Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Rays Rumors

Latest On Cubs’ Starting Pitching Pursuits

By | at

The Cubs are known to be in the market for starting pitching help, and it’s not very hard to see why. Justin Steele has been out for nearly the entire season after undergoing surgery on his UCL and won’t be back until sometime next year. Jameson Taillon is currently on the injured list, as are depth arms like Javier Assad and Brandon Birdsell. Cade Horton and Matthew Boyd are having their innings carefully monitored after not getting much volume in last year. Shota Imanaga has already spent time on the injured list and has some worrisome peripheral numbers.

All of that has led the Cubs to be connected to the vast majority of rumored starting pitching options available on the trade market, ranging from depth additions like Adrian Houser, to high-value rentals like Dylan Cease and Merrill Kelly, to controllable arms like Mitch Keller and MacKenzie Gore. Reporting from ESPN’s Jesse Rogers this morning offers a fresh look at some of the other arms Chicago is taking a look at with just over 30 hours to go until the deadline. Rogers writes that the Cubs have shown interest in Orioles right-hander Zach Eflin and spoken to the Rays about their starting pitchers, while Jeff Passan of ESPN reports that Guardians righty Shane Bieber is “an option” for the Cubs.

Eflin, 31, has struggled badly this year with a 5.93 ERA and 5.60 FIP in 14 starts. A 4.39 SIERA and an absurd 19.4% home run to fly ball ratio suggest that some poor fortune could be baked into Eflin’s results this year, but even so it’s hard to view him as more than a back-of-the-rotation addition for this season. With that being said, the right-hander does have some intriguing past success under his belt. From 2020 through 2024, Eflin tossed 583 1/3 innings of work with a solid 3.76 ERA and 3.46 FIP. He struck out 23.2% of his opponents in that time while walking just 3.9%. If Eflin can recapture that quality mid-rotation form, he could theoretically pitch in for Chicago’s prospective playoff rotation this year, though that seems unlikely to be something the Cubs (or any acquiring club) would count on.

Bieber is another potential buy-low candidate, albeit for a very different reason. He hasn’t thrown a major league pitch since early in the 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, and while he’s expected back at some point in August it’s always uncertain what sort of production a pitcher coming off major injury will be able to offer. The 2020 AL Cy Young award winner has a 3.22 ERA and 3.09 FIP for his career, however, and if he’s healthy and at his usual level of effectiveness would immediately slot in towards the top of the Cubs’ rotation.

Bieber’s contract affords him a $16MM player option with a $4MM buyout for the 2026 season. That $12MM decision figures to be an easy one for Bieber to make, and he’s all be certain to decline it and return to free agency unless he suffers some sort of new injury that would impact his 2026 campaign. Still, player options are at times viewed as a “poison pill” of sorts in trade negotiations, as the Cubs saw for themselves when they dealt Cody Bellinger to the Yankees over the offseason in what amounted to little more than a salary dump. Perhaps that could lower the acquisition cost of Bieber, making the fact that he won’t be able to immediately impact a Cubs rotation in desperate need of help more palatable.

As for the Rays, the club is routinely willing to at least listen on virtually its entire roster even when they’re buyers and appears to be leaning more towards selling in recent days. That makes it hard to know what starters the Cubs could be discussing with Tampa. Pending free agent Zack Littell has a 3.72 ERA in 21 starts this year despite shaky peripherals and could fit the sort of depth-starter mold that options like Eflin and Houser can fill. Young right-hander Taj Bradley would be an intriguing controllable addition who the Rays are reportedly willing to listen to offers on. He’s pitched to a 4.33 ERA with a 4.14 FIP over the past two seasons and is still just 24 years old.

No trade can be fully ruled out when it comes to the Rays, so perhaps someone else from the club’s rotation could be available as well. With that being said, Drew Rasmussen extended with the club through the 2027 season back in January and is approaching his innings limit this year while youngsters like Ryan Pepiot and Shane Baz are still in their pre-arbitration years. The acquisition cost for any of those three players would surely be exorbitant, however, and there have been no signals that any of those arms are even available beyond the Rays’ general tendency to listen to offers on virtually all of their players. Even by Tampa’s standards, however, a trade of one of those three would register as a major surprise.

Rays, Rangers Have Had “Preliminary” Talks On Pete Fairbanks

By | at

The Rangers and Rays have had “at least preliminary” conversations about Tampa Bay closer Pete Fairbanks, writes Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News. Fairbanks is one of a handful of Rays veterans whose status is up in the air as the team considers its deadline approach.

Tampa Bay lost to the Yankees tonight, falling back to .500 in the process. They’re now three games back in the Wild Card race. That’s hardly insurmountable, yet the trend lines are not good. The Rays have a 7-16 record this month, an ill-timed skid that seemingly has forced the front office to more seriously consider a sell-off. ESPN’s Buster Olney relayed this afternoon that other teams expect the Rays to serve as one of the bigger sellers in the next two days.

It was less than a week ago that The Athletic reported that the Rays preferred to hold Fairbanks. Perhaps that’s still the case, but the Rays have dropped five out of six since then. A bubble team’s plans can change quickly this time of year. If the Rays do sell, Fairbanks would be an obvious candidate. He’s in the final guaranteed season of his three-year contract. There’s a club option for next season that’ll very likely be in eight figures after accounting for various escalators. That’d be a significant price for Tampa Bay to spend on a relief pitcher.

The 31-year-old Fairbanks is playing this season on a much cheaper $3.667MM salary. That’d be appealing to any team but would take on extra importance for Texas given their proximity to the luxury tax threshold. There’s no indication that Fairbanks is a specific priority for the Rangers, however. They’re casting a wide net in the search for a late-inning reliever and have also been tied to Ryan Helsley, David Bednar and Colorado’s Jake Bird within the past 12 hours.

Fairbanks would be a familiar face for some in the organization. Texas drafted him in the ninth round in 2015 and called him up for an eight-game cameo four years later. They traded him to the Rays in a regrettable 2019 deadline deal for Nick Solak. Fairbanks has become a high-leverage piece in Tampa Bay. He’s currently carrying a 2.75 ERA with 18 saves in 21 opportunities across 39 1/3 innings. This year’s 20.2% strikeout rate is a career low, which is a red flag, but he’s averaging his customary 97 MPH on his fastball and would immediately be the top power arm in the Texas bullpen.

Rays Acquire Nick Fortes From Marlins

By | at

TODAY: Both clubs have officially announced the Fortes-for-Etzel trade.

JULY 28: The Rays and Marlins are reportedly in agreement on a trade that will send catcher Nick Fortes to Tampa Bay for minor league outfielder Matthew Etzel. Once completed, this will backfill the Rays’ catching depth. Tampa Bay traded Danny Jansen to the Brewers for an infield prospect on Monday evening. The Rays expect to announce the Fortes deal on Tuesday.

For the Rays, they often try to straddle a buy/sell line at the deadline and it seems that will be the play this week. They are 53-53 this year, three games back of a playoff spot. While they don’t want to punt their season, they seemingly want to strike a balance between doing things that work for the club now and in the future.

Jansen is a 30-year-old veteran on a one-year deal. He’s better than Fortes right now but Fortes is younger, cheaper and controllable for three more seasons after this one. Presumably, the Rays feel that going from Jansen to Fortes doesn’t significantly harm them in 2025, while adding a few seasons of Fortes and also grabbing Jadher Areinamo in the Jansen trade will help them in the long run more than Etzel.

Fortes, 28, doesn’t do a ton in the batter’s box. In 1,073 plate appearances, he has 25 home runs but a .225 batting average and a 5.2% walk rate. Overall, his .225/.277/.344 line translates to a 70 wRC+. Jansen, on the other hand, has 11 home runs this season alone and is drawing walks at a 12.7% pace. His .204/.314/.389 line in 2025 translates to a 99 wRC+.

Behind the plate, Fortes grades out well. He’s been credited with 17 Defensive Runs Saved in his career. Outlets like FanGraphs, Statcast and Baseball Prospectus all consider him a strong framer. Jansen gets strong marks from BP but not the other two systems. In short, Fortes might be a downgrade from Jansen at the plate but might be a slight upgrade defensively.

It’s certainly a cost-saving switch. Jansen signed a one-year deal with the Rays which guarantees him $8.5MM. He’s making $8MM in terms of salary and then there’s a $500K buyout on a mutual option for 2026. Fortes just qualified for artbitation for the first time after the 2024 season, as a Super Two player. He is making $1.86MM this year and is lined up for three further raises via arb.

For the Marlins, they don’t really need Fortes. They already have Agustín Ramírez and Liam Hicks on the big league roster. It’s possible that Ramírez might not have the defensive chops to stick behind the plate, but the Fish also have Joe Mack lurking. Mack has shown up on some top 100 prospect lists and is already at the Triple-A level. Perhaps he will get a big league look in the wake of this Fortes deal. Or if not now, maybe he could be a September call-up.

They Marlins have exchanged a light-hitting placeholder catcher for an outfield prospect. Etzel is a deadline pickup for the second year in a row. He went from the Orioles to the Rays last summer as part of the Zach Eflin deal.

A tenth-round pick of the O’s in 2023, he’s not ranked as one of Tampa’s top 30 prospects by either Baseball America or FanGraphs. MLB Pipeline has him in the #28 slot. Broadly speaking, he seems to be a contact-based hitter with speed. Since the start of 2024, he has 723 plate appearances, mostly at the Double-A level. He has just 16 home runs but a 12.2% walk rate, .259/.350/.404 line and 119 wRC+ in that time. He’s also stolen 62 bases, though while also getting caught 19 times.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported that the Rays were working on a Fortes trade. Robert Murray of FanSided reported Etzel’s inclusion. Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times confirmed the Fortes trade agreement was in place.

Photos courtesy of Katie Stratman and Sam Navarro, Imagn Images

Astros, Mets Have Expressed Interest In Brandon Lowe

By | at

The Rays are a game above .500 and sit 2.5 back of the AL’s final Wild Card spot. A terrible 6-15 showing in July has dropped them from expected buyers to a bubble team that looks likely to walk the line between adding and trading away veterans. They began that process on Monday, shipping out impending free agent catcher Danny Jansen in one deal while acquiring a slightly worse but controllable backstop (Nick Fortes) in a second trade. They downgraded a bit in the short term to add a superior prospect than the one they surrendered without giving up on the season.

Trading Jansen is an easier call than it’d be to move either Brandon Lowe or Yandy Díaz. They’re longer-tenured members of the organization and more impactful players. The Rays had been reluctant to move Díaz or Lowe for most of this month. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported over the weekend that the team’s recent play has led the front office to be more open to hearing other teams out on the pair of veteran hitters.

Joel Sherman of The New York Post wrote on Monday that the Rays still prefer to add. That preceded a win over the Yankees in the first of a four-game set in the Bronx that’ll run up to the deadline. The Red Sox are known to be monitoring Díaz in case the Rays sell. Meanwhile, Sherman reports that the Mets and Astros are among the teams that have contacted the Rays about Lowe. He suggests that Houston, in particular, has strong interest in the left-handed hitting second baseman. Astros GM Dana Brown has made no secret about his goal of acquiring a lefty bat to provide a semblance of balance to the game’s most right-handed lineup.

Lowe is currently on the 10-day injured list with ankle tendinitis. The Rays seem to anticipate he’ll be back when first eligible on Wednesday. Lowe already had a minimal IL stay this month because of oblique tightness. The two-time All-Star has had an impressive year around the recent injuries. He’s batting .269/.320/.480 across 350 trips to the plate — including a massive .296/.352/.556 line following a dismal April. His 19 home runs rank second at the position behind Ketel Marte’s 20.

Houston could plug Lowe in at the keystone and use Jose Altuve as a primary designated hitter until Yordan Alvarez returns from a hand fracture. At that point, Altuve could return to left field and push Taylor Trammell, who is hitting well in 25 games but has a limited MLB track record, to a fourth outfield role.

The Mets don’t have a huge need on the dirt, but they’ve reportedly considered moving one of their controllable infielders (Mark Vientos, Brett Baty, Ronny Mauricio, Luisangel Acuña) for help elsewhere on the roster. Lowe would be a significant offensive upgrade over Baty, who is playing regularly at second base. It makes sense that the Mets at least gauged the Rays’ asking price, but there’s no indication they’ve made a huge push. President of baseball operations David Stearns has cast the bullpen as his top priority, with secondary interests ranging from the rotation to center field.

Lowe is playing on a $10.5MM salary, around $3.35MM of which will be owed after the deadline. The Rays can keep him around for another season on an $11.5MM club option. That comes with a $500K buyout.

Brewers Acquire Danny Jansen

By | at

The Rays and Brewers announced a trade sending catcher Danny Jansen from Tampa Bay to Milwaukee in exchange for infield prospect Jadher Areinamo. The Rays are including some cash to help pay down the remaining $2.667MM on Jansen’s one-year, $8MM contract. It’s a homecoming for Jansen, who’s a native of Appleton, Wisconsin. The Rays’ changes behind the plate don’t stop there, as they’re reportedly in agreement to acquire Marlins catcher Nick Fortes in a separate trade (full breakdown on that swap available here).

Catching wasn’t a prominent need for the Brewers entering the season. William Contreras has emerged as one of the best backstops in the sport, slashing .283/.363/.472 from 2022-24. His once-panned defense has improved to premium levels in Milwaukee. However, Contreras has been playing through a fracture in his left middle finger and struggled considerably at the dish this season, slashing just .242/.342/.340 this season. Backup catcher Eric Haase hasn’t picked up the slack with the bat. Over the past month, Contreras and Haase have combined to hit .228/.294/.289.

As the Brewers’ catchers have struggled to increasing levels, Jansen has picked up the pace. He’s hitting just .204/.314/.389 on the season overall, but that’s dragged down by a brutal start to the year. Since May 11, he’s batting .232/.321/.486 in 163 trips to the plate.

Notably, while Jansen is hitting only .197 against lefties, he’s still getting on base against them at a big .356 clip and slugging .465 versus southpaws. Contreras is hitting .223/.373/.266 against lefties on the season. Haase is batting only .160/.192/.280 in his 26 plate appearances against left-handers. Jansen struggled against lefties mightily early in his career but has above-average on-base and power numbers against them each year since 2022. In that time, he’s slashing .216/.344/.442 when holding the platoon advantage

Jansen has graded as a plus defender in the past, but his framing and throwing grades have dwindled in recent years. Milwaukee has a knack for vastly improving catcher defense — framing in particular — which could bode well for a Jansen rebound in that regard. He’ll presumably move into a timeshare behind the plate with Contreras, who is penciled into tonight’s Brewers lineup. That could spell the end of Haase’s time on the roster, but it’s certainly possible the Brewers will carry three catchers or that they’ll give Contreras some extended downtime to allow his ailing left hand to heal.

Areinamo, 21, was an amateur signee out of Venezuela during the 2021-22 international signing period. Baseball America ranked him 10th among Milwaukee prospects on their latest midseason update of the system. He sat 17th at FanGraphs in mid-May and is currently 24th at MLB.com.

Though he’s primarily been a shortstop in High-A this season, Areinamo has more experience at second base than at short. He’s also dabbled at the hot corner. He’s turned in a .297/.355/.463 batting line in 415 plate appearances and popped 11 home runs on the year. Areinamo also has 24 doubles, a pair of triples and 15 stolen bases — albeit in 23 tries (65.2% success rate).

Scouting reports on Areinamo tout his plus hit tool but question an overaggressive approach that could be exposed as he moves up the ladder and faces more advanced pitching. Accordingly, he’s fanned in just 11.6% of his plate appearances in what is his second run through the High-A level. Listed at just 5’8″ and 160 pounds, Areinamo unsurprisingly possesses what scouts feel is below-average power. He has a chance to develop into an everyday option at second base, where his average arm profiles better than it does on the left side of the infield. He could also wind up being a contact-oriented utilityman who bounces between several positions.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan first reported that the Rays and Brewers were finalizing a Jansen trade. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reported that the deal was done and that the Rays were in the process of adding another catcher. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reported that Areinamo was the prospect return for the Rays and that Tampa Bay was including some cash in the swap.

Tigers Acquire Chris Paddack

By | at

The Tigers turned to a division rival for rotation help on Monday afternoon. Detroit acquired righty Chris Paddack and took on the contract of minor league pitcher Randy Dobnak in a deal that sent catching prospect Enrique Jimenez to the Twins. Detroit placed Reese Olson on the 60-day IL with a shoulder strain, shedding some extra light on their decision to acquire a back-end starter.

Paddack, 29, has had an up-and-down career and has been inconsistent this year as well. He debuted with the Padres back in 2019 and had arguably his best season that year. He tossed 140 2/3 innings with a 3.33 earned run average, 26.9% strikeout rate and 5.5% walk rate. In the next two seasons, his strikeout rate fell to 23.7% and then 21.6%. His ERA climbed to 4.73 and then 5.07. He was traded to the Twins but then Tommy John surgery in May of 2022 wiped out most of that year and the following season.

He was back on the mound last year but made multiple trips to the injured list due to ongoing issues with his throwing arm. He logged 88 1/3 innings over 17 starts with a 4.99 ERA, 20.6% strikeout rate and 5.5% walk rate.

This year, Paddack has at least avoided the IL. Though as mentioned, his results have been wobbly. Overall, he has a 4.95 ERA in 111 innings over 21 starts, with a 17.6% strikeout rate and 5.7% walk rate. He got out to an atrocious start, allowing nine earned runs to the White Sox in his first outing, lasting just three and a third innings. His second start wasn’t much better, allowing three earned runs in four innings against the Astros. He had a 14.73 ERA after those two starts.

From there, he got in a nice groove. Over his next 11 starts, Paddack tossed 64 innings with a 2.25 ERA. His 19.2% strikeout rate in that time was still subpar, but he limited walks to a 6.4% clip. He got a little help from a .218 batting average on balls in play and 84% strand rate, so his 3.60 FIP and 4.28 SIERA were a bit skeptical of his ERA in that span. He then allowed eight earned runs in a start against the Astros last month. Since then, he has a 6.31 ERA in seven starts, though the most recent one was great. He allowed one run over six innings against the mighty Dodgers, striking out eight.

The results haven’t been outstanding but Paddack seemingly got a decent amount of interest. Jon Heyman of The New York Post says the Rays were involved while Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that the Yankees pursued him as well.

That might be a reflection of the league-wide conditions. Very few teams are clearly out of contention in the expanded playoffs. Some of the clubs that are buried in the standings don’t have much to sell. It all adds up to a seller’s market. Paddack isn’t an ace but he’s been healthy and has decent control. He’s also affordable, making just $7.5MM this year while many other reliable vets are making double or almost triple that. There’s only $2.5MM of Paddack’s salary left to be paid out in the remainder of the season. That seems to be enough to get several teams on the phone.

For the Tigers, adding some starting depth is a sensible move. Alex Cobb has been on the IL all year due to hip issues and it’s unclear if he’ll be able to contribute anything. Jackson Jobe had Tommy John surgery. José Urquidy is still trying to return from last year’s Tommy John and hasn’t yet started a rehab assignment. Sawyer Gipson-Long and Ty Madden are also on the shelf.

The Detroit rotation currently consists of Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty and Casey Mize. Olson was the arguable #2 starter behind Skubal before his injury. They recently called up Troy Melton but he allowed six earned runs in his first big league start. Adding Paddack could perhaps allow the Tigers to send Melton back down to the minors. Paddack might not be in the club’s playoff rotation if the postseason started today, but he fills in some depth that has been lost to injuries and could step up if further injuries arise over the remainder of the season.

Dobnak’s inclusion is presumably about his contract. He signed an early-career extension with the Twins which hasn’t panned out. Since the end of the 2021 season, he has mostly been in the minors, with less than 15 big league innings on his ledger. In 60 2/3 Triple-A innings this year, he has a 7.12 ERA.

As part of that aforementioned extension, he is making a $3MM salary this year, leaving about $1MM left to be paid out. There’s also a $1MM buyout on a $6MM 2026 club option. Presumably, the Tigers are taking on the remaining $2MM commitment in exchange for a lighter prospect return than Paddack would have otherwise required.

Jimenez, 19, is an intriguing prospect but he’s a long-term play. He’s only 19 years old. The Tigers signed him out of Venezuela in the 2023 international signing period, giving him a $1.25MM bonus. A switch-hitter, he has appeared in 137 minor league games thus far, having slashed .255/.363/.413 for a 114 wRC+. Baseball America lists him as the #17 prospect in the Tigers’ system with a 50 grade on the 20-80 scale, but he’s characterized as an extreme risk. FanGraphs ranked him #28 in the system back in March, noting that his small stature and poor blocking skills are areas of concern.

For the Twins, this is likely the first of a few sell-side moves. They have fallen to 50-55, which puts them 5.5 games back of a playoff spot. FanGraphs only gives them an 11% chance of cracking the postseason. It was reported about a week ago that they were more seriously considering trades of rental players. Paddack is the first go, but Willi Castro, Harrison Bader, Danny Coulombe, Ty France and Christian Vázquez could follow. The larger question is if they will move interesting controllable pieces such as Jhoan Durán, Griffin Jax or Joe Ryan. All reports have suggested the asking prices on those three are high, so the Twins would have to be blown away for a trade to come together.

Dobnak’s inclusion in this deal perhaps suggests the Twins could look to cut costs in the coming days. They didn’t appear to have a huge budget to work with in the winter, limiting themselves to modest one-year deals for Bader, Coulombe and France. The franchise is actively for sale, with an ownership change expected in the coming months. Perhaps they will look to have other clubs absorb as much of the money owed to their impending free agents as possible, even though eating some of the money would lead to a greater prospect return. It’s possible the Pohlad family, which still owns the club for now, will look to save themselves a few million bucks in the coming days.

Time will tell on that. For now, the Twins have already saved a few million and added a young catching prospect to their system. The Tigers, meanwhile, have added some rotation depth as they hope to cruise to a division title. Despite a recent rough patch, they have an eight-game lead over the Guardians in the Central.

Ken Rosenthal and Dan Hayes of The Athletic first reported the Tigers were nearing an acquisition of Paddack for a prospect. Rosenthal was first to note a Paddack trade was in place. Robert Murray of FanSided reported the Twins were receiving Jimenez in return. ESPN’s Jeff Passan had Dobnak’s inclusion.

Photos courtesy of Jesse Johnson, Matt Krohn and Tom Vizer, Imagn Images

Rays Outright Coco Montes, Release Jacob Waguespack

By | at

The Rays announced this afternoon that they’ve assigned infielder Coco Montes outright to Triple-A. In addition, right-hander Jacob Waguespack has been released. Both players had previously been designated for assignment by the club last week.

Montes, 28, appeared in five games for the Rays this year. The infielder went 2-10 with three strikeouts and one RBI during that limited exposure to the majors while playing both second and third base as well as left field. He’d previously slashed a meager .221/.272/.344 for the Rays’ Triple-A affiliate in Durham this year and last made the big leagues with the Rockies back in 2023. He appeared in 18 games with Colorado where he slashed .184/.244/.316 with two doubles and a home run across 41 plate appearances. Between his two stints in the majors, Montes played for Nippon Professional Baseball’s Yoimiuri Giants. He slashed a somewhat pedestrian .272/.308/.391 for the Giants in 46 Central League games during the 2024 season. He’ll now return to Triple-A Durham as non-roster depth for the Rays going forward this year.

As for Waguespack, the 31-year-old was a 37th-round pick by the Pirates all the way back in 2012 who made his big league debut back in 2019 as a member of the Blue Jays. He pitched in parts of two seasons with Toronto and posted a 5.08 ERA in 95 2/3 innings of work split between 13 starts and 14 relief appearances. He struck out just 18.6% of his opponents while walking 8.9%, and after spending the 2021 season with Toronto’s Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo he moved on to NPB’s Orix Buffaloes. Waguespack posted an impressive 2.97 ERA in 72 2/3 innings of work during his first year of Pacific League play, but his production cratered in 2023.

He’s spent the past two seasons in the Rays organization, primarily at the minor league level, but posted a 5.40 ERA in ten appearances with the big league club this year. He’ll now head into free agency in search of another opportunity, though it seems he’ll be limited to minor league offers unless he once again ventures outside of affiliated ball to pitch elsewhere. Waguespack had been on the minor league injured list, meaning he could not be outrighted to the minor leagues after being designated for assignment.

Latest On Yankees’ Deadline Plans

By | at

The Yankees nearly had their season upended when reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge suffered a flexor strain in his right elbow. The issue required a trip to the injured list, but fortunately for the Bronx Bombers their superstar is expected to avoid the operating table and could be back in the lineup as a DH shortly after the trade deadline. Even so, there are some signs that the Yankees may not be fully all-in this summer. Andy Martino of SNY reported yesterday that the Yankees actually “seriously considered” a pivot towards selling this summer if Judge was out for the remainder of the season.

It goes without saying that Judge, who has emerged as the consensus best hitter in the sport with an absurd .312/.436/.681 slash line over the past four seasons, is a transformational player. With that being said, baseball is a team sport and for a team to be willing to pivot from buying to selling based on an injury to one player suggests a level of uncertainty that might not otherwise be expected from a club that’s already gone out and acquired third baseman Ryan McMahon and utility bat Amed Rosario within the past week. Martino even wonders if a Yankees club that’s 8-12 in the month of July and 22-28 over their last 50 games could still consider selling off rental players like Cody Bellinger and Devin Williams, even in spite of Judge’s expected return to the lineup.

That seems very unlikely to actually happen at this point, and even Martino acknowledges that such an outcome is an “extreme longshot.” Still, the fact that there’s any reason to doubt the Yankees’ status as buyers at this point could suggest that they won’t be the most aggressive suitors for high-end talent on the market. Gerrit Cole will be back next year, Judge will presumably have moved past his elbow issues, and the club could hope for better health for an arm like Luis Gil as well, not to mention further development from young pieces both at the big league level (Ben Rice, Jasson Dominguez) and in the minors (Spencer Jones, George Lombard Jr.).

All of that could be enough to opt for lower-cost additions rather than shopping aggressively in the most impactful tiers of the market. We’ve already seen them take that approach in their efforts to upgrade at third base. It’s well-known that the Yankees were engaged with the Diamondbacks on third baseman Eugenio Suarez in recent weeks, but Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com reports that talks between the sides stalled when New York balked at the price tag Arizona hat set, which Romero reports consisted of one MLB player, one prospect from the upper levels of the minors, and at least one prospect from the lower-levels of the minors.

It must be cautioned that proximity to the big leagues, while an attractive factor in a player’s profile, does not necessarily indicate trade value. Oswald Peraza, for example, is much less valuable on the trade market now as a struggling big leaguer without options remaining than he was a few years ago when he was a consensus top-50 prospect in the game with only eight games at the Triple-A level. That means Romero’s report does little to pin down the exact quality of the return Arizona requested from the Yankees, but it does seem likely that New York thought it was giving up less value by surrendering Clayton Beeter, Browm Martinez, Griffin Herring, and Josh Grosz to acquire the combination McMahon and Rosario than they would have had to in order to land Suarez.

Could that apparent hesitance to trade at the top of the market impact New York’s pursuits on the pitching side of things? Joel Sherman of the New York Post indicates that the Yankees are looking to add two relievers (including one lefty) and a starting pitcher “at minimum” this summer. If the Yankees were turned off by the price tag associated with Suarez, it’s possible they could prefer to shop at the lower levels of the market to avoid meeting Arizona’s asking price on Zac Gallen or Merrill Kelly. On the other hand, maybe the prospect capital they saved by passing on Suarez could be used to gun for an even more significant piece with multiple years of control like Jhoan Duran or Emmanuel Clase for the club’s bullpen.

Regardless of how big the Yankees decide to go on the pitching side of things, Sherman reports that the club may not be done augmenting its positional corps just yet. He writes that the Yankees have talked to the Rays about infield pieces Jose Caballero, Taylor Walls, and Ha-Seong Kim. The Rays rarely make any player on their roster off limits and Cabellero specifically came up in the rumor mill recently, so it’s not necessarily a shock to hear that Tampa would listen on some of its infield depth. Sherman suggests that players like Willi Castro of the Twins, Isiah Kiner-Falefa of the Pirates, and David Hamilton of the Red Sox could also be of interest to the Yankees as they look to upgrade the speed and versatility of their bench, preferably with a player who can be relied upon to back up shortstop Anthony Volpe.

Sherman suggests that the Yankees have “long-liked” Castro in particular and suggests that it would be “ideal” for the club to acquire him as part of a package that includes one of Minnnesota’s relievers. Danny Coulombe is a pending free agent who would make plenty of sense if New York hopes to stick with lower-cost acquisitions, but he doesn’t rule out a pursuit of a more expensive, controllable impact piece like Duran and Jax. Minnesota’s relief arms are getting plenty of attention on the trade market, however, and Castro himself would be an excellent fit for not just the Yankees but also teams like the Cubs and Astros. Given the Yankees’ possible reluctance about going all-in on 2025, it seems likely that they’ll continue examining a wide array of options at varying price points over the coming days.

Rays “Softening” Stance On Dealing Yandy Diaz, Brandon Lowe

By | at

The Rays have struggled badly in the month of July, with a 6-14 record that has left them just one game over .500 and 2.5 games out of an AL Wild Card spot. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the club’s recent skid has forced their front office to reconsider some of its stances on keeping certain players in the fold, including first baseman Yandy Diaz and second baseman Brandon Lowe. While the Rays are currently signalling an openness to moving both players, Rosenthal adds they could reverse that decision if the club’s play in the coming days warrants it and that a final decision may not be made until Wednesday, the day before this year’s trade deadline.

The addition of Diaz and Lowe to the market as available pieces would be a major shift to a position player market that lacks standout controllable pieces. MLBTR’s Top 50 Trade Candidates for the 2025 Deadline list, published just yesterday, features only a handful of hitters controlled beyond the 2025 season. Steven Kwan of the Guardians and Brendan Donovan of the Cardinals would be impact pieces but are both viewed as unlikely to be dealt. Adolis Garcia of the Rangers and Alek Thomas of the Diamondbacks have high upside but are in the midst of difficult seasons. Mike Tauchman, Jesus Sanchez, and Ramon Laureano are all solid corner outfield options with two seasons of team control but limited upside. Luis Robert Jr. is technically controlled for two seasons after this one and offers superstar-level upside, but has struggled so much this year that it remains an open question if his options will even be exercised.

In that sort of trade market, it goes without saying that Diaz and Lowe would be extremely attractive pieces if the Rays do decide to dangle them. Diaz, 34, is a lackluster defender at this point in his career who may be best suited for a DH role but has been one of the most reliable offensive players in the game for quite some time. He’s hitting .299/.376/.475 (139 wRC+) since the start of the 2022 season, and this year sports a solid 126 wRC+ with 18 homers in 99 games, a 13.9% strikeout rate, and a 7.7% walk rate. He’s under team control through 2027. Lowe, meanwhile, comes with a club option for the 2026 season and has been a steadily above-average bat for his entire career with a .248/.329/.482 (125 wRC+) career slash line and a similar .269/.320/.480 (120 wRC+) line in 86 games this season.

Diaz’s combination of power and contact ability would make him a major upgrade to any offense that can fit him into the lineup, and Rosenthal suggests that the Red Sox will “almost certainly” be at the top of the list of interested teams if the Rays do make Diaz available. Boston has been relying on a combination of Abraham Toro and Romy Gonzalez at first since losing Triston Casas to injury earlier this year, but Diaz would be a massive upgrade over that duo and could even help to soften the blow if Alex Bregman opts out of his contract this winter by adding another big right-handed bat to the lineup. Speculatively speaking, the Rangers, Brewers, and Padres are among the other clubs that could use a bat of Diaz’s caliber and would be able to make room for him at either first base or DH.

Lowe, meanwhile, has relative youth on his side at just 30 years old and could be a fit for more teams due to his ability to handle both second base and left field. The Phillies, Giants, Padres, Astros, and Dodgers are among the many contenders who could stand to upgrade at least one of those positions. Lowe would be a particularly intriguing fit for Houston given that his lefty bat would help balance an overwhelming right-handed Astros lineup, and his positional flexibility maps perfectly with that of Jose Altuve, meaning the that the club could lock down both positions between the two veterans.

One other name Rosenthal mentions as a possible trade chip is catcher Danny Jansen. Unlike Lowe and Diaz, Jansen is not controlled beyond the 2025 season; he has a mutual option for 2026, but those are all but guaranteed to be declined by one party or the other. The Padres are known to be in the market for catching help this summer, as are the Red Sox and Mets. Jansen is in the midst of a fairly pedestrian season with a 99 wRC+ and poor defensive metrics, but he’d nonetheless be an upgrade over Boston’s Connor Wong or San Diego’s Elias Diaz. Other clubs could jump into the market for catching help as well if an injury occurs in the next few days that requires them to look for outside help.

Rays’ Manuel Rodriguez To Undergo Elbow Surgery

By | at

9:00pm: Topkin relayed a clarification from the Rays this evening that Rodriguez may not require full Tommy John surgery; he is scheduled to undergo surgery on his right elbow that will repair his flexor tendon. Rodriguez’s UCL will be evaluated during the surgery to determine whether or not additional intervention is necessary.

6:03pm: Rays right-hander Manuel Rodriguez is set to undergo Tommy John surgery on August 8th, manager Kevin Cash told reporters (including Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times) earlier today. Rodriguez was already on the 60-day injured list after renewed elbow soreness and a drop in velocity during a recent rehab outing caused him to visit with a specialist. That visit clearly revealed UCL damage, and Rodriguez will now miss the remainder of the 2025 season as well as most if not all of the 2026 campaign as well.

It’s devastating news for the talented young righty, as he’s been extremely effective when healthy since he joined the Rays’ bullpen last year. Rodriguez made his big league debut with the Cubs back in 2021 and pitched to a 4.88 ERA in the organization despite flashing premium velocity. He was outrighted off the club’s roster prior to the 2023 season before being traded to Tampa at that year’s trade deadline alongside Adrian Sampson. Since joining the Rays, Rodriguez has posted a brilliant 2.12 ERA in 68 innings of work at the big league level with a 21.1% strikeout rate, a 6.1% walk rate, and a 53.1% ground ball rate.

It’s an impressive profile overall, and one that allowed the 28-year-old to work his way into the club’s high-leverage mix before a forearm strain left him sidelined back in June. Unfortunately, he’ll now be sidelined for quite some time. Rodriguez reached two years of big league service time this year, meaning that if the Rays keep him on their 40-man roster throughout both the offseason and the 2026 campaign he’ll likely be eligible for arbitration after the 2027 campaign. It’s possible that the Rays could look to remove him from their roster at some point in the coming months and re-sign him to a minor league contract, though taking that path would give Rodriguez the opportunity to sign with any of the league’s 30 clubs and could run the risk of him receiving a more attractive offer elsewhere.

The Rays seemed to be anticipating a lengthy absence for Rodriguez even before recent visits with doctors revealed he’d need to go under the knife. That could mean that the right-hander’s injury won’t have a significant impact on their plans for the trade deadline this year. The club’s 53-51 record seemingly leaves them in position to both buy (as they did when they acquired Bryan Baker from the Orioles earlier this month) and also consider selling pieces like closer Pete Fairbanks, though it seems for the time being their preference is to keep the right-hander in the fold. Unless trades further alter the makeup of the Rays’ bullpen, Fairbanks and Baker will be joined by Edwin Uceta and Garrett Cleavinger in the club’s late inning mix going forward.

Show all

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

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top