outs Above Average (-13) both felt he was one of the worst defensive outfielders in the sport last year. It’s possible there was some carryover from a knee injury suffered late in the 2023 season, as Garcia’s average sprint speed in 2024 sat at a career-worst 26.7 feet per second. He’s not all the way back up to peak levels in 2025, but his 27.3 ft/sec is an improvement. DRS again has him among the game’s elite outfielders (+14), while OAA (+1) feels he’s at least back on the positive side of things.

Garcia is controllable via arbitration for one more season beyond the current campaign. If Texas falls too far out of the playoff picture, it makes sense to listen on him, although there’s an argument that they should be open-minded even if they push more firmly into the postseason chase in the next couple weeks. Garcia has always had strikeout and OBP concerns. He’s due what should be a notable raise on this year’s $9.25MM salary as he heads into his final season of club control. In Wyatt Langford and Evan Carter, the Rangers have two long-term outfield spots locked in place.

There’s no top outfield prospect on the immediate horizon, but Garcia is only controlled one more year, will command a notable eight-figure salary and up until June 10 or so had the look of a plausible non-tender candidate. His well-timed hot streak and a generally short supply of impact bats on the market might allow the Rangers to bring in some young talent and free up some payroll space at a time when Jon Gray, Tyler Mahle, Patrick Corbin and half the Texas bullpen (Chris Martin, Hoby Milner, Shawn Armstrong, Luke Jackson) will be up for free agency at season’s end.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Texas Rangers Adolis Garcia

45 comments

Royals Place Michael Lorenzen On Injured List

By Steve Adams | July 14, 2025 at 12:44pm CDT

The Royals have placed right-hander Michael Lorenzen on the 15-day injured list due to a left oblique strain, per a team announcement. The move is retroactive to July 11, so he’ll be eligible to return no sooner than July 26. He joins fellow starters Cole Ragans (rotator cuff strain) and Alec Marsh (shoulder impingement) on the injured list.

Lorenzen, 33, re-signed with the Royals on a one-year deal worth $7MM this past offseason. He’s been a serviceable back-end option for Kansas City, taking the ball 18 times and pitching to a 4.61 ERA with a 20% strikeout rate and 6.8% walk rate in 99 1/3 innings. Lorenzen had his two worst starts of the season back-to-back on May 26 (six runs in five innings) and on June 3 (seven runs in 2 2/3 innings), but he’s rebounded with a tidy 3.63 earned run average and a 31-to-9 K/BB ratio over his past six starts (34 2/3 innings).

Kansas City didn’t specify a projected timetable for Lorenzen’s return, though even Grade 1 oblique strains (the least-severe) can sideline players for upwards of a month. The Royals also did not announce a corresponding move at this time. They’ll open the second half with three games in Miami and would need a fifth starter for the second game of their following series against the Cubs at Wrigley Field on July 22.

With Lorenzen headed to the shelf, the Royals only have four healthy starters on the major league roster: Kris Bubic, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha and Noah Cameron. It’s a talented quartet, but the depth beyond the group is shaky.

Right-handers Kyle Wright and Luinder Avila are both on the 40-man roster in Triple-A but are both injured; Wright is dealing with a Grade 2 oblique strain, while Avila has been out since late May due to a shoulder impingement. Rich Hill, Thomas Hatch and Dallas Keuchel are among the veteran options who are in the Royals’ system but not on the 40-man roster (although Keuchel just signed last week). Down in Double-A, prospects Ben Kudrna, Steven Zobac and Frank Mozzicato are having tough seasons. The Royals could opt for bullpen games in the fifth spot if Lorenzen isn’t expected to be shelved much beyond the minimum 15 days. Righty Jonathan Bowlan tossed three innings in his most recent appearance and could handle the bulk of bullpen game if the need arises.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Kansas City Royals Michael Lorenzen

11 comments

Blue Jays, Joe Mantiply Agree To Minor League Deal

By Steve Adams | July 14, 2025 at 11:58am CDT

The Blue Jays have agreed to a minor league contract with left-handed reliever Joe Mantiply, per the transaction log at MiLB.com. Toronto also recently inked utilityman Buddy Kennedy to a minor league pact after he was released by the Phillies. He’s already made his debut with their Triple-A affiliate.

Mantiply was released by the Diamondbacks in early June after struggling considerably early in the year. The 34-year-old has a nice track record and was an important piece of Arizona’s bullpen from 2021-24, tossing 198 1/3 frames with a 3.63 earned run average, 22% strikeout rate, 6.1% walk rate and 51.9% ground-ball rate. He picked up three saves and 50 holds over that four-year run.

That track record feels like a distant memory after Mantiply was rocked for a 15.83 ERA in 9 2/3 big league innings this season. He’s never been a hard-thrower, but Mantiply’s 88.2 mph average fastball in 2025 was well shy of its 91.3 mph peak or even last year’s 89.5 mph average. Mantiply has struggled both in the majors and in Triple-A this season; he was tagged for a 5.56 ERA in 11/3 innings with the Diamondbacks’ Reno affiliate.

The Jays already have a pair of lefties in the big league bullpen: Justin Bruihl and breakout setup man Brendon Little. A third southpaw, Mason Fluharty, was just optioned to Triple-A Buffalo late in the season’s first half. Bruihl is a minor league signee who was just selected to the big league roster a few weeks ago. Fluharty was excellent up into early June but was rocked for a dozen runs in a span of 7 1/3 innings before being optioned back to Buffalo.

Mantiply will add some left-handed depth beyond that trio. He’ll join Amir Garrett — also with the Jays’ Triple-A club — as a veteran lefty reliever with some track record hoping to earn a look in Toronto.

Kennedy has appeared in parts of four major league seasons between the D-backs, Tigers and Phillies, but he’s only tallied 157 plate appearances in that time. He’s a .193/.287/.296 hitter at the big league level but touts a nice .279/.388/.432 slash in just over 1600 Triple-A plate appearances. Kennedy has already taken eight plate appearances in Buffalo, going 0-for-7 with a walk. He’s primarily played second base and third base in pro ball but does have more than 400 innings at first base and 93 innings of left field work under his belt.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Toronto Blue Jays Transactions Buddy Kennedy Joe Mantiply

7 comments

D-backs Have Listened To Offers On Outfield Depth

By Steve Adams | July 14, 2025 at 10:35am CDT

The Diamondbacks remain on the fringes of the NL postseason picture, sitting five and a half games out in the Wild Card chase. General manager Mike Hazen has said he hopes the team performs well enough to position itself as a late buyer, but the GM has also at least been listening to offers on some of his outfielders, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports. That does not include star Corbin Carroll, unsurprisingly, but Heyman suggests names like Alek Thomas, Jake McCarthy, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Randal Grichuk have likely been discussed.

Of the four outfielders, Grichuk is the most obvious trade candidate. He’s playing the 2025 season on a one-year, $5MM contract. He’ll unlock a $250K bonus when he reaches his 200th plate appearance — he’s currently at 174 — and another $250K if he reaches 275 plate appearances.

Grichuk’s contract is structured such that Grichuk is owed a $2MM salary and a $3MM buyout on a $5MM mutual option for next year. That makes him a bit more expensive for the rest of the season than a standard one-year, $5MM contract would imply; he’d have about $634K in salary remaining at the time of the trade deadline but also that $3MM buyout and some potential incentive pay. Of course, the D-backs could make a trade more appealing by including cash to offset some of that backloaded 2025 salary.

The 2025 season hasn’t been Grichuk’s best, but he’s still hitting for power. The 33-year-old is batting .242/.282/.466 with seven homers, 13 doubles and a triple in his 174 trips to the plate. His 5.7% walk rate is right in line with his career mark. His 21.6% strikeout rate is down from his career level of about 25% but noticeably higher than the personal-best 16.5% clip he turned in last year in a more productive season with the Snakes.

Gurriel, 31, is a tougher sell from a trade standpoint. He’s being paid $14MM this season and is guaranteed $13MM in 2026 plus at least a $5MM buyout on a $14MM club option for the 2027 season. His .251/.299/.421 batting line (98 wRC+) already represents a down year, and any team to acquire him would know Gurriel will either opt into the remaining $18MM he’s guaranteed beyond the current season or go on a second-half tear and opt out. It’s not an appealing structure, and the Diamondbacks would probably need to eat a significant portion of the remaining money he’s owed to facilitate a trade.

Thomas and McCarthy are both controllable lefty-swinging outfielders, but neither is having a good season at the plate. Thomas, once touted as one of the top outfield prospects in baseball, has yet to hit in parts of four major league seasons. He’s an above-average runner and strong defensive center fielder, but this year’s .245/.295/.366 batting line (84 wRC+) is actually the best of the 25-year-old’s young career. He’s a lifetime .230/.276/.360 hitter in just under 1200 big league plate appearances.

McCarthy, on the other hand, has had plenty of big league success at the plate — just not in 2025. He hit .283/.342/.427 in 99 games back in 2022 (116 wRC+) and slashed .285/.349/.400 (110 wRC+) as recently as last season. He had a down year in 2023, however, and the 27-year-old has struggled to a career-worst .144/.228/.244 line (33 wRC+) in 102 trips to the plate this season.

That’s a relatively small sample, of course, and McCarthy has had some demonstrably poor luck. He’s hitting just .151 on balls in play — less than half the .328 career mark he carried into the season and some 130 points lower than the league average. McCarthy isn’t hitting the ball hard at all (83.9 mph average exit velocity, 23.7% hard-hit rate), but he also had poor batted-ball metrics even in his more productive 2022 and 2024 seasons. His 15.7% strikeout rate remains excellent, and McCarthy has walked at a solid 8.8% rate.

The D-backs optioned McCarthy to Triple-A after a rough three-week start and only recalled him back in late June. He batted .314/.401/.440 in 237 plate appearances with the Diamondbacks’ top affiliate in Reno and has put together an improved (albeit still diminished) .222/.300/.400 slash in his past 51 major league plate appearances.

Both Thomas and McCarthy are controllable for an additional three seasons. Both are eligible for arbitration for the first time this offseason. The Diamondbacks burned McCarthy’s final option year when they sent him down to Triple-A back in April. He’ll be out of minor league options next year. Thomas also entered 2025 with one option year remaining, but his is still intact, as he hasn’t been sent down at any point this season.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Arizona Diamondbacks Alek Thomas Corbin Carroll Jake McCarthy Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Randal Grichuk

38 comments

Vinny Nittoli To Opt Out Of Brewers Deal

By Steve Adams | July 14, 2025 at 9:55am CDT

Reliever Vinny Nittoli plans to trigger the opt-out clause in his minor league deal with the Brewers, reports Ari Alexander of KPRC-2. The actual opt-out date is tomorrow and will give the Brewers 24 hours to add Nittoli to the big league roster, MLBTR has learned. If the Brewers choose not to select Nittoli to the roster, he’ll become a free agent.

The 34-year-old Nittoli pitched in the majors each season from 2021-24 but has totaled just 18 2/3 MLB frames in that time. He’s pitched to a sharp 2.41 ERA across those four seasons, which have been split between the Mariners, Phillies, Mets, A’s and Orioles. Nittoli has fanned 17.3% of his major league opponents against a 6.7% walk rate.

Nittoli has spent the 2025 season with the Brewers’ Triple-A club in Nashville, pitching to a 3.86 ERA with an impressive 28.9% strikeout rate and an 8.6% walk rate. The journeyman right-hander doesn’t throw hard, sitting just 88-90 mph with his go-to cutter, but he’s induced chases on pitches off the plate at a strong 35.1% clip and recorded an excellent 14.3% swinging-strike rate during his time in Nashville this season.

The Brewers already have a strong bullpen. Milwaukee relievers rank 18th in the majors with a 4.00 ERA, but that includes some early struggles by Joel Payamps, swingman Tyler Alexander and righty Elvin Rodriguez — none of whom are on the 40-man roster at this point. Each of Trevor Megill, Abner Uribe, Aaron Ashby, Jared Koenig, Nick Mears, Grant Anderson and DL Hall has an ERA of 3.69 or better. Five of those seven are under 3.00 (including a 1.66 mark for Ashby). The Brewers’ bullpen has a flat 3.00 ERA over the past calendar month — second-lowest in MLB.

Given the strength of that group, there’s no urgent need to add Nittoli, who’s out of minor league options and would need to stick in the big league bullpen if he’s selected. If the Brewers don’t want to lose the depth, they could select Nittoli to the 40-man roster and option Tobias Myers back to Nashville. (Myers was just recalled a few days before the All-Star break and didn’t get into a game.) The rest of the ’pen is largely set, however, so the Brewers may wind up letting Nittoli explore opportunities elsewhere despite his solid results in Nashville.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Milwaukee Brewers Transactions Vinny Nittoli

6 comments

Trade Deadline Outlook: Seattle Mariners

By Steve Adams | July 12, 2025 at 1:22pm CDT

The Mariners are up next in our team-by-team Trade Deadline Outlook series. Seattle last made the postseason in 2022 and has had numerous near misses in recent years under president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto and general manager Justin Hollander. The Mariners' vaunted young rotation has long been the talk of baseball, but the M's also have an excellent farm system they can leverage to improve the roster over the next three weeks.

Record: 49-45 (Playoff probability 61.4%, per FanGraphs)

Other series entries: Rockies, Giants, Phillies, Pirates, Astros, Marlins, Athletics, Orioles, White Sox, Nationals, Cubs, Rays, Dodgers, Braves, Yankees, Angels, Mets, Blue Jays

Buy Mode

Potential Needs: First base, third base, late-inning reliever

The Mariners needed offense throughout the winter but were afforded little to no financial resources to make it happen. Dipoto and Hollander dealt with substantial payroll restrictions for a second straight winter, reportedly trying to stretch a budget of about $15-16MM to acquire as many as three different bats. The resulting additions -- Jorge Polanco, Rowdy Tellez, Donovan Solano -- haven't paid off much. Polanco has been quite productive but has been relegated to DH duty for much of the season due to injuries. Tellez was released last month. Solano has hit better over the past five weeks or so but has been a liability for most of the year.

On top of those underwhelming additions, the M's have been plagued by injuries. Victor Robles suffered a shoulder injury that'll cost him more than half the season. Luke Raley missed more than a month with an oblique injury. Second baseman Ryan Bliss ruptured his biceps in April and will likely miss the remainder of the season.

Fortunately for the Mariners' baseball operations staff, it seems ownership has come around on spending to further bolster the lineup. It's not clear just how far north they're willing to take payroll, but even a relatively modest increase could be a boon for a club that could clearly use help at two corner spots. So, where can the Mariners turn?

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

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

2025 Trade Deadline Outlook Front Office Originals MLBTR Originals Seattle Mariners

51 comments
Load More Posts
    Top Stories

    Mets, Yankees Among Teams To Show Recent Interest In David Robertson

    Stuart Sternberg Has Agreed To Sell Rays To Patrick Zalupski, Deal Expected To Be Final By September

    Nationals Select Eli Willits With First Pick Of 2025 Amateur Draft

    2025 MLB Draft, First Round Results

    Red Sox Place Hunter Dobbins On 15-Day IL Due To ACL Tear

    Astros Promote Brice Matthews

    Red Sox Likely To Activate Alex Bregman Tomorrow

    Phillies Reportedly Targeting Controllable Relievers

    Yankees Prioritizing Pitching, Also Searching For Infield Help

    Orioles Trade Bryan Baker To Rays

    Yankees Release DJ LeMahieu

    Trevor Williams To Undergo UCL Surgery

    Nationals Fire PBO Mike Rizzo, Manager Dave Martinez

    Brewers Activate Brandon Woodruff

    Clarke Schmidt Expected To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

    Bobby Jenks Passes Away

    Braves Release Alex Verdugo

    Top 40 Trade Candidates For The 2025 Deadline

    Rays Reinstate Ha-Seong Kim

    Yankees Have Shown Interest In Ryan McMahon

    Recent

    Rays To Play Home Games At Steinbrenner Field Throughout Playoffs

    Trade Deadline Outlook: St. Louis Cardinals

    MLBTR Chat Transcript

    Guardians Place Paul Sewald On Injured List

    Mets, Yankees Among Teams To Show Recent Interest In David Robertson

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

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

    Trade Deadline Outlook: San Diego Padres

    Jim Clancy Passes Away

    Grant Hartwig Signs With NPB’s Hanshin Tigers

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

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

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

     

    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android App Store Google Play

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

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

    Rumors By Team

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

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • RSS/Twitter Feeds By Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

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

    Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

    hide arrows scroll to top

    Register

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version