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Orioles Place Zach Eflin On Injured List

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Zach Eflin’s back soreness is sending him to the 15-day injured list. The Orioles announced the move, which is retroactive to June 29, while recalling rookie righty Brandon Young to take his spot on the active roster.

Eflin only made it through one inning during his start on Saturday before he was forced out of the game by back tightness. The O’s have not provided any more specificity, only announcing the injury as lower back discomfort. His return timeline isn’t clear. Eflin is an impending free agent on a last place team, so an injury one month before the deadline could impact the summer trade market.

This continues a frustrating season for the 31-year-old righty. It began well enough, as Eflin opened the year with three consecutive quality starts. He exited his third appearance with shoulder discomfort that was later diagnosed as a low-grade lat strain. That cost him a month. More concerning is that Eflin has not looked right since he made his return on May 11.

In nine starts since coming back from the shoulder injury, Eflin has been tagged for a 7.16 earned run average. He has fanned under 17% of opposing hitters while surrendering a staggering 14 home runs in only 44 innings. Even if one wants to write off Saturday’s performance — in which he gave up four runs in one inning while trying to pitch through the back discomfort — he’d been hit hard in four of his prior eight outings.

That was already dealing a hit to Eflin’s trade value. While clubs would be intrigued by his 2023-24 numbers, he’s a relatively expensive rebound target on an $18MM salary. This injury adds another layer of uncertainty and could run the risk of taking him off the trade market entirely if he’s still injured by the end of July. Players on the IL are eligible to be traded, but that’d be a difficult sell to other teams if he hasn’t shown some level of improved form by the deadline. O’s GM Mike Elias said over the weekend that they’re not yet committed to selling. Still, it’d take a huge performance over the next couple weeks to raise their playoff odds to a point where the front office can justify not moving at least their impending free agents.

In the meantime, Young seems likely to step into Tony Mansolino’s rotation. The 26-year-old has struggled in a trio of spot starts, giving up 10 runs over 12 2/3 innings. He owns a 3.25 ERA in 25 outings at the Triple-A level over the past couple seasons. Young has a five-pitch mix led by a fastball that sits around 93 MPH.

Astros Interested In Cedric Mullins

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Astros general manager Dana Brown has been open about his desire to add some left-handed hitting to Houston’s predominantly righty-swinging lineup, and it isn’t any surprise that the club reportedly has some interest in a player who may be one of the deadline’s most intriguing rental bats.  USA Today’s Bob Nightengale writes that the Astros have “eyes on Orioles center fielder Cedric Mullins,” but didn’t elaborate as to whether or not Houston is just considering Mullins at this point, or if any exploratory talks have taken place between the Astros and Orioles front offices.

The 30-year-old Mullins is hitting .213/.295/.413 with 12 homers over 272 plate appearances this season, translating to an almost exactly average 101 wRC+.  Much of his success came in the first four weeks, as Mullins had an outstanding .983 OPS over his first 111 plate appearances of 2025, but he then sputtered to a .161/.197/.329 slash line (for a .526 OPS) in his next 158 trips to the plate.  He also had a minimal stint on the 10-day IL due to a hamstring strain right at the end of May and into the start of June, but Mullins’ fortunes didn’t improve after returning to action.

Apart from his respectable whiff and walk rates, Mullins’ Statcast numbers are otherwise a sea of blue, speaking to his struggles over the last two months.  His 25.7% strikeout rate is particularly troublesome, as it is easily the highest of his eight MLB seasons.  Mullins’ 55.4% fly ball rate is also a career high and his .202 Isolated Power number is the second-highest of his career, so while his apparent change in approach to seek out more power is keeping his wRC+ afloat, it is hampering his overall productivity at the plate.

With a modest career 107 wRC+ entering 2025, Mullins’ value has only been partially tied to his bat.  He stole 115 bases in 143 attempts in 2021-24, though Mullins is only 8-for-10 so far in 2025.  Public defensive metrics have generally been mixed on his center field glovework, and this season has had one of the biggest splits of opinion yet — the Outs Above Aveerage metrics puts Mullins at +1 for his 550 1/3 innings in center, while Defensive Runs Saved has him at a dismal -15.

Since Jake Meyers is one of the game’s better defensive center fielders, the Astros almost certainly wouldn’t be using Mullins up the middle anyway.  Rookie Cam Smith has made a very solid accounting for himself in his first MLB season, so left field would be the likeliest landing spot if Mullins did indeed end up in Houston.  The chain reaction here would probably send Jose Altuve back to his old second base spot on a full-time basis, as Altuve’s glove hasn’t adjusted well to the move to left field this season.

About half of Mullins’ $8.725MM salary for the season has already been paid out, and he’d have about $2.8MM remaining if dealt directly on the July 31 deadline day.  It is an open secret that Houston is trying to stay under the $241MM luxury tax threshold, so adding Mullins’ relatively modest salary would still be a fit even within the team’s relatively narrow financial window.  RosterResource projects the Astros’ current tax number at around $235.5MM, which gives the club some (but not much) space for deadline additions.

Mullins’ low salary will likely get him attention from several teams heading into the deadline, even despite his unimpressive numbers over the last two months.  Multiple clubs could be looking at his past track record rather than his most immediate results, and the “change of scenery” factor might also come into play.

It stands to reason that the Astros may wait until later into July to pull the trigger on any big deals, as the team might want more clarity on the status of Yordan Alvarez and other injured players before deciding on any lineup upgrades.  Alvarez has missed almost two months due to a hand injury that was eventually diagnosed as a fracture, but manager Joe Espada told reporters (including The Houston Chronicle’s Matt Kawahara) that Alvarez will be facing live pitching at the Astros’ minor league facility this week.  Outfielder Chas McCormick will also join Alvarez in the assignment, as McCormick has missed the last month recovering from an oblique strain.

The Orioles’ win over the Rays today boosted their record to 36-47, and Baltimore has now gone 21-19 since Tony Mansolino took over from Brandon Hyde as manager.  GM Mike Elias took a candid assessment of his club’s situation in comments with reporters yesterday, and said that the Orioles are preparing at the moment to be both buyers and sellers, and a clearer decision will be made as July develops.

This could mean that Mullins and other impending free agents will be natural trade candidates in the lead-up to July 31.  Even if the O’s do manage to claw their way back into the pennant race, Mullins might still get moved in order to address another roster need, akin to how Baltimore dealt Austin Hays (also in his last year of team control) to the Phillies prior to last year’s deadline.  Mullins’ struggles haven’t done much to help his trade value, of course, nor his chances of landing a solid multi-year contract as a free agent this winter.

Orioles Select Matt Bowman

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The Orioles selected the contract of right-hander Matt Bowman this morning, according to a team announcement. Right-hander Kade Strowd was optioned to Triple-A to make room for Bowman on the active roster, while right-hander Luis Castillo was activated from the minor league injured list and designated for assignment.

Bowman, 34, made his big league debut in 2016 and spent four seasons with the Cardinals and Reds before injuries sidelined him for several years. He returned to the majors in 2023 and bounced between four other teams before settling with the Orioles in 2024. He’s been a frequent rider on the shuttle between Triple-A Norfolk and the big league club in Baltimore since then, and this is the fourth time Bowman’s had his contract selected by the Orioles this season alone. In total, he’s pitched to a roughly league average 4.10 ERA with a 4.22 FIP across 37 1/3 innings of work as a member of the Orioles over the past two seasons.

This latest stint for Bowman in the majors comes at the expense of Castillo, who departs the Orioles organization without making an appearance for the big league club. The 30-year-old righty was acquired from the Mariners in early May after he was designated for assignment by Seattle, but he was optioned to the minors immediately and has spent most of his time in the organization on the injured list with just two appearances at even the minor league level. Castillo began his pro career in the Diamondbacks organization and briefly pitched in the Tigers organization as well before departing affiliated ball for Nippon Professional Baseball. He spent two years in Japan and pitched to a 3.01 ERA across 143 1/3 innings of work before returning stateside to sign with the Mariners on a minor league deal prior to the 2025 season.

Going forward, the Orioles will have one week to either work out a trade involving Castillo or place him on release waivers. Castillo was on the injured list at the time of his DFA today, meaning that the Orioles cannot attempt to outright him to the minor leagues and that he will have to be released when his DFA window expires. That makes a trade somewhat unlikely, and if the Orioles do end up releasing Castillo he’ll have the opportunity to sign with any of the league’s 30 clubs. His 7.71 ERA in the majors this year isn’t exactly inspiring, but it’s a sample of just seven innings of work. It’s not at all difficult to imagine clubs having interest in getting Castillo into their organization on a minor league deal given his success overseas.

As for Strowd, the right-hander made his debut earlier this year and has looked solid in three appearances for the Orioles, with a 4.15 ERA in 4 1/3 innings. He’ll head to Triple-A as an optionable depth piece for Baltimore going forward and seems likely to get another opportunity in the majors at some point. If the Orioles opt to sell this summer, that could open up spots in the club’s bullpen and offer players like Strowd and Yaramil Hiraldo more regular opportunities at the big league level.

Zach Eflin Exits Start With Lower Back Tightness

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Orioles right-hander Zach Eflin left his start this afternoon after just one inning due to what Baltimore later announced as lower back tightness. After the game, manager Tony Mansolino spoke to reporters (including Jake Rill of MLB.com) and revealed that Eflin had actually felt the tightness during his pregame bullpen session, but that he thought he could pitch through it. As noted by Matt Weyrich of the Baltimore Sun, Eflin wanted to go back out for a second inning after surrendering four runs in the first on 28 pitches, but the team’s coaches pulled him from the game. Mansolino added that the club is not yet certain whether or not Eflin will require a trip to the injured list and that he could be sent for imaging to determine the severity of the injury.

Needless to say, it’s tough news for Baltimore. Eflin entered the season as the club’s de facto ace after the losses of Kyle Bradish to injury and Corbin Burnes to free agency. He found success early on with a 3.00 ERA in his first three starts, but missed over a month due to a lat strain. Since returning, he’s pitched to a 7.13 ERA in 44 innings including today’s abbreviated outing. Even ignoring today’s start, Eflin has posted figures north of 6.00 in both ERA and FIP since returning from the shelf. He’s also struck out just 17.6% of his opponents and surrendered 13 homers in just eight starts. His results have been so disastrous since his return from the shelf back in May that it’s fair to wonder if a stint on the injured list could be a necessary reset for the 31-year-old.

The Orioles fell to a disappointing 35-47 record with their loss today, but the front office has not yet committed to selling as they hold out hope for a hot streak that could put them back into the playoff conversation. Each loss makes that sort of run less and less likely to occur, however, and whether the Orioles end up winning enough games to stay in the race or sell off rental players at the deadline, a healthy and effective Eflin figures to be a big part of either of those plans. Chayce McDermott and Brandon Young are among the players who could be called upon to fill in for Eflin if he heads to the injured list.

Eflin looked like he could be one of the more attractive rental starters on the market this summer, but at this point it seems likely that Tomoyuki Sugano and his 4.06 ERA in 16 starts will be the most attractive rental arm in Baltimore’s rotation. Even 41-year-old veteran Charlie Morton may garner more interest than Eflin at this point, as he’s managed to turn things around after a brutal start with a 3.21 ERA over his past 12 appearances and a 2.90 ERA since returning to the rotation on May 26. On the other hand, it’s fair to note that Morton’s turnaround over the past month could certainly happen for Eflin in the run up to the deadline. That would likely require him to avoid the injured list, however, as even a minimum stint on the shelf at this point would leave him sidelined until after the All-Star break.

Mike Elias Discusses Deadline Plans, Tony Mansolino, Samuel Basallo

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While they entered the season viewed as a surefire contender, the Orioles are buried in the standings headed into the second half of the season. Their 35-46 record entering play today leaves them 11 games under .500 and seven games back of a playoff spot. They’d need to leapfrog seven teams in order to fight their way back into one of the AL’s three Wild Card spots, but that doesn’t mean that GM Mike Elias and his front office are entirely committed to selling. Elias spoke to reporters (including Roch Kubatko of MASN) about the team’s status headed into July, and revealed that he’s preparing as though either buying or selling this summer are on the table.

“People are making their preparations, they understand that we’re not committed to a path yet, but we’re doing preparation in both directions and have an understanding of where that might go,” Elias said, as relayed by Kubatko. “So we want to keep playing, keep giving this team that we think is very talented, but unfortunately has started off with a bad record, as much chance as we can. But we’re gonna have to ultimately make a decision at some point here in July.”

It sounds as though Baltimore is content to wait for at least a little while longer before committing to an approach for this trade season, though Elias did acknowledge that the Orioles will have to be “realistic” about the amount of time required to act upon their goals for the deadline before adding that it’s “not one or two days.” Whatever path they end up committing to, Elias made clear that ownership is willing to spend this deadline. That can take the form of adding salary in buy-side trades, or perhaps retaining salary on a sell-side trade to bring back a stronger return.

For a team in Baltimore’s situation, a willingness to retain salary can be a game changer in terms of the return they can expect for their players. The Orioles have a number of veterans with relatively hefty salaries who could be potential trade candidates this summer. Zach Eflin ($18MM), Charlie Morton ($15MM), and Tomoyuki Sugano ($13MM) all have salaries that could be difficult for some clubs with tight budgets to take on, while even players like Gary Sanchez ($8.5MM) and Ryan O’Hearn ($8MM) could be a problem for teams pressed up against the luxury tax threshold. Eating salary not only makes the player inherently more valuable to the buying club, but it can also allow teams without much money to spend to enter the bidding and expand the overall field of interest for the player.

None of that will matter if the Orioles decide not to sell, but it’s going to require a massive turn around for the Orioles to be realistic contenders for October. As of today, Fangraphs gives Baltimore just a 3.7% chance at making the postseason, and only the White Sox have a more daunting remaining schedule than the Orioles per the site’s strength of schedule metric. With series against the Rays, Rangers, Guardians, and Blue Jays teed up between now and the trade deadline, Baltimore will likely need to win the majority of those series if they’re going to create an argument to avoid selling.

Unlikely as that may seem, it’s hardly unusual for teams on the periphery of the race to hesitate when presented with the opportunity to blow things up. Despite entering the All-Star break with records around .500 last year, teams like the Pirates and Cubs opted to keep their teams largely intact and even do some buy-side trades that brought in controllable assets like Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Isaac Paredes. Perhaps there’s room for the Orioles to take a similar approach, and if that is an option on the table, ownership’s willingness to add salary would be a key factor in making those sorts of longer-term additions feasible. Sandy Alcantara is controlled for two seasons after 2025 and is widely considered one of the top players available this summer, but Edward Cabrera, Mitch Keller, Jarren Duran, and Bryan Reynolds are among a smattering of other players with multiple years of control remaining who could be moved this summer.

The trade deadline wasn’t the only thing Elias addressed in his comments to the media today, however. He offered praise for interim manager Tony Mansolino, who has led Batlimore to a 20-18 record since taking over for Brandon Hyde earlier this season. Elias applauded Mansolino’s performance, saying the 42-year-old is “handling it extremely well,” though he went on to suggest that he has not yet made plans regarding the club’s search for a permanent manager. It’s not clear whether that search will include Mansolino or not at this point, but Elias indicated that if he were to have discussions with his interim manager about staying in the role long-term, that conversation would come “a little later into the year.”

Something else Elias suggested Orioles fans could keep an eye out for later this year is the debut of top catching prospect Samuel Basallo. Elias acknowledged that he “hopes” to see Basallo in the majors this year, and while he added that his defense behind the plate needs work, he left the door open to some development at the big league level in that regard.

“Catching is the area that there’s still a lot of development left for him, and not all of that’s gonna be in the minors. But his bat is more ready than the catching and that tends to happen, and it’ll be developing in the majors, too,” Elias said, as relayed by Kubatko. “But I think the experience that he’s getting, catching in Triple-A right now, is still really, really valuable. The game-calling, the handling veteran pitchers.”

That’s a notable shift in tone from comments Mansolino made about the possibility of a Basallo call-up. The manager told reporters just last week that he hopes to see Basallo “knock the door down” to the majors after he “absolutely destroys Triple-A in all facets of the game.” Those comments seemed to suggest the Orioles wanted Basallo to do relatively minimal development at the big league level, but it’s possible that recent injuries to Adley Rutschman and Maverick Handley that left the Orioles with a tandem of Sanchez and Chadwick Tromp behind the plate could have changed Baltimore’s thought process regarding their top prospect.

Orioles Select Emmanuel Rivera, Designate Kyle Tyler

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The Orioles announced a trio of roster moves, including the selection of Emmanuel Rivera’s contract from Triple-A Norfolk.  To make room on the 26-man and 40-man rosters, outfielder Dylan Carlson was optioned to Triple-A, and right-hander Kyle Tyler was designated for assignment.

Rivera’s arrival seems like a direct response to Jordan Westburg’s finger injury, which forced him to make an early exit from yesterday’s game.  Westburg jammed his left index finger during a stolen base attempt last weekend and missed three games in recovery, though his attempt to return to action was short-lived.  Interim manager Tony Mansolino told reporters (including the Baltimore Sun’s Jacob Calvin Meyer) that Westburg may again miss a “couple of days” but the injured list isn’t a consideration.

If Westburg is able to return in short order, Rivera will at least get to celebrate his birthday with his Orioles teammates, as the infielder turns 29 tomorrow.  Rivera is no stranger to roster shuffles, as he is out of minor league options and has been designated for assignment four times since the start of the 2024 season — once apiece by the Diamondbacks and Marlins in 2024, and twice this year by the Orioles.  The first two of those DFAs saw Rivera change teams via trade and then claim, whereas this year, the O’s have twice outrighted Rivera to Triple-A after he cleared waivers.

Rivera has hit .232/.303/.275 over 76 plate appearances with Baltimore this season, which is a step back even from his modest .243/.306/.363 career slash line in 1118 PA and 365 MLB games.  Rivera has primarily played third base over his five big league seasons, so he can provide some depth at the hot corner while Westburg is sidelined.

Tyler is another veteran of the DFA process, as a whirlwind stretch of transactions in March-April 2022 saw Tyler join four different teams on waiver claims.  The Phillies also claimed Tyler away from the Marlins in August 2024, and the Orioles claimed him from Philadelphia less than two weeks ago after the right-hander was designated yet again.

Tyler has a 4.31 ERA over 48 career innings in the majors but he has yet to see any big league work this year.  With a 4.19 ERA over 66 2/3 combined innings with the Phillies’ and Orioles’ Triple-A affiliates, Tyler might well find himself on the move again to another team in need of some rotation or long relief depth.

Trade Deadline Outlook: Baltimore Orioles

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Thus far, MLBTR's Deadline Outlook series has focused on teams that have a clear buy or sell direction. The Orioles are certainly trending towards the latter but are arguably the first semi-bubble team that we'll cover. Barring a monster July, they'll have no choice but to sell at least some short-term pieces. They've got a number of players who'll draw interest.

Record: 34-46 (2.9% playoff probability, per FanGraphs)

Sell Mode

Impending Free Agents: Ryan O'Hearn, Cedric Mullins, Seranthony Domínguez, Gregory Soto, Charlie Morton, Zach Eflin, Tomoyuki Sugano, Gary Sánchez

Baltimore has eight impending free agents, seven of whom have some level of trade value. O'Hearn has slumped this month but still carries a robust .301/.384/.485 line. It's his third consecutive above-average season, and he's playing on an affordable $8MM salary. The Mariners, Giants, Reds, Rangers and Royals could all make sense. Mullins had a monster April but hasn't hit over the last two months. He's nevertheless alongside Luis Robert Jr. as the most obvious trade candidates at a weak position. The Mets, Phillies, Guardians, Royals, Padres and Braves are among teams that could use a center fielder or could target Mullins with an eye towards playing him in a corner.

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Mariners Looking For Corner Infield Bats; Ownership Willing To Bump Payroll

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The Mariners are currently 41-38 and in possession of the final American League Wild Card spot, putting them in position to add at the deadline. Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports that the club is looking to add an impact bat at a corner infield spot, though he adds that they could also just get the best bat available and worry about the positioning later. An extra leverage arm for the bullpen is another reported target. Kramer also reports that “ownership will green light increased spending” at this year’s deadline.

The note about the payroll is quite relevant. Throughout the offseason, reporting indicated that the club had about $15MM of spending capacity for upgrading the roster. The M’s then spent a combined $11.25MM on signing Jorge Polanco and Donovan Solano. In early May, they claimed Leody Taveras off waivers from the Rangers, taking on the roughly $3.7MM he had left to be paid out on this year’s salary. The M’s later outrighted Taveras to Triple-A.

Given that the M’s had seemingly spent their budget, it would have been fair to wonder about their ability to make deadline additions. While it’s unclear exactly how much increased spending ownership is willing to approve, any extra pocket money should help the front office pursue external additions.

As for the specific targets, they are not surprising, as the M’s have question marks at both infield corners. Ben Williamson has received the lion’s share of playing time at third base this year and has been solid with the glove, but has hit just .255/.291/.311 for a 77 wRC+. At first base, Rowdy Tellez was the regular there before his subpar bat got him bumped off the roster. He was designated for assignment last week and put on release waivers today.

Solano is now getting most of the playing time at first. He’s not having a great season overall but has been heating up after a dreadful start. He was hitting .131/.156/.148 through May 17th but has a massive .420/.463/.640 line since then. That latter line is a small sample of just 54 plate appearances and inflated by an unsustainable .474 batting average on balls in play but there’s no harm in riding the hot hand in the short term. He also slashed .294/.353/.413 for a 112 wRC+ from 2019 to 2024, so he has a track record of strong offense.

Considering that he’s 37 years old and slumped early in the year, it’s understandable that the M’s may not want to be totally reliant on him. A lot of his damage has also come against lefties in recent years, so they could consider a platoon, though he has reverse splits in this year’s small sample of work.

As for specific targets, Kramer relays that the Mariners have considered a reunion with old friend Eugenio Suárez, currently of the Diamondbacks. Suárez played for Seattle in 2022 and 2023, hitting a bunch of home runs but also striking out a lot. The M’s made a concerted effort to reimagine their offense with fewer punchouts and traded him to Arizona ahead of the 2024 season.

With the Snakes, Suárez got out to a rough start but has been one of the best hitters in baseball for about the past year. He had a .216/.302/.366 line and 87 wRC+ in the first half of 2024 but then exploded for a .307/.341/.602 showing and 153 wRC+ in the second half. Here in 2025, he already has 25 home runs, a .251/.323/.569 line and a 141 wRC+. He’s also been striking out less in the process. He struck out more than 30% of the time as a Mariner but dropped that rate to 27.5% last year and is down to 25.7% so far this year.

His defense isn’t as strong as Williamson’s but he would obviously provide a huge boost to the lineup from the third base spot. Suárez is making a notable salary of $15MM this year, which would leave about $5MM left to be paid out as of the deadline. As mentioned, it’s unknown how much wiggle room the M’s will have to take on money.

It’s possible the Diamondbacks would be willing to eat some of the money but it’s also not entirely clear if they want to make Suárez available at all. Despite a rash of injuries, they are currently 41-39 and just three games out of a playoff spot in the National League. If they fall back in the next few weeks, the possibility of a Suárez trade should increase.

There’s also an argument for Arizona to trade Suárez even in a win-now move. They have lost several arms to injury and could flip him for help on the pitching staff, with Jordan Lawlar then taking over at third. However, there is risk in that path. Lawlar is a top prospect and keeps hitting in the minors but hasn’t yet taken advantage of his major league chances.

Kramer also mentions Arizona first baseman Josh Naylor, noting that he had been linked to the M’s prior to being traded from Cleveland to Arizona in the offseason. Naylor, like Suárez, is an impending free agent. He is making $10.9MM this year while slashing .307/.363/.479 for a 132 wRC+.

Kramer also mentions some other players as possible fits, including Jarren Duran of the Red Sox as well as Ryan O’Hearn, Cedric Mullins and Félix Bautista of the Orioles, though those appear to be more speculative suggestions. He also throws out Isiah Kiner-Falefa of the Pirates and Jesús Sánchez of the Marlins as other possibilities.

Duran and Mullins are outfielders but, as mentioned, the Mariners might just grab the best bat they can and figure out the defense later. Luke Raley is currently spending most of his time in the outfield corners but could perhaps spend more time at first base if the M’s added an outfielder.

O’Hearn and Mullins are both impending free agents on a struggling Baltimore club, so they seem likely to be moved. O’Hearn is having a terrific year, with a .301/.384/.485 line and 149 wRC+. His $8MM salary is not nothing but it’s barely half of what Suárez is making. Mullins was hot to start the year but has gone cold lately. He had a .278/.412/.515 line and 168 wRC+ at the end of April but has since put up a line of .167/.201/.348 for a wRC+ of 50. He is making $8.725MM this year.

Duran is still controllable for three years after this one but the Sox have a crowded long-term outfield mix that also includes Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela, Roman Anthony, Masataka Yoshida and Jhostynxon Garcia. Perhaps the Sox would consider making Duran available as a way to preemptively clear out that logjam while simultaneously adding talent somewhere else. They are currently 40-42 and 2.5 games back of a Wild Card spot.

As for the bullpen, all contenders generally look for upgrades at the deadline. Bautista should be highly attractive if the O’s are willing to make him available but it’s unclear if they would. Unlike Mullins and O’Hearn, he can be retained for two more seasons beyond this one. But given the general volatility of relievers, Baltimore might think about cashing him in during a down year for the club overall.

After missing the 2024 due to Tommy John surgery recovery, Bautista’s control has been a problem, with a 15% walk rate. But he’s still been effective overall, with a 2.60 earned run average and 33.6% strikeout rate. It’s possible he is reining in his command as the season goes along as he has dropped that walk rate to 9.4% in June.

Kiner-Falefa is a glove-first utility guy, hitting .273/.319/.346 this year for the Bucs, which translates to a wRC+ of 85. He is making $7.5MM this season but the Blue Jays are on the hook for part of that as part of the trade that sent him to Pittsburgh at last year’s deadline. Sánchez has generally been a league average hitter for the Marlins. He is in his sixth big league season and has a .240/.309/.425 line and 99 wRC+. He is making $4.5MM this year and can be controlled for two more seasons via arbitration.

There are many possibilities for Seattle, which should make for a very interesting deadline. President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto has a reputation as being one of the most trade-happy executives in the sport and the Mariners have one of the best farm systems. Reportedly, they wanted to deal prospects for big leaguers during the offseason but found few clubs willing to make that kind of pact since so many teams came into the year hoping to contend. As the season goes along and some clubs fall back in the standings, they might be more willing to take some of those prospects off the Mariners’ hands.

Photo courtesy of Joe Nicholson, Imagn Images.

Orioles Sign Jacob Stallings To Minor League Deal

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The Orioles announced that they have signed veteran catcher Jacob Stallings to a minor league deal. He had been released by the Rockies earlier this month. He will presumably head to Triple-A Norfolk in the near future.

The move is clearly a response to the club’s catching corps taking a couple of recent hits. Adley Rutschman hit the injured list due to an oblique strain a few days ago. Maverick Handley was called up to replace him but then he himself was injured when he collided with Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the Yankees in a play at the plate. Handley was placed on the concussion IL yesterday with Chadwick Tromp selected to the roster, joining Gary Sánchez to form the club’s current catching duo.

Stallings, 35, signed with the Rockies this winter on a one-year deal with a $2.5MM guarantee. That didn’t pan out, as he hit .143/.217/.179 in 93 plate appearances and got released in early June. However, he is a veteran with a solid defensive reputation in roughly a decade in the big leagues. His bat was also in good form as recently as last year, when he hit .263/.357/.453 for Colorado.

Since the Rockies released him, they are on the hook for the remainder of his salary. If the O’s call Stallings up at any point, they would only have to pay him the prorated portion of the league minimum salary for whatever time he spends on the roster, with that amount subtracted from what the Rockies pay. For now, he’ll give the O’s some experienced non-roster depth. If they need further catching reinforcements at any point, he’ll be able to provide them with a veteran backstop on the cheap.

Photo courtesy of Robert Edwards, Imagn Images

Orioles Select Chadwick Tromp

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The Orioles announced today that they have selected the contract of catcher Chadwick Tromp. Fellow catcher Maverick Handley has been placed on the seven-day concussion injured list. Infielder Ryan Mountcastle has been transferred to the 60-day injured list to open a 40-man roster spot.

Handley’s injury occurred during a scary incident in yesterday’s game against the Yankees, as seen in this video from MLB.com. With Jazz Chisholm Jr. on second base in the second inning, DJ LeMahieu hit a single to left field. With Chisholm trying to score, Colton Cowser came up throwing to the plate but his throw was up the third base line. Handley ran to field the ball and collided with Chisholm, dropping the ball and getting knocked to the ground. Gary Sánchez came into the game to replace him.

Handley had just been recalled to the majors the day prior, with Adley Rutschman landing on the IL due to a left oblique strain. It’s unclear how long the O’s expect Handley to be out of action but it seems like the club will have to go at least a week with both Rutschman and Handley on the shelf.

That has led to Tromp retaking a spot on the roster to share the catching duties with Sánchez. Tromp also spent a few days on the roster at the end of May. At that time, Sánchez was on the IL due to wrist inflammation and Rutschman had a concussion scare of his own. Rutschman was able to return to catching a few days later, which got Tromp bumped off the roster, though he returned to the O’s on a fresh minor league deal.

Tromp has generally been a solid defender behind the plate, with decent offense in the minors but not so much in the majors. From the start of 2022 to the present, he has a .255/.336/.422 line and 100 wRC+ at the Triple-A level. His time in the majors has led to a .219/.229/.375 line and 56 wRC+, though in 166 plate appearances scattered over six different seasons. He is out of options, which led Atlanta to cut him earlier this year. That led Tromp to the O’s, though he’s only been able to get brief roster time in emergencies.

As for Mountcastle, he landed on the 10-day IL at the end of May due to a right hamstring strain. Shortly thereafter, it was reported that he would miss eight to twelve weeks. His 60-day count is retroactive to his initial IL placement, so he can be reinstated at the end of July, though he’s going to be on the shelf past then.

Photo courtesy of Brett Davis, Imagn Images

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