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Trade Deadline Outlook: Seattle Mariners

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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?

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Mets Designate Rico Garcia For Assignment

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2:40pm: The Mets have now officially announced these moves and a few others. They also optioned right-hander Justin Hagenman and placed outfielder/designated hitter Jesse Winker on the 10-day IL due to back inflammation. Right-hander Austin Warren and infielder Jared Young were recalled to take those two spots.

10:21am: The Mets will designate right-hander Rico Garcia for assignment today in order to open a spot on the roster for the return of ace Kodai Senga, reports Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Garcia is out of minor league options and couldn’t be sent back to Triple-A without being exposed to waivers.

Garcia signed a minor league deal with the Mets over the winter. The 31-year-old righty was selected to the major league roster eight days ago and has since pitched in two games, tossing 4 2/3 shutout frames with just one hit and no walks allowed. He’s punched out three hitters and shown career-best velocity on his four-seamer, averaging 96.1 mph and topping out at 98 mph. He’s using that four-seamer less than in prior seasons, in large part due to a newly incorporated slider/cutter he’s added to his typical four-seam/curveball/changeup repertoire.

That short run was Garcia’s first big league work since 2023, when he pitched 11 2/3 innings between the A’s and Nats but was tagged for a dozen runs. He’s spent the rest of the 2025 season in Triple-A Syracuse, pitching to a 4.45 ERA with a strong 27.4% strikeout rate but also an alarming 14.8% walk rate in 30 1/3 innings. Garcia has had plenty of success in Triple-A, regularly showing better-than-average ability to miss bats but also below-average command. He has a 6.47 ERA in 40 1/3 MLB frames split between the Rockies, Mets, A’s, Nats, Giants and Orioles.

The Mets have regularly cycled through journeymen relievers with the final couple spots in their bullpen. Garcia has pitched better than the others in his brief look but will still meet the same fate. He’ll be placed on waivers or traded within the next five days. He’s been outrighted in the past, so if he clears waivers he’ll be able to reject an outright assignment to the minors in favor of free agency.

Latest On Braves’ Deadline Approach

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The Braves have been in a downward spiral for much of the season. They’ve shown signs of life at various points, but those brief flashes were quickly stamped out by repeated injuries to star players. Atlanta lost Reynaldo Lopez to arthroscopic shoulder surgery in mid-April and was without both Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuña Jr. to begin the season. That All-Star duo has since returned, but over the past month the Braves have lost Chris Sale (fractured ribs), Spencer Schwellenbach (fractured elbow) and AJ Smith-Shawver (Tommy John surgery). Setup man Joe Jimenez underwent knee surgery in the offseason and is likely to miss the entire year as well.

On top of that brutal slate of pitching injuries, the Braves have seen several key players take major steps back in performance. Ozzie Albies and Michael Harris II have been two of baseball’s least-productive hitters. Closer Raisel Iglesias, fresh off a career-best year in 2024, is having a career-worst season in 2025 — although he’s recently rattled off 10 2/3 shutout innings with a 15-to-1 K/BB ratio, so perhaps he’s coming around. Austin Riley and Marcell Ozuna are both hitting better than the league-average hitter but worse than their career norms. Jurickson Profar missed 80 games due to a PED suspension.

The result is a 40-52 team that sits 13.5 games out of the division lead and 10 games back in the Wild Card hunt. FanGraphs gives Atlanta a 3.7% chance of making the postseason, which feels charitable for a club that presently has three healthy starters (Strider, Grant Holmes and Bryce Elder). The Braves rushed prospect Didier Fuentes to the majors just three days after his 20th birthday and despite having just 26 1/3 innings above A-ball under his belt. Predictably, it has not gone well (13.85 ERA in four starts).

The stage is set for Atlanta to operate in an unfamiliar manner this deadline, playing the role of a seller. President of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos emphatically denounced the notion of even considering a trade of Sale last month, just prior to the left-hander’s injury. Anthopoulos called any speculation regarding a Sale trade “completely ridiculous” in an appearance on 680 The Fan in Atlanta.

“I never make definitive statements unless I’m going to stick to them,” he said at the time. “Once you make definitive statements and then you go back on them, you’re a liar and you’re done. [A trade of Sale] Will. Not. Happen. Bold, italicize it, caps.”

Even with the tumult that’s followed those statements — which predated not only Sale’s injury but also the Schwellenbach injury — the thinking doesn’t appear to have changed. Robert Murray of FanSided reports that the Braves have not discussed Sale in any trade talks and, furthermore, do not intend to listen on any player who’s controlled beyond the 2025 season.

[Related: Atlanta Braves Trade Deadline Outlook]

If that’s indeed the case, the Braves will be in for a quiet deadline. Atlanta only has three true free agents at season’s end: Iglesias, Ozuna and right-hander Rafael Montero. Any of the three could hold appeal on the market.

Iglesias, as noted, has had an uneven season but turned a corner of late. He’s sitting on a 4.67 ERA overall, but that’s a function of the 35-year-old’s 6.75 ERA through early June. Even as Iglesias struggled to those ugly results, however, he posted strong strikeout and walk rates. He was dogged by a .348 average on balls in play and a sky-high 21.9% homer-to-flyball rate along the way, but metrics like SIERA (3.34) still pegged him as a quality reliever and hinted at positive regression. Iglesias hasn’t markedly changed up his pitch selection, but he’s now missing far more bats in the zone and has recorded a colossal 20.7% swinging-strike rate over the course of his current hot streak.

That’s probably enough to drum up legitimate trade interest, especially when considering his track record. The right-hander has a 2.96 ERA and 233 saves in a career that spans more than a decade. From 2020-24, he posted an ERA of 2.74 or better each season, combining for a 2.44 mark with a 31.6% strikeout rate and 5.4% walk rate. This year’s $16MM salary is steep, but there will “only” be $5.333MM of that sum left come deadline day. (As of this writing, it’s $6.795MM.)

As for the 34-year-old Ozuna, he’s having a solid season at the plate but isn’t hitting anywhere near his 2023-24 levels. This year’s .236/.363/.385 slash is 14% better than league-average in the estimation of wRC+, a far cry from the 48% gap between Ozuna and the average MLB hitter in ’23-’24. Ozuna’s bat speed has dipped by 1.5 mph since 2023, per Statcast, dropping him from the 86th percentile of big league hitters to the 73rd. This year’s 42% ground-ball rate is his highest mark since 2019, while his 13.3% homer-to-flyball rate is his lowest since 2021.

Ozuna is also just swinging far, far less than in recent seasons. He offered at nearly 48% of the pitches he saw in 2023-24 but has swung at just 39.4% of the pitches he’s seen so far in 2025. That’s led to a major jump in walk rate, with the slugger sitting on a career-high 16.4% mark, but that selectivity has resulted in a dip in power output — both on a rate basis and in terms of totality.

While Iglesias has been rebuilding trade value as the summer wears on, Ozuna has been doing the opposite. He’s mired in one of the worst slumps of his career, hitting just .161/.254/.250 over his past 143 plate appearances dating back to early June. He’s still walked at a 10.5% clip along the way and has a roughly average strikeout rate (22.4%), but he’s hitting even more grounders in that stretch and has seen his quality of contact decline. Ozuna is making the same $16MM as Iglesias this season.

The only other pure rental on Atlanta’s roster is the 34-year-old Montero. The Braves surprisingly bailed the Astros out of nearly $3MM of Montero’s ill-fated three-year, $34.5MM contract when they acquired him early this season. He’s pitched decently, logging a 3.86 ERA in 28 innings but walking 12.8% of the batters he’s faced since being traded. He’s had better command recently, issuing just four walks to his past 74 hitters faced, however. With Houston on the hook for the majority of this year’s $11.5MM salary, Montero could hold appeal to teams looking for affordable bullpen help but unwilling to sacrifice top-end prospects to acquire it.

Other clubs will surely try to test the Braves’ resolve when it comes to dealing players controlled beyond the current season. Catcher Sean Murphy has been oft-speculated as a possible trade candidate thanks to the emergence of rookie catcher Drake Baldwin, though Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic recently reported that any such trade is likelier to occur in the offseason. Murphy is signed through 2028 and will be paid $15MM in each of the next three seasons.

Atlanta also has a pair of quality relievers with limited club control remaining in lefty Aaron Bummer (signed for next year at $9.5MM) and righty Pierce Johnson ($7MM club option for 2026). Both are having very strong seasons and will draw interest. Relievers are notoriously volatile, which could tempt Atlanta if another club presents a compelling offer. David O’Brien of The Athletic wrote this morning that the Braves could listen on Johnson, who has a 2.76 ERA, a 27.9% strikeout rate, a 7% walk rate and a 39% grounder rate in 32 2/3 innings. He’s picked up six holds and a save on the season.

There are perhaps larger-scale decisions coming down the pipe with regard to Albies — a former All-Star and Silver Slugger winner who’s batting just .221/.292/.320 in 391 plate appearances. His incredibly affordable club options for the 2026-27 seasons — $7MM apiece — make him a compelling rebound/change-of-scenery candidate.

It’d be tough for the Braves to decline his 2026 option, as it comes with a hearty $4MM buyout, rendering Albies a net $3MM decision. Even if the Braves hope to move on, it’s easy to imagine another club being interested in buying low at that price on what would be Albies’ age-29 and age-30 seasons. MLBTR readers were recently split nearly evenly in a poll on Albies’ future, with 54% saying the Braves should hold and hope for a rebound while 46% indicated that they should trade him, either now or in the offseason.

Braves Claim Joey Wentz, Designate Kevin Herget

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The Braves have claimed left-hander Joey Wentz off waivers from the Twins, per a team announcement. Righty Kevin Herget was designated for assignment in a corresponding roster move.

It’s a full-circle moment for Wentz, whom the Braves originally drafted with the No. 40 overall pick back in 2016. The left-hander ranked among Atlanta’s top prospects for several years but was traded to the Tigers alongside infielder/outfielder Travis Demeritte in the 2019 trade that brought righty Shane Greene to the Braves.

Wentz made his major league debut with the Tigers in 2022 and had a nice start to his big league career (3.03 ERA in seven starts) before stumbling in subsequent seasons. Detroit gave Wentz a full audition in the rotation in 2023, but he was shelled for a 6.90 ERA in 105 2/3 frames. Those struggles prompted a move to the bullpen, but relief work hasn’t necessarily treated him much better. In 101 2/3 innings across the past two seasons, Wentz has a 5.42 ERA. That’s come in stints with Detroit, Pittsburgh and Minnesota.

Now 27 years old, Wentz had a particularly rough run in Minneapolis. He pitched eight innings as a Twin but was rocked for 14 runs on 17 hits (three homers) and nine walks with only six strikeouts. Minnesota designated him for assignment last week.

Wentz is out of minor league options, so he’ll go right onto the Braves’ big league roster. He’s now in line to make his debut with the team that originally drafted him nearly a decade ago, albeit in a highly circuitous manner. He’s fairly stretched out — Wentz tossed 48 pitches in a June 28 appearance, for instance — so he should be ready for multi-inning work as a long reliever or opener for an injury-riddled Braves staff that could lean heavily on bullpen games with four starters on the injured list.

Herget, 34, has pitched three major league innings in 2025 — two with the Mets and one with Atlanta. He’s spent most of the year in Triple-A, logging a 3.26 ERA in 30 1/3 innings split nearly evenly between the two organizations. He’s set 21.6% of his opponents down on strikes and issued walks at an 8% clip.

Herget has pitched in parts of four major league seasons and totaled 45 2/3 innings. He’s logged a 4.53 ERA in that time but fanned just 13.9% of the batters he’s faced. Herget has a strong 5.7% walk rate in that time. He’s sat 92.4 mph with his four-seamer in the majors, combining that offering with a cutter that sits 85.8 mph and a changeup that sits 83 mph. Herget has pitched 505 2/3 innings across parts of eight Triple-A seasons and recorded a 4.00 ERA. He’s in his final minor league option year. Atlanta will trade him or place him on waivers within the next five days.

Which Other Draft Picks Are Eligible To Be Traded Before Sunday?

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The Rays made an “early” strike in deadline season yesterday, shipping off their Competitive Balance Round A selection (No. 37 overall) in Sunday’s draft to acquire righty Bryan Baker from the division-rival Orioles. Baker, 30, has had his two worst outings of the season in his final Orioles appearance and last night’s Rays debut — which came just hours after he was “shocked” to learn he was traded and boarded a last-minute flight to meet his new team in Boston — but carried a 2.58 ERA and 33.3% strikeout rate through July 5. He comes to the Rays with three additional seasons of club control, as well.

Following the trade, O’s general manager Mike Elias acknowledged that Thursday’s trade was “earlier than my comfort level” but that the timing of the draft and strength of the return pushed him to make a deal sooner than he’d have preferred (link via Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com). It’s feasible that other general managers/president of baseball operations feel similar pressure if presented with opportunities to add an extra pick over the next two-plus days.

As a refresher, Competitive Balance picks are the only picks in the annual amateur draft that are eligible to be traded. They can only be traded one time, meaning the pick the Orioles received for Baker — and the picks the Dodgers, Guardians and Red Sox received in trades of Gavin Lux, Josh Naylor and Quinn Priester, respectively — are now locked in place for those clubs. There are still a handful of selections that could be traded, however.

Here’s a rundown of the picks in Competitive Balance Rounds A and B. MLBTR has confirmed via industry sources that the picks held by the Dodgers, Yankees and Mets in Round A are ineligible to be traded, as they’re technically first-round picks that were dropped down into Competitive Balance Round A as penalty for exceeding the luxury tax by more than $40MM. Similarly, the picks held by the Rays and Brewers in Round B are ineligible to be traded due to the fact that they are compensation for failing to sign last year’s picks in Competitive Balance Round B. Picks that are eligible to be traded are in bold; those ineligible to be moved are in strikethrough font. The deadline to trade any of these eligible picks is 4pm ET on Sunday — two hours prior to the start of this year’s amateur draft.

Round A

  • No. 33 overall: Red Sox (acquired from Brewers in exchange for RHP Quinn Priester)
  • No. 34: Tigers
  • No. 35: Mariners
  • No. 36: Twins
  • No. 37: Orioles (acquired from Rays in exchange for RHP Bryan Baker)
  • No. 38: Mets
  • No. 39: Yankees
  • No. 40: Dodgers
  • No. 41: Dodgers (acquired from Reds in exchange for INF/OF Gavin Lux)
  • No. 42: Rays (acquired from A’s in exchange for LHPs Jeffrey Springs, Jacob Lopez)
  • No. 43: Marlins

Round B

  • No. 66 overall: Guardians
  • No. 67: Rays (compensation for unsigned pick in 2024)
  • No. 68: Brewers (compensation for unsigned pick in 2024)
  • No. 69: Orioles
  • No. 70: Guardians (acquired from D-backs in exchange for 1B Josh Naylor)
  • No. 71: Royals
  • No. 72: Cardinals
  • No. 73: Pirates
  • No. 74: Rockies

The Tigers are the only clear buyer with a pick that can be traded, and it’s a prominent one. The Mariners and Cardinals are only one game out of a Wild Card spot in their respective leagues. Seattle is expected to act as a buyer and has been on the hunt for corner infield bats and late-inning bullpen help. The Royals (3.5 games), Twins (4) and Guardians (5) are all within five games of a Wild Card spot.

Fans would largely welcome the advent of additional selections becoming eligible to be traded, but that’s not in the cards for now. MLBPA executive director Bruce Meyer joined Foul Territory earlier this week and told hosts Scott Braun, Erik Kratz and A.J. Pierzynski that the union is in favor of trading draft picks and has unsuccessfully raised the issue in past waves of collective bargaining (video link, draft pick talk coming around the one hour, 12-minute mark).

“This union has consistently been in favor of teams being able to trade draft picks,” said Meyer. “It would help competition. We think it would help small-market teams that have those valuable draft picks. They should have the flexibility to trade them if it’s in the best interest of the team. I think many teams would agree, but the league for whatever reason has, to date, been against allowing clubs the ability to trade Rule 4 [amateur] draft picks. We proposed it last time. It was rejected. I don’t want to commit to much for the next round of bargaining, but I feel pretty confident we’ll propose that again, because we think it’s actually beneficial to competitive balance.”

It should be noted that virtually any proposal in collective bargaining comes with some give and take. Meyer’s comments only portray one side of the discussion, and it’s not clear whether anything else was attached to that proposal. Regardless, it’s notable that the union’s lead negotiator has signaled a desire to again broach the subject of draft pick trades when the two sides return to the table to hammer out a new collective bargaining agreement.

J.D. Davis Signs With NPB’s Seibu Lions

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Veteran infielder J.D. Davis has signed with the Seibu Lions of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, per an announcement from the club. Davis, a client of ALIGND Sports, will play out the remainder of the 2025 season in Japan.

Davis, 32, has spent the year in the Angels organization. They released him on June 30, presumably to allow him to finalize this opportunity. Davis appeared in five big league games and went 1-for-9. He’s spent the bulk of the year in Triple-A Salt Lake, slashing .294/.371/.524 with 10 homers, 11 doubles, a triple, a 10% walk rate and a 26.3% strikeout rate.

A former third-round pick of the Astros in 2014, Davis has amassed more than six years of major league service time. From 2019-23, he was a productive part-time player with the Mets and Giants, batting a combined .268/.352/.443 with 63 home runs in 1804 plate appearances. His production since that time has evaporated, albeit in minimal playing time. Davis hit just .218/.293/.336 last year in 157 plate appearances between the A’s and Yankees. He also struggled badly in 136 Triple-A plate appearances between the Orioles and A’s.

All told, Davis heads to Japan with a career .257/.339/.423 batting line in 2151 major league plate appearances. A strong showing overseas could garner him some renewed interest in the big leagues or perhaps open him up for an extension or another free-agent deal that would come with a more substantial guarantee than he could expect in North America, where he’s been relegated to minor league deals over the past calendar year.

Dodgers Outright CJ Alexander

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Infielder CJ Alexander passed through waivers unclaimed and was assigned outright to Triple-A Oklahoma City after being designated for assignment by the Dodgers, per the transaction log at MiLB.com.

The 28-year-old Alexander has bounced from the A’s, to the Yankees, to the Dodgers via waivers in the past five weeks. Los Angeles will succeed at getting him through waivers, which will allow the Dodgers to retain him as a depth option without committing a 40-man roster spot. Alexander has not been outrighted in the past and doesn’t have three years of MLB service, so he doesn’t have the opportunity to reject the assignment in favor of free agency.

Though Alexander has been with three clubs this year, he’s only seen big league time with the A’s, going 3-for-17 with a trio of singles. Alexander has four hits in 25 big league plate appearances overall, dating back to last year’s cup of coffee with the Royals. He’s struggled offensively in brief Triple-A looks with the Dodgers and Yankees this season but hit well during his time with the Athletics’ top affiliate. Overall, he’s hitting .236/.333/.426 in 249 Triple-A plate appearances this season and is a career .259/.328/.482 hitter in parts of three Triple-A campaigns.

Alexander has primarily played the infield corners in his professional career, though he does have about 300 innings of corner outfield experience under his belt as well. He’ll stick with the Dodgers as a lefty-swinging depth option who could get another look if injuries arise as the season wears on.

Nationals Sign Francisco Mejia To Minor League Deal

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The Nationals signed catcher Francisco Mejia to a minor league contract and assigned him to Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday. He’d opened the 2025 season in Mexico and made his team debut yesterday, going 0-for-4.

Mejia, once one of the top prospects in baseball, has played 355 major league games and tallied 1098 plate appearances across parts of seven seasons. He’s a .239/.284/.394 hitter in that time, which he’s split between Cleveland, San Diego and Tampa Bay. Mejia looked to be breaking out with the 2021 Rays when he slashed .260/.322/.416 (107 wRC+) in 84 games, but he took significant steps back in each of the next two seasons, batting a combined .237/.262/.387.

After the 2023 season, Tampa Bay outrighted him off the 40-man roster, and Mejia became a free agent. He signed a minor league deal with the Angels but was cut loose early in spring training as Anaheim opted to instead focus on giving spring reps to younger catching options in camp. Mejia landed back with the Rays, was released again, and spent the bulk of the 2024 season with the Brewers’ Triple-A club in Nashville, where he hit .274/.348/.428 in 376 turns at the plate.

Now 29 years old, the switch-hitting Mejia opened the season in Mexico City playing for los Diablos Rojos in the Mexican League. He took 181 plate appearances and slashed .341/.363/.526 with five homers, 15 doubles and a triple. Mejia walked only five times (2.8%) but also fanned just 21 times (11.6%).

The Nationals have Keibert Ruiz as their primary catcher, but he’s currently on the concussion list and in the midst of another rough season at the plate, batting just .247/.277/.318. The 26-year-old possesses excellent bat-to-ball skills but possesses one of MLB’s lowest walk rates and has now seen his power decline in consecutive seasons. He’s signed through 2030 on an eight-year, $50MM contract extension that hasn’t yet panned out as hoped.

While Ruiz is sidelined, the Nats are going with Riley Adams and Drew Millas behind the plate. Adams is hitting only .135/.170/.260 in 100 plate appearances. Millas has only tallied nine plate appearances so far after batting .247/.306/.374 in 209 Triple-A plate appearances. The Nats took two catchers within the first three rounds of the 2024 draft, but neither Caleb Lomavita (No. 39 overall) nor Kevin Bazzell (No. 79) will be an option in the big leagues in the near future. Mejia will give them some depth at a time when none of the backstop options on the 40-man roster are performing at a particularly high level.

Yankees Prioritizing Pitching, Also Searching For Infield Help

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The Yankees’ needs as the trade deadline looms aren’t exactly a well-kept secret. Gerrit Cole had Tommy John surgery before the season. Clarke Schmidt looks headed for the same fate. Luis Gil still hasn’t pitched due to a lat strain, and Ryan Yarbrough landed on the injured list late last month as well. DJ LeMahieu was released this morning in the wake of Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s move back to second base. Half a bullpen’s worth of relievers are on the injured list.

Given that slate of injuries and poor performance, it’s not a surprise that general manager Brian Cashman made clear when addressing the media yesterday that he plans to pursue upgrades in the rotation, in the bullpen and in the infield (link via Brendan Kuty of The Athletic). Pitching was highlighted as a particular focus.

“Whether it’s bullpen guys or starting pitchers, it’s just all of it,” said the GM. “That’s the area. We have people that are capable, but I think it also needs to get some help.”

Yankees starters rank eighth in the majors with a collective 3.69 ERA, but that includes 78 2/3 innings of 3.32 ERA ball from Schmidt, whose season is very likely over. It also includes 40 innings of 3.83 ERA ball from Yarbrough, who’s on the shelf due to an oblique strain. The Yankees have gotten terrific performances from high-profile free agent additions Max Fried and Carlos Rodon, but rookie Will Warren has a 4.70 ERA in 19 starts and fellow prospect Cam Schlittler just made his MLB debut yesterday. Veteran Marcus Stroman only recently returned from the injured list and has a 7.45 ERA in five starts (albeit with better results post-injury than pre-injury).

In the bullpen, the Yankees have lost Fernando Cruz, Mark Leiter Jr., Jake Cousins and Yerry De los Santos within the past three weeks. Cousins’ season is over before it truly began, as he’ll require Tommy John surgery. Cruz has a Grade 2 oblique strain and is looking at a long absence. Leiter has a stress fracture in his fibula. While Cousins hasn’t pitched this season due to his injuries, the other three have combined for 87 1/3 innings of 3.30 ERA ball with 21 holds and four saves.

The need at one infield position has been apparent since the offseason. Chisholm can play both third base and second base but is a better defender and more comfortable at the latter. He voiced as much recently while still being careful to make a team-first, “wherever they need me” caveat. The Yankees moved Chisholm from the hot corner back to second base and designated LeMahieu for assignment yesterday. LeMahieu, whom Boone suggested is not physically capable of handling third base right now, has seen his glovework at second base decline as well. He was released this morning.

Chisholm should be a plus all-around option at second base, but there’s no such certainty at third base. Oswald Peraza is a former top prospect and a sound defender, but he’s hitting .152/.220/.254 on the season. Jorbit Vivas, recalled when LeMahieu was designated, has slashed .156/.255/.267 in 53 major league plate appearances and .286/.409/.393 in Triple-A. Backup catcher J.C. Escarra has logged two games at third base as well but isn’t a frequent option over there. The Yankees could use some help and have already been linked to Ryan McMahon, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and others.

Any acquisitions the club makes will count against an ominous financial backdrop. The Yankees are third-time tax payors in the top penalty bracket, meaning they’re paying a 110% tax on the average annual value of any incoming players. That’s on top of said player’s actual salary.

For instance, Sandy Alcantara is perhaps the most oft-speculated name on the starting pitching market, but he’s making $17MM this year and guaranteed another $19MM beyond the season. He’d cost the Yankees $12.5MM for the final two months of this season alone, plus next year’s $17MM salary, any subsequent taxes, and at least a $2MM buyout on a 2027 option. Yankees fans frequently ask about Jacob deGrom in the chats we host at MLBTR, but deGrom has a $37.85MM AAV on his remaining contract and a $40MM salary in 2025. He’d cost the Yankees a ridiculous $27.1MM just for the final two months of the season, before even considering the $75MM he’s owed in 2026-27 (and any taxes they’d pay on that sum) and/or his full no-trade clause.

The extent to which ownership is willing to further bump payroll remains unclear. The Yankees ran up against some clear financial limitations late in the most recent offseason. Managing partner Hal Steinbrenner has publicly and famously indicated that he doesn’t think a $300MM payroll is sustainable on an annual basis. The Yankees aren’t far from that threshold right now. Cashman said yesterday that Steinbrenner has told him to present any and all scenarios, regardless of cost, and cautioned not to assume that a player or players are too expensive. Those decisions will be made by ownership on a case-by-case basis.

Orioles Select David Banuelos

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The Orioles announced Thursday that they’ve selected the contract of catcher David Bañuelos from Triple-A Norfolk. He was already with the club on their taxi squad, Jake Rill of MLB.com points out, making him a natural fit to temporarily fill the roster spot vacated by this morning’s trade of reliever Bryan Baker to the Rays. Baltimore also appointed lefty Grant Wolfram as the 27th man for today’s doubleheader, so they’ll still have a full stock of relievers.

Bañuelos, 28, appeared in one big league game with Baltimore last year but flew out in his only plate appearance. That’s the only major league at-bat of his career. Assuming this is a short-term selection to avoid playing a man down in today’s doubleheader, Bañuelos might not get another opportunity. He’ll be serving as a third catcher alongside Jacob Stallings and Alex Jackson on an injury-ravaged Orioles roster.

Bañuelos has missed a fair bit of time on the injured list himself so far in 2025. He’s tallied only 64 plate appearances with Norfolk, going just 5-for-57 with a homer, seven walks and 21 strikeouts. The resulting .088/.188/.193 batting line is an eyesore, but Bañuelos posted a more solid .225/.360/.352 line in 22 Triple-A games for the O’s last year. He’s a career .197/.276/.362 hitter in parts of four Triple-A seasons.

Offense has never been a big part of Bañuelos’ game. He’s been touted as a glove-first catcher even dating back to his amateur days at Long Beach State. The Mariners selected him in the fifth round of the 2017 draft, but he’s spent the bulk of his career in the Twins system. The O’s signed him to a minor league deal following the 2023 season, and he’s now in his second year within their system.

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