MLB Trade Tracker: July
The 2025 MLB trade deadline has passed, and it was a good one with plenty of surprises. This post lists all July trades for each of the 30 teams, plus a bonus trio of June acquisitions. Check out the “acquired” links below to read our write-ups on the trades. Let me know in the comments if any of the Baseball-Reference player page links are wrong; that’s an automated process and I’ll fix them manually.
Arizona Diamondbacks
- Acquired Mitch Bratt, Kohl Drake and David Hagaman for Merrill Kelly
- Acquired a player to be named later or cash for Shelby Miller and Jordan Montgomery
- Acquired Tyler Locklear, Juan Burgos and Hunter Cranton from Mariners for Eugenio Suarez
- Acquired Andrew Hoffmann from the Royals for Randal Grichuk
- Acquired Brandyn Garcia and Ashton Izzi from Mariners for Josh Naylor
Athletics
- Acquired Kenya Huggins from Reds for Miguel Andujar
- Acquired Leo De Vries, Braden Nett, Henry Baez and Eduarniel Nunez for Mason Miller and JP Sears
Atlanta Braves
- Acquired Jim Jarvis from Tigers for Rafael Montero
- Acquired Tyler Kinley from Rockies for Austin Smith
- Acquired Carlos Carrasco from Yankees for a player to be named later or cash
- Acquired Erick Fedde and cash from Cardinals for cash considerations or a player to be named later
- Acquired Dane Dunning from Rangers for Jose Ruiz and cash
- Acquired cash considerations from Marlins for Michael Petersen
- Acquired Hunter Stratton from Pirates for Titus Dumitru and cash
Baltimore Orioles
- Acquired Micah Ashman for Charlie Morton
- Acquired Boston Bateman, Brandon Butterworth, Cobb Hightower, Victor Figueroa, Tyson Neighbors, and Tanner Smith from Padres for Ryan O’Hearn and Ramon Laureano
- Acquired Raimon Gomez, Anthony Nunez and Chandler Marsh from Mets for Cedric Mullins
- Acquired Dietrich Enns from Tigers for cash
- Acquired Wilfri De La Cruz from Cubs for Andrew Kittredge
- Acquired Twine Palmer from Astros for Ramon Urias and cash considerations
- Acquired Juaron Watts-Brown from Blue Jays for Seranthony Dominguez
- Acquired Wellington Aracena and Cameron Foster from Mets for Gregory Soto
- Acquired 2025 Competitive Balance (Round A) draft selection, No. 37 overall, for Bryan Baker
- Acquired Alex Jackson from Yankees for international signing bonus pool money and a player to be named later or cash considerations
Boston Red Sox
- Acquired Dustin May from Dodgers for James Tibbs and Zach Ehrhard
- Acquired Steven Matz from Cardinals for Blaze Jordan
- Acquired cash considerations from White Sox for Blake Sabol
- Acquired Kyle Harrison, Jordan Hicks, James Tibbs, and Jose Bello for Rafael Devers
Chicago Cubs
- Acquired Willi Castro for Ryan Gallagher and Sam Armstrong
- Acquired Taylor Rogers from Pirates for Ivan Brethowr
- Acquired Andrew Kittredge from Orioles for Wilfri De La Cruz
- Acquired Michael Soroka from Nationals for Ronny Cruz and Christian Franklin
Chicago White Sox
- Acquired Curtis Mead, Duncan Davitt, and Ben Peoples for Adrian Houser
- Acquired Gage Ziehl from Yankees for Austin Slater
- Acquired cash considerations from Rays for Tristan Gray
- Acquired Blake Sabol from Red Sox for cash considerations
- Acquired Will Robertson from Blue Jays for cash
- Acquired Aaron Civale from Brewers for Andrew Vaughn
Cincinnati Reds
- Acquired Miguel Andujar from Athletics for Kenya Huggins
- Acquired Zack Littell from Rays, gave up Brian Van Belle and Adam Serwinowski
- Acquired Ke’Bryan Hayes from Pirates for Taylor Rogers and Sammy Stafura
Cleveland Guardians
- Acquired Khal Stephen from Blue Jays for Shane Bieber
- Acquired a player to be named later or cash from Tigers for Paul Sewald
Colorado Rockies
- Acquired Roc Riggio and Ben Shields from Yankees for Jake Bird
- Acquired Austin Smith from Braves for Tyler Kinley
- Acquired Griffin Herring and Josh Grosz from Yankees for Ryan McMahon
Detroit Tigers
- Acquired Charlie Morton for Micah Ashman
- Acquired Josueth Quinonez from Phillies for Matt Manning
- Acquired cash from Orioles for Dietrich Enns
- Acquired Codi Heuer from Rangers for cash
- Acquired Kyle Finnegan from Nationals for Josh Randall and R.J. Sales
- Acquired Paul Sewald from Guardians for a player to be named later or cash
- Acquired Rafael Montero from Braves for Jim Jarvis
- Acquired Chris Paddack and Randy Dobnak from Twins for Enrique Jimenez
- Acquired cash considerations from Phillies for Brewer Hicklen
Houston Astros
- Acquired Jesus Sanchez from Marlins for Ryan Gusto, Chase Jaworsky, and Esmil Valencia
- Acquired Carlos Correa and $33MM from Twins for Matt Mikulski
- Acquired Ramon Urias and cash considerations from Orioles for Twine Palmer
Kansas City Royals
- Acquired Mike Yastrzemski for Yunior Marte
- Acquired Bailey Falter from Pirates for Evan Sisk and Callan Moss
- Acquired Ryan Bergert and Stephen Kolek from Padres for Freddy Fermin
- Acquired Randal Grichuk from Diamondbacks for Andrew Hoffmann
- Acquired Joey Krehbiel from Rays for cash
- Acquired Adam Frazier from Pirates for Cam Devanney
Los Angeles Angels
- Acquired Oswald Peraza from Yankees for Wilberson De Pena and international bonus pool money
- Acquired Andrew Chafin and Luis Garcia from Nationals for Jake Eder and Sam Brown
- Acquired LaMonte Wade Jr. and cash from Giants for cash considerations or a player to be named later
Los Angeles Dodgers
- Acquired James Tibbs and Zach Ehrhard from Red Sox for Dustin May
- Acquired Alex Call from Nationals for Eriq Swan and Sean Paul Linan
- Acquired Brock Stewart from Twins for James Outman
- Acquired Adam Serwinowski from Reds, and Paul Gervase and Ben Rortvedt from the Rays, gave up Hunter Feduccia
- Acquired cash considerations from Twins for Noah Davis
- Acquired cash from Brewers for Steward Berroa
Miami Marlins
- Acquired Ryan Gusto, Chase Jaworsky, and Esmil Valencia for Jesus Sanchez
- Acquired Matthew Etzel from Rays for Nick Fortes
- Acquired Michael Petersen from Braves for cash considerations
Milwaukee Brewers
- Acquired Shelby Miller and Jordan Montgomery from Diamondbacks for a player to be named later or cash
- Acquired Brandon Lockridge from Padres for Nestor Cortes, Jorge Quintana, and cash considerations
- Acquired Danny Jansen from Rays for Jadher Areinamo
- Acquired Steward Berroa from Dodgers for cash
- Acquired Andrew Vaughn from White Sox for Aaron Civale
Minnesota Twins
- Acquired Taj Bradley for Griffin Jax
- Acquired Ryan Gallagher and Sam Armstrong for Willi Castro
- Acquired Kendry Rojas and Alan Roden for Louis Varland and Ty France
- Acquired Matt Mikulski from Astros for Carlos Correa and $33MM
- Acquired Garrett Horn from Rangers for Danny Coulombe
- Acquired James Outman from Dodgers for Brock Stewart
- Acquired Hendry Mendez and Geremy Villoria from Phillies for Harrison Bader
- Acquired Eduardo Tait and Mick Abel from Phillies for Jhoan Duran
- Acquired Enrique Jimenez from the Tigers for Chris Paddack and Randy Dobnak
- Acquired Noah Davis from Dodgers for cash considerations
New York Mets
- Acquired Cedric Mullins from Orioles for Raimon Gomez, Anthony Nunez and Chandler Marsh
- Acquired Ryan Helsley from Cardinals for Jesus Baez, Nate Dohm, and Frank Elissalt
- Acquired Tyler Rogers from Giants for Jose Butto, Blade Tidwell, and Drew Gilbert
- Acquired Gregory Soto from Orioles for Wellington Aracena and Cameron Foster
New York Yankees
- Acquired Camilo Doval for Jesus Rodriguez, Trystan Vrieling, Parks Harber, and Carlos De La Rosa
- Acquired Jose Caballero from Rays for Everson Pereira and a player to be named later
- Acquired Wilberson De Pena and international bonus pool money from Angels for Oswald Peraza
- Acquired Jake Bird from Rockies for Roc Riggio and Ben Shields
- Acquired David Bednar from Pirates for Rafael Flores, Edgleen Perez, and Brian Sanchez
- Acquired Austin Slater from White Sox for Gage Ziehl
- Acquired a player to be named later or cash from Braves for Carlos Carrasco
- Acquired Amed Rosario from Nationals for Clayton Beeter and Browm Martinez
- Acquired Ryan McMahon from Rockies for Griffin Herring and Josh Grosz
- Acquired international signing bonus pool money and a player to be named later or cash considerations from Orioles for Alex Jackson
Philadelphia Phillies
- Acquired Matt Manning from Tigers for Josueth Quinonez
- Acquired Harrison Bader from Twins for Hendry Mendez and Geremy Villoria
- Acquired Jhoan Duran from Twins for Eduardo Tait and Mick Abel
- Acquired Brewer Hicklen from Tigers for cash considerations
Pittsburgh Pirates
- Acquired Ivan Brethowr from Cubs for Taylor Rogers
- Acquired Evan Sisk and Callan Moss from Royals for Bailey Falter
- Acquired Rafael Flores, Edgleen Perez, and Brian Sanchez for David Bednar
- Acquired Jeter Martinez from Mariners for Caleb Ferguson
- Acquired Taylor Rogers and Sammy Stafura from Reds for Ke’Bryan Hayes
- Acquired Cam Devanney from Royals for Adam Frazier
- Acquired Titus Dumitru and cash from Braves for Hunter Stratton
San Diego Padres
- Acquired Nestor Cortes, Jorge Quintana, and cash considerations from Brewers for Brandon Lockridge
- Acquired Ryan O’Hearn and Ramon Laureano from Orioles for Boston Bateman, Brandon Butterworth, Cobb Hightower, Victor Figueroa, Tyson Neighbors, and Tanner Smith
- Acquired Will Wagner from Blue Jays for Brandon Valenzuela
- Acquired Freddy Fermin from Royals for Ryan Bergert and Stephen Kolek
- Acquired Mason Miller and JP Sears from Athletics for Leo De Vries, Braden Nett, Henry Baez and Eduarniel Nunez
San Francisco Giants
- Acquired Jesus Rodriguez, Trystan Vrieling, Parks Harber, and Carlos De La Rosa for Camilo Doval
- Acquired Yunior Marte for Mike Yastrzemski
- Acquired Jose Butto, Blade Tidwell, and Drew Gilbert from Mets for Tyler Rogers
- Acquired Rafael Devers for Kyle Harrison, Jordan Hicks, James Tibbs, and Jose Bello
- Acquired cash considerations or a player to be named later from Angels for LaMonte Wade Jr. and cash
Seattle Mariners
- Acquired Eugenio Suarez from Diamondbacks for Tyler Locklear, Juan Burgos and Hunter Cranton
- Acquired Caleb Ferguson from Pirates for Jeter Martinez
- Acquired Josh Naylor from Diamondbacks for Brandyn Garcia and Ashton Izzi
St. Louis Cardinals
- Acquired Mason Molina and Skylar Hales from Rangers for Phil Maton
- Acquired Blaze Jordan from Red Sox for Steven Matz
- Acquired Jesus Baez, Nate Dohm, and Frank Elissalt from Mets for Ryan Helsley
- Acquired cash considerations or a player to be named later from Braves for Erick Fedde and cash
Tampa Bay Rays
- Acquired Griffin Jax for Taj Bradley
- Acquired Adrian Houser from White Sox for Curtis Mead, Duncan Davitt, and Ben Peoples
- Acquired Everson Pereira and a player to be named later from Yankees for Jose Caballero
- Acquired Brian Van Belle from Reds and Hunter Feduccia from Dodgers, gave up Zack Littell, Paul Gervase, and Ben Rortvedt
- Acquired Nick Fortes from Marlins for Matthew Etzel
- Acquired Jadher Areinamo from Brewers for Danny Jansen
- Acquired Tristan Gray from White Sox for cash considerations
- Acquired cash from Royals for Joey Krehbiel
- Acquired Bryan Baker from Orioles for 2025 Competitive Balance (Round A) draft selection, No. 37 overall
Texas Rangers
- Acquired Merrill Kelly for Mitch Bratt, Kohl Drake and David Hagaman
- Acquired Danny Coulombe from Twins for Garrett Horn
- Acquired Phil Maton from Cardinals for Mason Molina and Skylar Hales
- Acquired cash from Tigers for Codi Heuer
- Acquired Jose Ruiz and cash from Braves for Dane Dunning
Toronto Blue Jays
- Acquired Louis Varland and Ty France for Kendry Rojas and Alan Roden
- Acquired Brandon Valenzuela from Padres for Will Wagner
- Acquired Shane Bieber from Guardians for Khal Stephen
- Acquired Seranthony Dominguez from Orioles for Juaron Watts-Brown
- Acquired cash from White Sox for Will Robertson
Washington Nationals
- Acquired Eriq Swan and Sean Paul Linan for Alex Call
- Acquired Josh Randall and R.J. Sales from Tigers for Kyle Finnegan
- Acquired Ronny Cruz and Christian Franklin from Cubs for Michael Soroka
- Acquired Jake Eder and Sam Brown from Angels for Andrew Chafin and Luis Garcia
- Acquired Clayton Beeter and Browm Martinez from Yankees for Amed Rosario
Rumored Players Who Were Not Traded
Astros Acquire Carlos Correa
Carlos Correa is coming home to play third base. The Twins have agreed to trade Correa to the Astros, according to MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart, and Jon Morosi of MLB Network says he’ll man the hot corner for Houston. Pitching prospect Matt Mikulski is going to Minnesota, according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that the Twins are paying down $33MM of the approximate $103.4MM remaining on Correa’s deal. The trade is now official.
The idea of the Astros bringing Correa back into the fold first surfaced yesterday in a report from Nightengale. Rome and Dan Hayes of The Athletic went on to report that the Astros approached the Twins with the concept of bringing back Correa, a favorite of owner Jim Crane.
With $103.4MM remaining on Correa’s contract through 2028, reporting today suggested that the two clubs were too far apart on dollars to consummate a deal. However, as ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports, the teams bridged their financial gap, Correa waived his no-trade clause, and the deal was resuscitated. As Correa told McTaggart, “I let them know there was only one team I would allow that to happen.”
The Astros and Crane have a history of letting star players depart for longer free agent deals elsewhere. In this case, Correa left after the 2021 season. Nearly three years later third baseman Alex Bregman turned down the Astros’ overtures and landed in Boston, after the club had already landed his replacement in Isaac Paredes (acquired from the Cubs in part because the Astros knew they couldn’t win the bidding on Kyle Tucker). Paredes tore his hamstring on July 19th, which may be season-ending.
Jeremy Peña has flourished in Correa’s absence, making his first All-Star team this year after hitting the IL in late June for a fractured rib. Peña could rejoin the Astros tomorrow in Boston, playing next to his predecessor on the left side of the infield against Bregman and the Red Sox. The Astros had picked up Ramon Urias from Baltimore last night, a move that paled in comparison to the division-rival Mariners adding Eugenio Suarez. Now with Correa, Urias will be pushed into a utility role that could include time at second base.
Correa, 31 in September, owns an uninspiring 97 wRC+ in 364 plate appearances this year for the Twins. His Twins career has been up-and-down in that regard, with a stellar 136 wRC+ in 2022, a down year in ’23, and a career-best 155 mark last year.
Correa played in only 86 games for the Twins in 2024, missing time due to an intercostal strain and plantar fasciitis. He spent time on the seven-day concussion list in May this year, but has otherwise avoided the IL despite some minor injuries.
Injuries have long been part of the story for Correa, who was drafted first overall by the Astros in 2012. He played 110 or fewer games in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2024, so he had a four-year run of good health encompassing his multiple free agencies.
Despite his injury history, Correa has been worth 3.7 WAR in seven separate seasons. He won the AL Rookie of the Year in 2015, made his first All-Star team and garnered MVP votes in 2017, made another All-Star team and finished fifth in the MVP voting in 2021, and made a third All-Star game with the Twins last year. Certainly Correa’s 2017 performance and the Astros’ championship are tarnished by the sign-stealing scandal, but the star players involved have largely been able to move on with minimal effects aside from perhaps extra boos from certain fanbases.
Correa has been a regular on the pages of MLBTR, perhaps beginning with that sign-stealing scandal in late 2019. Though Correa suffered some reputational damage for cheating at the time, his first run at free agency seemed largely unaffected. Hewing to their organizational philosophy on long-term contracts, the Astros topped out at a five-year, $160MM offer, even though Correa was heading into his age-27 season.
Though some major free agents such as Corey Seager signed before the 99-day 2021-22 lockout, Correa did not. Correa switched to the Boras Corporation during the lockout, and “settled” for a three-year, $105.3MM deal with the Twins in March 2022 with opt-out clauses after each season. After an excellent debut season with the Twins, Correa opted out as expected, but his second run at free agency was anything but easy.
Correa agreed to a 13-year, $350MM deal with the Giants in December 2022, which shockingly fell apart after his physical revealed concerns over his right leg. Correa then agreed to play third base for the Mets on a 12-year, $315MM deal, only to have that deal fall apart for similar reasons. That led to a January 2023 reunion with the Twins on a six-year, $200MM deal, ending one of the wildest free agencies this website has ever seen.
As Rome and Hayes wrote recently, “Though the Twins are enamored with Correa, believing he’s a difference-maker on the field, the team’s financial picture has changed drastically in the 30 months since he signed his six-year deal. The club has been up for sale since October, which is limiting how much the team can spend on players. Correa’s salary represents 25 percent of the Twins’ current $141 million payroll.”
Now, Correa will return to Houston and play a position other than shortstop for the first time in his 11-year MLB career. He told McTaggart, “We were waiting for a shortstop to come in [with Twins] and now that I get to play third base, it will be great for me at this stage of my career.” Whether Paredes moves to the right side of the infield next year or becomes offseason trade bait remains to be seen.
Correa is owed $103.4MM through 2028, which would represent a $31.4MM CBT hit for the Astros. Given the approximate $33MM the Twins are kicking in, we estimate the Astros’ CBT hit to be around $21MM. Future reporting will surely confirm the figure. The Astros’ CBT payroll sits just below the $241MM threshold, so this trade easily vaults Houston into second-time tax payor status. The trade has echoes of one the Astros made two years ago, when they re-acquired Justin Verlander after letting him go to the Mets via free agency.
Known to be seeking a left-handed bat, the Astros nonetheless added Urias and Correa within a short span at the deadline. But shortly after landing Correa, they finally did get a lefty stick in the Marlins’ Jesus Sanchez. Clearly in go-for-it mode, GM Dana Brown pursued the Padres’ Dylan Cease as well, but that did not come to fruition.
While the Astros have added to their first-place team, the 51-57 Twins have conducted a full-on fire sale. Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey traded a whopping 10 players off his active roster in July, including both rentals and controllable players.
This post was originally published at 3:05pm central time.
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Yankees Acquire Camilo Doval
The Yankees are acquiring right-handed reliever Camilo Doval from the Giants, reports Jack Curry of YES Network. In exchange, the Giants will receive four minor leaguers: Jesus Rodriguez, Trystan Vrieling, Parks Harber, and Carlos De La Rosa. Curry was the first to report that Rodriguez, Vrieling, and Harbor were included in the deal, while FanSided’s Robert Murray later reported the complete package. The deal is now official.
In adding Doval, David Bednar, and Jake Bird today, Yankees GM Brian Cashman was able to acquire three relievers with control beyond this season. That should be useful given the impending free agencies of Devin Williams and Luke Weaver.
Doval, 28, has a 3.09 ERA, 26.2 K%, 12.6 BB%, and 52.6% groundball rate in 46 2/3 innings for the Giants this year. Doval burst onto the scene in 2021 as one of baseball’s hardest-throwing relievers.
Unlike most baseball executives, Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey had firsthand experience with Doval’s talent, having served as his catcher in Posey’s final season. As a rookie, Doval made three appearances in the NLDS for the Giants.
A few months in the 2022 season, Doval was entrenched as the Giants’ closer. He had a couple of strong years, including 39 saves and an All-Star appearance in 2023. However, with his walk rate spiking to 14.4% in 2024, Doval was sent to Triple-A in August as Ryan Walker took over closing duties. By the end of May this year, Doval had won his closer job back.
Doval has had better results this year with a 3.09 ERA, though his still lives in dangerous territory with a 12.6% walk rate. Some of that is mitigated by his ability to keep the ball on the ground. Doval likely won’t be tasked with the ninth inning for the Yankees, given the presence of Williams, Bednar, and Weaver.
Doval is under team control through 2027. He’s earning $4.525MM in his first arbitration year, about $1.44MM of which remains this season. Given the Yankees’ 110% competitive balance tax bracket, they’ll spend about $3MM to have Doval for the remainder of this season. The club has run its CBT payroll up to about $316MM, according to RosterResource.
Posey’s Giants, meanwhile, save money and further stock the cupboard with minor leaguers, having also traded Mike Yastrzemski and Tyler Rogers in the last few days. According to Baseball America, De La Rosa has the best upside of the four acquired for Doval. The 20-year-old righty was graded 45/extreme risk by BA, who called him a “fine lottery ticket” who is on the upswing. BA graded Rodriguez as 40/high risk, suggesting he “could have a future as a second-division regular who takes reps behind the plate and occasionally at third base.”
Though unranked by BA, Vrieling is more highly regarded by MLB.com, who assigned the righty a 40 grade. They concluded, “he’ll have no more than a back-of-the-rotation ceiling unless he can develop a better-than-average offering.” Harber, now 23, was signed as a non-drafted free agent by the Yankees. He’s reached High-A this year as a corner infielder. He may be a bit old for his level, but Harber has a 156 wRC+ in 152 PA and may soon prove ready for Double-A.
This post was originally published at 5:29pm.
Blue Jays Acquire Louis Varland, Ty France
The Blue Jays acquired reliever Louis Varland and first baseman Ty France from the Twins, according to Mitch Bannon of The Athletic. Lefty Kendry Rojas and outfielder Alan Roden will head to the Twins in the deal, adds Bannon. The trade is now official.
The Twins went well beyond expectations as sellers at the 2025 deadline, having also dealt Carlos Correa, Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, Willi Castro, Danny Coulombe, Brock Stewart, Harrison Bader, and Chris Paddack.
Varland qualifies as an unexpected trade, given that he’s under team control through 2030. The Twins dealt all five of their high-leverage relievers this month, Varland included. The 27-year-old righty is in the midst of a breakout season, spending the entire year in the Twins’ bullpen and posting a 2.02 ERA in 49 innings. That’s come with a 23.9 K%, 6.6 BB%, and greatly improved 54.5% groundball rate. Working entirely as a reliever, Varland’s fastball velocity has soared to an average of 98.1 miles per hour.
The Blue Jays landed five-plus years of what looks like a very good setup man in Varland, though they could consider moving him back to the rotation in the future. Varland comes from strong bloodlines, as his older brother Gus has pitched in the Majors for the Brewers, Dodgers, and White Sox. Louis was drafted by the Twins in the 15th round in 2019 out of Concordia University in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Varland made his MLB debut in 2022, and began last season as a member of the Twins’ rotation. That lasted only five turns, plus some spot starts. By September of last year, Varland had moved into more of a traditional relief role, and has since found his first sustained MLB success.
Given that Varland won’t even be arbitration eligible until 2027, the Blue Jays have plenty of time to decide his long-term role. They will have some rotation openings next year given the impending free agencies of Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt. For now, Varland can slot in alongside new bullpen addition Seranthony Dominguez behind closer Jeff Hoffman.
France, 31, joined the Twins in February on a $1MM free agent deal. He’s logged the vast majority of the Twins’ innings at first base this year, posting a subpar 92 wRC+ in 387 plate appearances. A righty batter, France has not done particularly well against lefties or righties over the last two seasons. With Vladimir Guerrero Jr. locked in at first base and George Springer (and perhaps eventually Anthony Santander) typically handling DH duties, France seems set for a modest bench role in Toronto.
The Twins and their fans are left to pick up the pieces after president of baseball operations Derek Falvey traded 10 players this month. Rojas, a 22-year-old who signed out of Cuba for $215K in 2020, made the jump to Triple-A yesterday. Baseball America labeled him a 50-grade high risk prospect, saying he “shows starter traits with a deep arsenal of average-or-better pitches and command.” Rojas has made 10 starts this year across four minor league levels and should be in the Twins’ rotation mix next year.
Roden, 26 in December, was the Blue Jays’ third-round pick back in 2022. A lefty batter, Roden “projects to hit for a high average with high walk rates” per Baseball America, upon giving him a 50 high-risk grade as well. He profiles as a corner outfielder. While Roden has fared poorly in his 113 big league plate appearances, he has a 150 wRC+ at Triple-A this year and has little left to prove there. He should be able to find playing time in left for the Twins this year given the departures of Bader and Castro.
This post was originally published at 5:05pm.
Rangers Acquire Phil Maton
The Rangers have added another veteran arm to their bullpen, acquiring right-hander Phil Maton from the Cardinals in exchange for minor league pitchers Mason Molina and Skylar Hales, per announcements from both clubs. Texas designated minor league outfielder Dustin Harris for assignment to clear a 40-man roster spot.
Maton, 32, is playing the current season on a one-year, $2MM contract signed after spring training was underway. Other clubs around the league are surely kicking themselves to an extent, as Maton has turned in a career-best performance in St. Louis. He’s tallied 38 1/3 innings with a 2.35 ERA, a 30.5% strikeout rate and a 9.5% walk rate. Maton’s 50.6% ground-ball mark is a career-high.
While he’s never been a hard-thrower, Maton has carved out a solid career for himself living in the upper 80s and low 90s. He’s sitting 89.5 mph with his sinker in 2025 — and throwing it at a career-high 13.2% clip — and averaging just 90.6 mph with his cutter. Maton has thrown his mid-70s curveball more than any other pitch this season, and he’s also mixed in a slider that sits 83.4 mph.
The whole package has been effective. Maton is missing bats, inducing grounders and limiting hard contact even better than he typically does — which is impressive given his track record. Opponents have averaged just 86 mph off Maton in his career, but they’re putting the ball in play at an average of only 84.8 mph in 2025. His 28.9% hard-hit rate is among the lowest in the sport, and Maton has only allowed three “barreled” balls, per Statcast’s definition, all season.
Maton has picked up 20 holds and a pair of saves with the Cardinals. He’s not likely to step into the ninth inning in Texas, but he’ll join newly acquired left-hander Danny Coulombe as a setup man to closer Robert Garcia. He’s a free agent at season’s end, making Maton a pure rental, but the cost of acquisition reflects that lack of team control.
Molina, 22, was the Brewers’ seventh-round pick in last year’s draft. The former Arkansas Razorback was traded to Texas in a January swap sending righty Grant Anderson to Milwaukee. He’ll now join his third organization in barely a year of pro ball.
The 6’2″, 230-pound Molina has split the current season between the Rangers’ Class-A and High-A affiliates. He’s appeared in 18 games, 17 of them starts, and worked to a 3.41 ERA in 74 innings. Molina has punched out 30.5% of his hitters and walked 9.3% of the batters he’s faced. He didn’t rank among the Rangers’ top-30 prospects.
The 23-year-old Hales was the Rangers’ fourth-round pick in 2023. He posted terrific numbers in his first season of pro ball but has struggled in year two, logging an ERA north of 5.00 in Double-A and serving up 13 runs in his first 7 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level. Overall, Hales has pitched 33 minor league innings and been tagged for a 7.64 ERA.
It’s not a compelling statistical profile, but Hales has a powerful 6’4″, 220-pound frame and averages better than 95 mph on his heater. Even as he’s struggled to keep runs off the board, he’s fanned nearly 28% of his opponents and notched strong swinging-strike rates. His command hasn’t been sharp in his limited look in Triple-A, but he posted quality walk rates at each stop prior to reaching Memphis.
Hales is a pure bullpen prospect, relying primarily on a fastball/slider combo. If he can get his command back on track and improve his performance with runners on base, he has the tools to be a useful bullpen piece.
The roster casualty for Maton will be Harris, a former 11th-round pick of the A’s whom the Rangers acquired in a 2020 trade. He ranked among the organization’s better prospects for a few seasons and had the look of an offensive-minded first baseman or left fielder. Harris posted huge numbers up through High-A and above-average numbers in his first passes through the Double-A and Triple-A levels.
He’s now in his third run through Triple-A, however, and he’s delivered below-average output in each of his past two stints at the level. In 308 plate appearances this season, the lefty-swinging Harris has a .262/.355/.401 slash with nine homers and 24 steals. He’s walked at a strong 10.7% clip and fanned in a lower-than-average 18.8% of plate appearances. It’s not necessarily bad production, but he’s checked in 5% worse than league average, by measure of wRC+.
Harris is also in his final minor league option year. He would’ve needed to stick on the major league roster next season had the Rangers not jettisoned him from the 40-man roster. That’ll be true for any organization that claims him off waivers as well. Harris can be optioned for the remainder of the current season but will have to stick in the majors or else be designated for assignment again next year.
Since trades of players who’ve been on 40-man rosters are no longer permitted, Harris will head to waivers within the next five days. He’ll be made available to all 29 other clubs at that point, with waiver priority determined by reverse standings.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan first reported that Maton was headed to Texas. The Athletic’s Katie Woo reported the return.
Rays Acquire Adrian Houser For Curtis Mead and Pitching Prospects
The Rays are acquiring starting pitcher Adrian Houser from the White Sox, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. Infielder Curtis Mead will head to Chicago in return, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Bruce Levine of 670 The Score adds that the White Sox will also receive right-handed pitchers Duncan Davitt and Ben Peoples.
Houser, 32, had a rough 2024 season with the Mets but spent the offseason training at “at PitchingWRX, a facility in Oklahoma City where former Sox pitcher Lane Ramsey is the chief of operations,” according to James Fegan of Sox Machine. Houser landed a minor league deal with the Rangers in December, then inked a Major League one with the White Sox on May 20th. Houser had added over a mile per hour to his fastball due to his offseason training, and posted a stellar 2.10 ERA in 11 starts for the Sox.
Somehow, Houser has had this level of success despite a 17.1 K%. He’s had success preventing barrels, and Statcast’s xERA supports a sub-4 mark. Houser, a free agent after the season, joins a Rays rotation that also includes Ryan Pepiot, Shane Baz, Drew Rasmussen, and Joe Boyle. Houser, a free agent after the season, can serve as something of a replacement for Zack Littell, who the Rays dealt to the Reds yesterday. The Rays optioned Taj Bradley to Triple-A a week ago, but today shipped him to the Twins for elite reliever Griffin Jax.
It’s been an interesting month for Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander, who also shipped out Danny Jansen and acquired Bryan Baker earlier this month. The Rays simply aren’t afraid to make trades (including during a game with their opponent) and serve as both buyers and sellers. The Rays took a painful loss in New York against the Yankees today, with Yandy Diaz, Jonathan Aranda, and Chandler Simpson all departing early with injuries. The club still has a fighting chance at 3.5 games out in the Wild Card.
Mead, 25 in October, hasn’t done much with Major League pitching in stints in each of the last three seasons. Nor has he been all that impressive in Triple-A in the last few years. Still, Mead has spent ample time on Baseball America’s top 100 prospects list, peaking at #36 prior to the 2023 season. He garnered a 55/medium risk grade at that time, at which point Baseball America considered him “one of the best pure hitters in the minors.” Though the Rays are considered a dangerous trading partner, Mead represents a rare misstep for the club, as they acquired him for Cristopher Sanchez back in November 2019.
Not known for his defense, Mead can fit at first, second, or third base. Those spots are occupied in Chicago by Miguel Vargas, Lenyn Sosa, and Colson Montgomery of late, with Andrew Benintendi taking a fair number of DH at-bats. Mead can likely work his way into the playing time mix. As Jim Margalus of Sox Machine notes, Mead bears some similarities to Vargas.
Davitt, a 25-year-old righty, earned a promotion to Triple-A earlier this month. Eric Longenhagen and James Fegan of FanGraphs described him in February as “a funky low-slot guy at Iowa who has successfully been turned into a backend starter prospect in pro ball.” Peoples, a 24-year-old righty, has spent the entire season as a reliever at Triple-A, posting a 2.65 ERA with a 12.3 K-BB%. The FanGraphs team wrote, “We’re betting on Peoples’ athleticism and delivery here, and still think he has a future as a fastball-heavy up/down reliever who has a chance to entrench himself in a more regular big league role if one of his secondary pitches improves.”
Latest On Ryan O’Hearn
All-Star first baseman/DH/right fielder Ryan O’Hearn will be a free agent after the season, making him an obvious trade candidate given the Orioles’ struggles this year. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand says Baltimore’s price on O’Hearn is nonetheless “very high,” though that may be standard posturing with the trade deadline about two hours away.
O’Hearn, 32, has an excellent 134 wRC+ in 361 plate appearances this year. It’s worth noting, however, that most of his production came in the season’s first two months, as the lefty slugger has slipped to a 92 wRC+ since June. Also consider that O’Hearn requires a platoon partner; the Orioles sit him against southpaws on a regular basis.
The “very high” price tag, then, feels like a bit of a stretch, but O’Hearn is still a solid bat in a market light on those. One potential suitor is the Rangers, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network, althoughEvan Grant of the Dallas Morning News doesn’t see the fit. The Brewers were connected to O’Hearn two days ago. Feinsand notes that the Astros were interested in O’Hearn, but the Marlins’ Jesus Sanchez is “now high on Houston’s radar.”
O’Hearn is earning $8MM this year, meaning about $2.5MM remains. Given that the 2026 qualifying offer will likely be north of $21MM, the Orioles almost have to trade O’Hearn prior to the deadline to recoup some value.
Latest On Marlins Pitchers, Outfielders
2:38pm: MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch reports that the Yankees have pitched the Marlins on a potential package deal involving Alcantara and Bender.
10:25am: All eyes are on Sandy Alcantara today, with less than seven hours to go until the MLB trade deadline. The former Cy Young winner sports an ugly post-Tommy John 6.36 ERA in 21 starts, but he has totaled 12 scoreless innings in his last two starts against the Padres and Cardinals.
Alcantara is controlled through 2027 by virtue of the contract extension he signed over three years ago. The Astros and Red Sox were linked to him yesterday, while the Mets, Padres, and Cubs are among those previously connected. This morning, Jon Heyman of the New York Post adds another potential suitor: the Yankees.
The Yankees have Luis Gil set to make his season debut Sunday against the Marlins following his spring lat strain, which may send Cam Schlittler back to Triple-A (if the latter isn’t included in a trade today). Gil will join veterans Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, and Marcus Stroman, as well as Will Warren. As Greg Joyce of the New York Post wrote yesterday, a rotation acquisition by the Yankees would force a choice between Warren and Stroman.
With a competitive balance tax payroll around $314MM after additions of Ryan McMahon, Amed Rosario, and Austin Slater, the Yankees face a 110% tax on every dollar they add this summer. Alcantara is earning $17MM this year and next, with a club option for 2027. Acquiring Alcantara would mean adding more than $6MM to the Yankees’ CBT ledger for this year, plus a tax of around $6.7MM.
Teams seeking starting pitching are also intrigued by hard-throwing Marlins righty Edward Cabrera. Cabrera, 27, is having a better season than Alcantara and is under team control through 2028 at much lower (expected) salaries than Alcantara. As such, it makes sense that the Yankees are interested in Cabrera, as Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports today with five hours left until the deadline. The Marlins are eyeing powerful Yankees outfield prospect Spencer Jones, notes Morosi. According to Will Sammon of The Athletic, “interest in both Alcantara and Cabrera is very high.”
Sammon also notes that a pair of Marlins righty relievers are drawing interest in Ronny Henriquez and Calvin Faucher. Henriquez’s 32.4 K% ranks 20th among relievers this year, and he’s been mentioned as an under-the-radar trade candidate by MLBTR several times this month. Given that Henriquez was a February waiver claim who had limited MLB experience with the Twins, he’s under team control through 2030.
As you might expect, Sammon reports that Faucher is more likely to be traded today. Faucher, 30 in September, has a 3.73 ERA, 23.2 K%, and 10.7 BB% this year with a 44.2% groundball rate. He’s less intriguing than Henriquez, but is under control through 2029. Righty Anthony Bender has also been in rumors this month.
Finally, Sammon points out that Marlins outfielders Jesus Sanchez and Dane Myers are also drawing interest. Sanchez, 28 in October, is under team control through 2027. He’s a left-handed hitter who has a slightly above average 104 wRC+ since 2023, though against righties he’s at 119 during that time. Myers, a December 2022 waiver claim from the Tigers, is under team control through ’29. He’s a righty hitter who can serve as a lefty masher, given his 141 wRC+ against southpaws in 172 plate appearances dating back to 2023.
Sanchez has been playing right field for the Marlins, often sitting against lefties. Myers has been taking most starts in center, occasionally sharing with Javier Sanoja.
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