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Pirates Trade Ke’Bryan Hayes To Reds

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The Reds and Pirates have come together on an intra-division swap that will send third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes from Pittsburgh to Cincinnati, per announcements from both clubs. The Pirates are receiving veteran reliever Taylor Rogers and minor league shortstop Sammy Stafura. The Reds will reportedly take on the entirety of Hayes’ contract, which runs through the 2029 season.

Hayes, 28, is a former first-round pick and top prospect who looked to be on the cusp of stardom early in his career. He graded as an elite defensive third baseman throughout his time in the minors and hit well as he climbed the minor league ladder. Hayes made an electric debut in the shortened 2020 season, showing off that plus-plus glove while hitting .376/.442/682 in his first 95 big league plate appearances.

Hayes didn’t replicate that output in his first full big league season in 2021, but he held his own with a .257/.316/.373 batting line in 396 plate appearances despite missing significant time due to a wrist injury. He hit just six homers but played outstanding defense and swiped nine bags. The following April, Pittsburgh signed him to an eight-year, $70MM deal which, at the time, was the largest in franchise history.

Unfortunately for Hayes and the Pirates, back injuries have become a recurring problem in Hayes’ still-young career. He’s spent significant time on the injured list due to back troubles in 2022, 2023 and 2024 — totaling five IL stints due to his back in that period of three years. Hayes still managed a league-average season at the plate in 2023 (.271/.309/.453, 100 wRC+, 15 homers, 10 steals) but he’s been a well below-average hitter since. In 788 plate appearances dating back to Opening Day 2024, he’s mustered only a .234/.281/.290 batting line (58 wRC+).

The Pirates frontloaded Hayes’ extension, paying him $10MM in each of the contract’s first two seasons and then cutting the salary back to $7-8MM per year thereafter. He’s making $7MM in 2025, with about $2.26MM of that sum yet to be paid out. He’ll then be owed $36MM from 2026-29 ($30MM in salary plus at least a $6MM buyout on a $12MM club option for the 2030 season).

It’s a relatively hefty sum to take on, though Hayes remains such a premium defender that his glove alone is arguably worth the remaining $9MM annual value on the contract (including the 2026 buyout). Hayes has been credited with an astonishing 91 Defensive Runs Saved and 73 Outs Above Average in 4796 career innings at third base, including 16 DRS and 15 OAA in 861 innings this year already. Since Hayes debuted in 2020, he leads all of Major League Baseball (at all positions) in both DRS and OAA. Andres Gimenez’s 63 DRS and Francisco Lindor’s 68 OAA are the second-highest marks in each category.

On top of a legitimate claim to being the game’s top defensive player, Hayes does have some encouraging offensive trends. His 20.7% strikeout rate in 2025 matches his career mark and checks in lower than the league average. He also regularly posts strong batted-ball metrics. Hayes has averaged 90.7 mph off the bat in his career, and 46.3% of his batted balls have traveled 95 mph or faster. The downside, however, is that far too much of that hard contact comes in the form of ground-balls. A hefty 49.5% of Hayes’ career batted balls have been hit into the ground, and his lack of consistent elevation offsets his average power.

A move to Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park could prove beneficial. Pittsburgh’s PNC Park is the toughest park in MLB on right-handed power over the past three years, per Statcast’s Park Factors. Great American, meanwhile, has been the second most conducive park to right-handed home runs in that time. It’s feasible that Hayes might at least eke out a few extra home runs just from the more favorable dimensions in his new home park.

The acquisition of Hayes could push infielder Noelvi Marte into the outfield on a more permanent basis. Marte is enjoying a nice rebound year at the plate, batting .276/.329/.500 with seven home runs and six steals in 146 plate appearances. Cincinnati has been having Marte go through outfield drills and has given him eight innings of actual right field (three games) over the past couple weeks.

Rogers’ inclusion in the Hayes return is solely for financial purposes. The 34-year-old is an impending free agent earning $12MM in the final season of a three-year $33MM contract, though the Giants are paying half that salary under the terms of the offseason trade that shipped him to Cincinnati. The Pirates, in all likelihood, will turn around and try to trade Rogers before tomorrow afternoon’s deadline.

So far in 2025, Rogers has pitched to a 2.45 ERA with a 23.3% strikeout rate and 13% walk rate in 33 innings. Rogers has a track record as a closer and setup man but hasn’t been used frequently in high-leverage spots by the Reds this year. He should draw some interest, especially if Pittsburgh is willing to pay down some of the $1.94MM he’s still owed through season’s end.

Beyond shedding the entirety of an unwanted contract, the Pirates’ return in the trade is the 20-year-old Stafura. He’s just two years removed from being the No. 43 overall pick in the draft and receiving an over-slot bonus of nearly $2.5MM. Stafura was regarded as a potential first-round pick in 2023. He’s spent the 2025 season in Class-A, hitting .262/.393/.411 (131 wRC+) with four home runs, 18 doubles, nine triples and 28 stolen bases (in 33 attempts).

Stafura possesses well above-average speed and has walked in more than 15% of his plate appearances in his professional career. His 23.9% strikeout rate is a bit high and there have been some concerns about Stafura’s hit tool. He’s played 170 of his 172 games in the field at shortstop (plus two at second base). Baseball America, in ranking Stafura ninth among Reds farmhands, noted that while Stafura has a roughly average arm, it’s quite accurate and he has the other defensive skills needed to stick at shortstop. It’s always possible Stafura will eventually slide to second or move into a utility role, but for now, the Pirates figure to keep him at shortstop.

Cincinnati has spent much of the past few weeks looking for offensive upgrades. Hayes is quite possibly an offensive downgrade, but he’ll be a massive boost to the team’s defense. The Reds, presumably, will remain in the market for a hitter who can more meaningfully upgrade their lineup.

Mark Feinsand, Mark Sheldon and Alex Stumpf of MLB.com first reported that Hayes had been traded to the Reds. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported the return. Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that the Reds were taking on Hayes’ entire contract.

Guardians Reportedly Shopping Steven Kwan, Shane Bieber

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The Guardians seem to be getting closer to selling significant pieces. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports that Cleveland is “trying to move” both left fielder Steven Kwan and starting pitcher Shane Bieber. Both players have been mentioned in plenty of trade rumors over the past few days, though Kwan has generally been seen as more of a long shot candidate.

If the Guardians are truly motivated to deal Kwan, they’d have no issue doing so. He’s one of their most valuable trade chips and would bring back a huge return. Kwan is playing on a $4.175MM salary and is under arbitration control for another two seasons. The two-time All-Star is hitting .286/.351/.410 with nine homers and 11 stolen bases in 448 plate appearances. He’s one of four hitters with at least 300 plate appearances who has walked more often than he has struck out.

Kwan is a career .285/.358/.398 hitter. He’s also probably the game’s best defensive left fielder. He has won a Gold Glove in each of his first three seasons. While Statcast’s Outs Above Average gives him an uncharacteristically average grade this season, Defensive Runs Saved (+13) still views him as the gold standard at the position. The well-rounded skillset makes Kwan an ideal leadoff hitter. The Dodgers, Blue Jays, Padres and Phillies have previously been linked to him. Jon Heyman of The New York Post adds the Reds to the list of interested teams. Speculatively speaking, the Astros could also use a left fielder and are known to be targeting left-handed bats.

While the Guardians will sort through plenty of offers on Kwan, Bieber is a more challenging trade candidate. That’s not an indictment on him as a player but a reflection of his contract structure. The former Cy Young winner underwent Tommy John surgery last April. That was his walk year, and he re-signed with Cleveland on a two-year deal that allowed him to opt out after the first season. Bieber is playing on a $10MM salary and has to decide between a $16MM player option or a $4MM buyout at year’s end.

An acquiring team would take on a little more than $3.2MM in salary the rest of the way. That’s plenty manageable, but the buyout would push that above $7.2MM. That’s what a team would owe for two months if Bieber were playing on a $22MM salary as opposed to a $10MM sum. That also doesn’t account for the risk that he suffers an injury setback or simply doesn’t pitch well and decides to stick with next year’s $16MM salary — which he’d only do if he feels he couldn’t beat that on the free agent market.

Bieber has not made a major league start this season. He’s closing in on his season debut after making his fourth minor league rehab appearance last night. He reached four innings and 58 pitches with Double-A Akron. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic wrote yesterday that other teams would have a heavy scouting presence in attendance. While those scouts’ opinions on Bieber’s stuff will hold far more weight than the results against Double-A hitters, the veteran righty had an impressive outing — one run on three hits and a hit batter with seven strikeouts.

While the Guardians could hold firm to a huge ask on Kwan, they should be more motivated to deal Bieber if they’re committed to selling. They have to expect him to opt out if he looks like his pre-surgery self — even more as the #3 type starter he was in 2023 as opposed to a return to the top of a rotation. Cleveland is a manageable 3.5 games back in the Wild Card chase, but they have three teams to jump and saw the path get a lot steeper when Emmanuel Clase was placed on administrative leave pending a gambling investigation.

MLBTR Podcast: Megapod Trade Deadline Preview

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The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Steve Adams and Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss various trade deadline topics, including…

Check out our past episodes!

  • David Robertson, Trade Chips For The O’s and A’s, And What The Rangers Could Do – listen here
  • Rays’ Ownership, The Phillies Target Bullpen Help, And Bubble Teams – listen here
  • Firings in Washington, Bad Braves, And An AL East Shake-Up – listen here

The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff.  Check out their Facebook page here!

Photo courtesy of Geoff Burke, Imagn Images

Reds’ Carson Spiers To Undergo UCL Surgery

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TODAY: Sheldon clarifies that it isn’t yet known if Spiers will need a full Tommy John procedure or an internal brace surgery.  If the latter, Spiers’ recovery timeline could be in the 12-13 month range, increasing his chances of a return before the 2026 season is over.

JULY 26: Reds right-hander Carson Spiers will undergo a Tommy John surgery that will end his 2025 season and cost him all or virtually all of the 2026 season, MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon reports.  Spiers hasn’t pitched since April due to a shoulder impingement, and a minor league rehab assignment that began in early July was cut short when Spiers experienced some biceps soreness.  However, an MRI revealed the much worse news of UCL damage, and the righty now faces a lengthy stint on the sidelines.

Spiers has at least been amassing Major League service time while on the Reds’ IL, and he’ll continue to do so during his time on the 60-day injured list in 2026.  Given the usual 13-15 month recovery timeline for Tommy John patients, the timing of the surgery makes it unlikely that he’ll be back on a big league mound until the 2027 season, unless Spiers can perhaps get back in time for a peace-of-mind outing or two at the very end of the 2026 campaign.

Now in his third MLB season, Spiers was an undrafted free agent from the 2020 class of players who were somewhat left in limbo when the pandemic reduced the 2020 draft to just five rounds.  He made it to the Show for a few appearances for Cincinnati in September 2023, and then played a larger role for the Reds last year, tossing 90 2/3 innings while starting 10 of 22 games.  His abbreviated 2025 campaign consisted of two starts in three appearance, and 13 1/3 innings.

When not starting, Spiers has also operated as a long reliever, bulk pitcher, and a piggyback type of pitcher, so his ability to eat innings was helpful even if the results were shaky.  Spiers has a 5.69 ERA over his 117 career frames in the majors, as well as a 19.3% strikeout rate and 7.7% walk rate.  His career Triple-A numbers are a little better, and inflated by the 5.94 ERA he posted in 16 2/3 frames with Triple-A Louisville this year during his rehab assignment, when Spiers was naturally focused on getting comfortable and healthy rather than pure performance.

Reds Seeking Middle-Of-The-Order Bat, Bullpen Upgrades

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The trade deadline is now just a few days away and the Reds are looking to buy. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that Cincinnati is looking for a middle-of-the-order bat as well as bullpen upgrades.

It’s understandable that the Reds would buy. They haven’t made the playoffs in a full season since 2013. They are currently 55-50, just one game back of the final Wild Card spot in the National League. That spot is currently being held by the Padres, who will face some challenges the rest of the way. As Rosenthal notes, the Friars have a tight budget and have traded away a lot of prospects in recent years, which puts that club in an awkward spot. They are apparently considering all sorts of creative solutions, including things like trading Dylan Cease while simultaneously acquiring starters from other clubs.

A few of the clubs just behind the Reds in the standings are the Cardinals and Diamondbacks. The latter club has already started a selloff, having flipped Josh Naylor to the Mariners and Randal Grichuk to the Royals. Trades of Eugenio Suárez, Zac Gallen and/or Merrill Kelly are likely in the next few days, in addition to a few others. The Cards seem to be leaning towards selling as well. In short, the Reds could have a decent shot if they’re aggressive.

A middle-of-the-order bat would be a sensible add for the Reds. The team’s offense has not been a strength this year. The team has a combined .248/.321/.395 batting line and 96 wRC+, the latter figure being in the bottom third of major league teams. No one on the team has more than 18 home runs. Elly De La Cruz, who has 18, is the only guy with more than 11. That’s despite the Reds playing in one of the most homer-friendly ballparks in the league.

Adding a bit of thump would therefore be a nice boost. They have already been connected to old friend Suárez, who has 36 homers already this year, twice as many as Cincinnati’s current team leader. There are some other sluggers who could be available.

Taylor Ward has 24 homers on the year and the Angels have fallen to 5.5 games back of a playoff spot. The Halos also have Jo Adell and his 21 long balls, though he’s cheaper than Ward and controlled for an extra year, so he should be harder to pry loose. Brandon Lowe has 19 homers in just 86 games and Yandy Díaz has 18 this year. The Rays are reportedly growing more open to the idea of flipping one or both of those two. It’s been speculated that the Athletics could be willing to part with Tyler Soderstrom, though it would surely take a haul to get him. Marcell Ozuna is available but has been in a slump for about two months. It’s a somewhat similar story for Ryan O’Hearn. Luis Robert Jr. is out there but his production and health are both mercurial. Mickey Moniak has somewhat quietly hit 16 homers this year. He’s controlled for two more seasons but the Rockies just traded Ryan McMahon, who was signed through 2027, so they should be open to flipping Moniak as well.

The Reds will have some flexibility in where they add. Gavin Lux has bounced between left field, second base and third base this year. Noelvi Marte has mostly been at the hot corner but has dabbled in right field lately. Spencer Steer is the regular at first but he can play the outfield corners. The club also doesn’t have an everyday designated hitter, giving manager Terry Francona some creative license in setting the lineup.

It’s unclear how much financial wiggle room the club will have. Their offseason moves were fairly mild. They extended a $21.05MM qualifying offer to Nick Martinez, which he accepted. The rest of the winter, they only spent a combined $7.5MM to bring in Austin Hays and Scott Barlow on one-year deals. Some of the aforementioned trade candidates still have $5MM or so to be paid on this year’s salaries. If that’s too much for the Reds, perhaps they could ask a trading partner to eat some money, though the Reds would then have to forfeit a bit more prospect capital.

The bullpen is also a logical target area for the Reds. Cincinnati relievers have a collective 3.83 earned run average this year, which puts them 13th in the majors. Emilio Pagán is the club’s closer and he has a strong 2.70 earned run average and 30.4% strikeout rate. However, he also has a .186 batting average on balls in play and 82.8% strand rate, neither of which are sustainable. His 3.83 FIP and 3.02 SIERA point to him being a solid reliever but not the ideal lock-down closer a contending club wants in the playoffs.

There are dozens of relievers available at this time of year, many of whom recently featured on MLBTR’s Top 50 list. The two top relievers on that list are David Bednar and Ryan Helsley, though those pitchers are currently rostered by Cincinnati’s division rivals. That might make it hard to line up a deal but there are lots of other options, such as Seranthony Domínguez, Danny Coulombe and old friend Raisel Iglesias.

Photo courtesy of Sam Greene, Imagn Images

Latest On Eugenio Suárez’s Market

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The D-backs have officially chosen a lane and are heading down a seller’s trajectory. First baseman Josh Naylor is already on his way to the Mariners for a pair of pitching prospects, but it’s third baseman Eugenio Suárez and his thunderous power output that have captivated fans of contenders for much of deadline season. The 33-year-old, earning $15MM in the final year of his contract, is hitting .252/.325/.593 with 36 home runs on the season — including 21 round-trippers dating back to June 1 (a span of 179 plate appearances.

Even after the Mariners landed Naylor, they remain in the mix for Suárez, per multiple reports from the Seattle beat (link via Shannon Drayer of Seattle Sports 770 AM). Naylor cost the Mariners two well-regarded pitching prospects — lefty Brandyn Garcia and righty Ashton Izzi — but left the upper tiers of a Seattle farm system that’s arguably the best in baseball untouched. Earlier in the week, Suárez was reported to be the Mariners’ top deadline target. Adding Naylor, it seems, will not put an end to that existing pursuit.

They’ll face steep competition, however, It’s known that in addition to the Mariners, each of the Reds, Cubs and Yankees have some level of interest in the Arizona third baseman. That’s just the tip of the iceberg, as John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM reported earlier today that as many as a dozen teams have at least looked into the possibility of adding Suárez to their lineup.

That includes at least one division rival. Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com reports that in the wake of a serious injury to Isaac Paredes, the Astros have joined the bidding for Suárez. Houston has some hurdles in their path to landing the coveted D-backs slugger, however. Owner Jim Crane has been loath to cross the luxury tax threshold for what would be a second straight season. Adding Suárez would put them into tax territory unless the ’Stros shed payroll elsewhere or convince the Snakes to pay down his salary. Houston also does not have as strong a farm system as many of the teams against which they’d be bidding.

Whether it’s Suárez or another bat, the Astros’ priorities seem to have shifted. General manager Dana Brown suggested earlier in the summer that pitching would be his primary focus. Now, with Paredes shelved indefinitely and Yordan Alvarez’s recovery from a hand fracture dragging out, Brown tells Chandler Rome of The Athletic that his primary focus is on adding to its lineup. The Astros have several starters on the mend, including Cristian Javier, Luis Garcia, Spencer Arrighetti, J.P. France and Lance McCullers Jr. It seems they’ll hope for some internal reinforcements to support co-aces Hunter Brown and Framber Valdez and instead aim to use their limited financial and prospect resources to augment the offense.

With that number of teams at least on the periphery of the market, it can be presumed that most contenders have at least put out some feelers. One team that notably is not in the running, per the New York Post’s Jon Heyman, is the Mets — at least for the moment. Despite a rotating cast of characters on the infield this year — Brett Baty, Mark Vientos, Ronny Mauricio and Luisangel Acuña have all seen time around the infield but struggled to varying extents — the Mets’ main focus has been and remains upgrading the bullpen.

That said, SNY’s Andy Martino suggests that if the Mets use that infield depth to add to the bullpen or rotation (which they’re reportedly willing to do), they could at least consider the idea of pursuing Suárez to take over at the hot corner. The Mets haven’t been keen on parting with top prospects for rental players, but the D-backs have been scouting their Double-A club, in particular, with an eye toward potential Suárez packages, per Martino.

There’s no immediate indication that a Suárez trade will come together quickly on the heels of the Naylor swap, but the very fact that Naylor is on his way out the door serves as a clear indicator that any combination of Suárez, Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly — at the very least — could be on the move in the next week. The D-backs also have rental relievers Jalen Beeks and Shelby Miller as trade candidates (Miller is on the injured list but has resumed throwing), and outfielder Randal Grichuk has a mutual option that won’t be exercised by both parties.

Draft Signings: Schoolcraft, Watson, Russell, Quick, Flemming, Root

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There were a handful of draftees who signed for between $2MM and $4MM on Wednesday. All signings were first reported by Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline. View pre-draft scouting reports from Baseball America, FanGraphs, MLB Pipeline, Kiley McDaniel of ESPN and Keith Law of The Athletic.

  • The Padres reached agreement with first-rounder Kruz Schoolcraft on a $3.6066MM bonus that matches the slot value for the #25 overall pick. A 6’8″ left-handed prep pitcher from Oregon, Schoolcraft was committed to Tennessee. Evaluators credit him with a potential plus changeup and the ability to run his fastball into the upper 90s on occasion, though his velocity varies between starts. Schoolcraft was a two-way player in high school and would have been a legitimate prospect as a first baseman, but scouts agree that he has greater upside on the mound. He placed between 19th and 41st on the linked pre-draft rankings.
  • The Reds went well above slot with a $2.75MM bonus for second-round pick Aaron Watson. The 51st overall selection comes with a slot value around $1.89MM. Watson is a 6’5″ prep right-hander who had been committed to Florida. He sits in the low-90s at present and has advanced command and feel for manipulating a potential above-average slider. The Reds saved a bit of money by going below slot for first-rounder Steele Hall, allowing them to reallocate some money to Watson.
  • The Rangers have a $2.6MM agreement with second-rounder A.J. Russell against an approximate $1.85MM slot value. A University of Tennessee product, he’s a 6’6″ righty who missed parts of the 2024-25 seasons recovering from elbow surgery. Russell had dominated as a reliever during his freshman year but only managed 70 innings in his college career. Evaluators suggest he has a potential mid-rotation ceiling, but he’ll face questions about his ability to stick as a starter until he builds more of a track record.
  • The Twins signed supplemental first-rounder Riley Quick for $2.692MM, matching the 36th selection’s slot value.  Quick is a 6’6″ righty from the University of Alabama with a power arsenal but a limited college track record because of Tommy John surgery.
  • The A’s signed second-round pick Devin Taylor. He’s an Indiana University product who hit .374/.494/.706 with 18 homers and 52 walks against 30 strikeouts in his draft year. The lefty-hitting Taylor is viewed as one of the best offensive players in the college class but projects as below-average left fielder who might be limited to designated hitter.
  • The Rays have an overslot deal with second-round pick Cooper Flemming. The California high school infielder receives a $2.2975MM bonus that comes in above the $1.8MM slot value. A left-handed hitter who was committed to Vanderbilt, Flemming ranked around 50th on Law’s and McDaniel’s boards but placed as low as 102nd at Baseball America. He projects to third base and has a well-rounded skillset with advanced hitting ability but doesn’t project for many plus tools.
  • The Dodgers signed 40th overall selection Zachary Root for $2.2MM, a little below the $2.43MM slot. They signed 41st selection Charles Davalan for exactly $2MM, also below slot. Root, a 6’1″ lefty from Arkansas, is viewed as a likely back-end starter on the strength of his secondary stuff. He posted a 3.62 ERA with 126 strikeouts in 19 starts this past season. Davalan was Root’s teammate with the Hogs. He hit .346 with 14 homers in his junior season. A short left-handed hitter, Davalan has plus contact skills with some bat speed and could project as an above-average defensive left fielder.

Note: This post initially called Taylor a Minnesota draft pick. MLBTR apologizes for the error.

Reds Have Expressed Interest In Eugenio Suarez

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The Mariners are not the only of Eugenio Suárez’s former teams who are eyeing the slugging third baseman. C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports that the Reds have been in contact with the Diamondbacks to express interest. However, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com characterizes a deal coming together between those teams as a “long shot.” Along with Seattle, the Cubs and Yankees have been linked to Suárez in recent days.

Suárez is the top impending free agent hitter available. The D-Backs have straddled the buy/sell line for weeks but probably sealed their fate as deadline sellers by getting swept by the Astros. That negates their sweep of the Cardinals coming out of the All-Star Break and drops them back to three games below .500. They’re 5.5 back of the final playoff spot with four teams to surpass. Feinsand, Jon Heyman of The New York Post, and John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM have all suggested this evening that they’re likely to sell at this point. They face the Pirates and Tigers for three games apiece up to the deadline.

Both series are on the road, meaning Suárez probably played his final home game as a Diamondback this afternoon. The 34-year-old is playing on a $15MM salary. That was a club option on the seven-year contract extension that Suárez initially signed with Cincinnati in March 2018. He played seven seasons with the Reds overall, earning down-ballot MVP support in his best years.

Suárez looked to be on the downswing when the Reds packaged him alongside Jesse Winker to the Mariners coming out of the 2022 lockout. Seattle traded him to Arizona two years later. Suárez started his first season with the Diamondbacks so slowly that he was on the verge of getting benched in June. He transformed into one of the hottest hitters in baseball around last year’s All-Star Break and hasn’t let up. He leads the National League with 36 homers this season. Over the past calendar year, only Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge have hit more home runs. Judge, Ohtani and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. are the three qualified hitters with a higher OPS than Suárez’s .938 in that span.

Arizona could — and almost certainly would — make a qualifying offer if they held him through season’s end. Their dwindling playoff chances make a trade more likely. They’d get a stronger return than one compensatory draft pick. Arizona could also prioritize upper minors talent that could make an impact next season rather than wait for a draftee who wouldn’t arrive until 2027-28 at the earliest. Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reported last week that the Snakes intend to prioritize controllable pitching in trade returns. Corbin Burnes will miss most or all of next season, while Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly are impending free agents.

Rosecrans reports that the D-Backs have some interest in Cincinnati pitching prospect Chase Petty, who could be one possible piece in a larger trade package. A former Minnesota first-round pick who was traded to the Reds for Sonny Gray, Petty made his MLB debut this season. He has been bombed for 14 runs (13 earned) in six innings over his first three starts. Petty has a 4.14 ERA with a 23.3% strikeout rate while walking nearly 11% of opponents across 15 Triple-A outings.

While this hasn’t been a good year, Petty is a 22-year-old who sits in the 95-96 MPH range with his fastball and ranks as Cincinnati’s #5 prospect at Baseball America. The Reds aren’t going to trade last year’s #2 overall pick Chase Burns for a rental. That should also be true of 2023 seventh overall selection Rhett Lowder, who has battled forearm and oblique injuries this year. Petty is probably the organization’s next-best pitching prospect.

Cincinnati is 2.5 games back in the Wild Card race with two teams to jump. The Cardinals are one game behind them. Cincinnati needs offense generally and would particularly benefit from a righty bat who can improve upon their dismal .219/.298/.348 team line against lefty pitching. An outfielder makes the most sense, though they could add at third base and use Noelvi Marte more frequently in right field after testing that out over the weekend.

Reds Start Noelvi Marte In Right Field

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The Reds unveiled a new wrinkle in their lineup for today’s game against the Mets, as Noelvi Marte is batting seventh as the starting right fielder.  This marks the first time in Marte’s pro career that he has played in the outfield, as he has primarily played third base in the majors and second base in the minors, with some additional action at second base.

Reporter Charlie Goldsmith shared some background on the rather sudden position change, as the Reds started working Marte out in the outfield just yesterday.  The idea is that playing the outfield will both add some versatility to the 23-year-old’s skillset and give Cincinnati more flexibility in setting lineups.

“Especially against a lefty, it gives us a chance to put [Santiago] Espinal at third and get all of our righties out there [in the lineup],” outfield coach Collin Cowgill said.  “You’ve seen [Marte] play, he’s a good enough athlete to get it figured out.  He has a cannon.  He has all of the physical attributes.  Now, it’s about practicing.”

Cowgill further noted that Marte’s arm strength in particular makes him an asset in right field, and creates more margin for error in throwing accuracy than Marte found at third base.  Ten of Marte’s 22 career Major League errors have come on throws, all from the hot corner.  By comparison, Espinal has made 13 errors total in 1749 2/3 career innings as a third baseman, while Marte has logged only 929 2/3 frames at third.

Espinal has himself seen some time in both corner outfield spots this season as the Reds continue to look for some steady right-handed balance within an outfield mix that tilts heavily to the left side.  TJ Friedl, Jake Fraley, Gavin Lux, and Will Benson are all left-handed hitters, and the team’s plan to have the right-handed hitting Austin Hays as a regular corner outfielder has been limited by Hays’ injuries, as Hays is now getting a lot of DH action.  Connor Joe is another righty-swinging outfield option, but putting Marte into the outfield picture opens up more avenues for manager Terry Francona.

It could also help Marte cement his place in the Reds’ lineup after a number of ups and downs at the start of his big league career.  Formerly a star prospect, Marte performed well in 35 games during his 2023 rookie season, but his 2024 campaign was marred by an 80-game PED suspension and then poor results in the majors once he was activated.  The Reds began Marte at Triple-A to begin the 2025 season, and after he was called up, faced another lengthy absence when an oblique strain led to a two-month IL stint.

When he has been able to play, however, Marte looks to have found his hitting form, batting .272/.327/.515 over 103 plate appearances this season.  Obviously the Reds want to get that bat into the lineup, and getting Marte regular playing time in the outfield allows both Espinal more time at third base, but it also gets Lux back into more regular duty at the hot corner.  As Goldsmith observes, Lux has been struggling defensively in left field, and would likely benefit from a return to his natural infield position.

Elly De La Cruz and Matt McLain have the middle infield spots spoken for in Cincinnati, leaving Marte with third base as his most logical pathway to big league playing time.  With top prospect Sal Stewart now looming as a third baseman of the future (and even perhaps as early as a 2025 MLB debut), the outfield could become Marte’s more regular position going forward.  Cowgill even suggested that Marte has the athleticism to handle center field, which would give the Reds extra depth at the position behind Friedl.

The Reds are solidly in the wild card race with a 52-47 record, and are known to be looking for hitting help at the deadline.  The exact nature of their position-player targets is yet to be determined, as if Marte can hold his own in right field, Cincinnati might not need to look specifically at the outfield market.

Cardinals Sign Aaron Wilkerson To Minor League Contract

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The Cardinals announced that Aaron Wilkerson has signed a minor league deal, and the right-hander has been assigned to Triple-A Memphis.  Wilkerson had been pitching in the Reds organization on another minors contract until earlier this week, as KPRC 2’s Ari Alexander reported that Wilkerson triggered an opt-out clause in that deal.

It has been almost six years since Wilkerson’s last big league appearance, as the righty posted a 6.88 ERA across 35 1/3 innings with the Brewers from 2017-19.  Now 36 years old, Wilkerson’s career has seen consisted of a pair of trips abroad (pitching with NPB’s Hanshin Tigers in 2022 and with the KBO League’s Lotte Giants in 2023-24) and a few other stints in the minors with MLB organizations.  Wilkerson has pitched with the Dodgers, Athletics, and Reds without any further calls to the Show.

This year, Wilkerson has a 4.17 ERA over 18 starts and 95 innings for Triple-A Louisville, with a modest 20.7% strikeout rate but an outstanding 4.5% walk rate.  A .249 BABIP has undoubtedly contributed to Wilkerson’s success, and his 15% homer rate continues his trend of having some trouble keeping the ball in the park in both the upper minors and during his brief time as a Major Leaguer.

Wilkerson’s work in Louisville wasn’t enough to get him a look in Cincinnati, as the Reds have turned to a couple of top prospects (Chase Petty, Chase Burns) and more established starting options when having to fill holes in the rotation this year.  The Cardinals’ rotational depth chart is also pretty crowded, yet the Wilkerson signing is intriguing within the context of the July 31 trade deadline. Since St. Louis could be looking to move Erick Fedde, Miles Mikolas, or long reliever Steven Matz, it behooves the Cards to have an experienced starting depth at Triple-A should a vacancy suddenly appear on the team’s pitching staff.

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