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Yankees Interested In Andrew Heaney

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The Yankees have interest in Pirates left-hander Andrew Heaney, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post. Heyman adds that the Yankees, and the Mets, have checked in on Joe Ryan of the Twins and MacKenzie Gore of the Nationals. However, he downplays the likelihood of anything coming from those pursuits. Similarly, Heyman mentions that the Yankees reached out to the Pirates about Oneil Cruz but says nothing is likely to come from that either.

The Yankees have been connected to plenty of starting pitchers recently. That includes some potentially notable upgrades like Dylan Cease or Mitch Keller, as well as more back-end types like Chris Paddack, who was traded from the Twins to the Tigers yesterday.

Heaney is more in the latter category at this stage of his career. He’s had some tantalizing strikeout stuff in the past but that’s not the case this year. In 107 innings for the Pirates, he has a 4.79 earned run average and a subpar 17.2% strikeout rate.

His season got off to a strong start but he’s been in a rough slide lately. Through his first 14 starts, he had a 3.33 ERA, though with a subpar 18.5% strikeout rate. He was getting a bit of help from his .234 batting average on balls in play and 81.8% strand rate. His FIP and SIERA were both 4.44 for that span, suggesting those metrics thought it was a mirage. They were proven correct when Heaney posted an 8.79 ERA over his next six starts.

It’s not the most exciting set of numbers but the Yanks might just want a veteran to take the ball every five days. As mentioned, they were interested in Paddack, who has similar numbers to Heaney this year. Paddack posted a 4.95 ERA with a 17.6% strikeout rate before his trade.

The Yankees have lost Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt to Tommy John surgery but still have a strong one-two atop the rotation in Max Fried and Carlos Rodón. They have been without Luis Gil all year so far but he’s on the cusp of a return. Will Warren is having a good season on the whole. Adding a vet would allow the Yanks to perhaps move Cam Schlittler back to Triple-A or bump Marcus Stroman to long relief or off the roster.

It’s been a rough stretch for the Yankees, as they have fallen into a tight Wild Card race. Entering today, they are only a game and a half ahead of the Rangers, who are the top team not currently in possession of a playoff spot. Heaney wouldn’t be in the club’s planned playoff rotation but he could upgrade the staff for the stretch run. Schlittler has just two big league outings under his belt while Stroman has a 6.08 ERA in his eight starts this year.

Heaney shouldn’t cost much in terms of prospect capital and is also making just $5.25MM this year. There’s now less than $1.75MM of that still to be paid out. Since the Yankees are a third-time competitive balance tax payor and are over the top tier, they face a 110% tax on any additional spending.

The Yankees could pursue a more impactful upgrade and it seems like they have looked into the possibility. However, all reports have suggested that a trade of either Gore or Ryan would be a long shot. Both pitchers are affordably controlled for two years after this season, making them very valuable to their respective clubs. It would likely take a massive prospect haul to pry either player loose. It’s basically the same story with Cruz, who is controlled for three seasons after this one.

Photo courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski, Imagn Images

Rangers, Mariners Eyeing Rockies’ Relievers

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The Rockies, more open to dealing at this year’s deadline than in seasons past, have been open to offers on controllable young relievers in their bullpen. The Rox have several power arms who could appeal to bullpen-needy contenders, and two teams that have been eyeing them recently are the Rangers (per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News) and Mariners (per Daniel Kramer of MLB.com).

Grant reports that the Rockies are under the impression that right-handers Jake Bird, Victor Vodnik and Tyler Kinley are all available via trade. As a veteran in the final guaranteed season of his contract, Kinley is a fairly straightforward trade candidate. But Bird, who’s controlled three years beyond the current season, and especially Vodnik, who’s controlled for an additional four years, stand as the types of player Colorado wouldn’t even consider moving at prior trade deadlines.

Kinley, 34, is making $3MM in 2025 and has a $5MM club option with a $750K buyout. He’s sporting an ugly 5.66 ERA but more appealing secondary marks. The 6’4″ righty is averaging 95.2 mph on his four-seamer but uses his slider as his primary offering (60.1%), which has surely contributed to a hefty 14% swinging-strike rate. That’s a well above-average mark and could portend an uptick in Kinley’s 23.8% strikeout rate, which is only a bit better than average. Kinley’s 12.6% walk rate needs work, but he’s shown better command in the past. Metrics like FIP (4.14) and SIERA (4.15) both feel he’s been better than his ERA, and other clubs might be intrigued to see what he could do with more analytical input than the Rockies provide.

Bird, 29, was excellent through the end of June but has had a brutal month in July. He’s been rocked for 15 runs (14 earned) in just 6 2/3 innings since the calendar flipped, ballooning his once-terrific 2.63 ERA all the way to 4.73. He has roughly average velocity but makes good use of a sinker/slider/curveball repertoire to miss bats and keep the ball on the ground at above-average levels. In 53 1/3 innings — Bird frequently works more than one inning per outing — he’s fanned 26.3% of his opponents against a 9.7% walk rate. Bird’s 48% ground-ball rate is well above average, and he’s done a nice job avoiding home runs both in 2025 (0.84 HR/9) and in his career (0.90).

The 25-year-old Vodnik would be valued most highly of the trio mentioned by Grant. He’s in just his second big league season and is sporting a tidy 3.19 ERA with an above-average 23.9% strikeout rate and a massive 56.6% ground-ball rate in 31 frames. Vodnik averages a blistering 98.6 mph on his fastball and just under 92 mph on his “changeup.” However, Vodnik doesn’t quite miss bats at the level one might expect from someone with such a powerful arsenal. The results have been strong nonetheless, though Vodnik’s 4.12 FIP and 4.11 SIERA (driven by his shaky command) point to some potential regression.

Vodnik and Bird, in particular, seem like they’d hold appeal to a Rangers club that has some reluctance to exceed the luxury tax threshold. Neither has reached arbitration yet, so neither would add to the club’s luxury obligations. Kinley would have just $951K left on his contract by the time the deadline rolls around, though the $750K buyout on his 2026 option would also come into play.

Bird is also on the Mariners’ radar, per Kramer, who notes that Seattle has “heavily” scouted him and bullpen-mates Juan Mejia and Seth Halvorsen. Mejia is a particularly obscure trade candidate, given that he just made his MLB debut earlier this year. He’s pitched 36 innings and logged a 4.50 ERA but with a 3.78 FIP and 3.60 SIERA. He’s set down 23.7% of his opponents on strikes and walked 8.6% of the hitters he’s faced.

Mejia is a pure two-pitch reliever with a four-seamer that averages 96.2 mph and a slider sitting 82.9 mph. He’d be controllable for a full six years beyond the current season and is in the second of two minor league option years. That’d give Seattle plenty of long-term control and flexibility.

Halvorsen, 25, is arguably the most appealing of the whole group. His 4.99 ERA is pedestrian, but he’s averaging 100 mph on his four-seamer, inducing chases off the plate at an above-average rate and sporting a 13.2% swinging-strike rate. The flamethrowing young righty has punched out just 20.9% of his opponents but fanned batters at a 28.9% rate during last year’s debut (albeit in a smaller sample of innings). His 11.6% walk rate is too high, but his 54.4% grounder rate is excellent.

Halvorsen only briefly got a look late last season and hasn’t been optioned since first being selected to the big leagues. As such, he has a full slate of three option years. He’s controlled for five more years beyond the current season. Pitchers who average 100 mph or better and keep the ball on the ground at such high rates are rare breeds, and Halvorsen’s chase rate, swinging-strike rate, minor league numbers and 2024 results all suggest there could be more strikeouts in the tank as well. His command has never been great, and that’ll be the challenge for the Rockies or another club to unlock, but the raw tools in Halvorsen’s arsenal are tantalizing.

Whether the Rockies actually bite the bullet and trade any of their controllable relievers is an open question, but there’s a relatively limited supply of relievers controlled beyond the current season and a large number of teams hoping to acquire such pitchers. Beyond the Rangers and Mariners, each of the Phillies, Tigers, Yankees, Dodgers, Mets and Cubs have been linked to relievers with multiple years of club control. One long-shot possibility, Cleveland’s Emmanuel Clase, was removed from consideration earlier this week when he was placed on administrative leave amid MLB’s ongoing gambling investigation.

While there are plenty of bullpen arms available on the market, many of them (e.g. Ryan Helsley, Raisel Iglesias) are free agents at season’s end. Teams like the Pirates (David Bednar, Dennis Santana), Guardians (Cade Smith) and particularly the Twins (Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax) have set lofty asking prices on the bullpen arms they control beyond the current season. The Rox will surely have a hefty asking price on relievers like Vodnik and Halvorsen, but the demand for controllable bullpen help could present them with an opportunity to provide a jolt to a weak farm system.

Mets Re-Sign Chris Devenski

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The Mets announced that they have signed right-hander Chris Devenski to a one-year major league deal. Fellow righty Huascar Brazobán has been optioned to Triple-A Syracuse as the corresponding active roster move. The 40-man roster already had a vacancy.

Devenski was just removed from the Mets’ roster a week ago when he was designated for assignment. He later cleared waivers and elected free agency, but he has quickly returned to the Mets on a fresh pact.

Before losing his spot, Devenski gave the Mets 11 1/3 innings, allowing three earned runs on seven hits, three walks and hitting three opponents, striking out nine along the way. He has spent more time in Triple-A this year, tossing 25 innings with a 4.32 ERA, 17.2% strikeout rate, 4% walk rate and 50.6% ground ball rate.

The Mets have suffered a number of pitching injuries this year and have been churning through veterans at the fringe of the roster. A.J. Minter, Danny Young, Max Kranick and Dedniel Núñez have all been felled by season-ending surgeries. The club has responded by grabbing guys like Devenski, José Castillo, Génesis Cabrera, Richard Lovelady, José Ureña and others, bouncing them on and off the roster.

The Mets are reportedly setting the bullpen as a high priority ahead of Thursday’s deadline. They have already acquired Gregory Soto from the Orioles and should be making further moves in the next 48 hours. Devenski could get bumped off the roster yet again as those moves get finalized in the coming days.

Photo courtesy of Gregory Fisher, Imagn Images

Orioles Select Houston Roth, Recall Elvin Rodríguez

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After trading Seranthony Domínguez to the Blue Jays this afternoon, the Orioles have made some additional transactions to shake up their bullpen ahead of game two of a doubleheader against Toronto. They have recalled right-hander Elvin Rodríguez and selected the contract of fellow right-hander Houston Roth, both from Double-A Chesapeake. The Domínguez trade freed up one roster slot, and to open another spot on the active roster, Baltimore optioned Yaramil Hiraldo to Double-A.

While Rodríguez and Roth are coming up from the Double-A (and Hiraldo is headed down to the Chesapeake Baysox), it’s worth noting that all three pitchers have spent the majority of the season at Triple-A Norfolk. However, Chesapeake is significantly closer to Baltimore than Norfolk. So, the O’s were presumably stashing Rodríguez and Roth at Double-A in case they were needed as depth. With that in mind, Danielle Allentuck of The Baltimore Banner suggests these are likely “temporary moves” to quickly replace Domínguez and replenish the bullpen after game one of the doubleheader.

Rodríguez, 27, signed a split major league deal with the Brewers over the offseason after a strong showing in Japan in 2024. However, he gave up 18 runs in 18 2/3 innings with Milwaukee, leading the team to designate him for assignment earlier this month. Baltimore scooped him up off waivers, and if he gets in a game, he will be making his Orioles debut. Before his time overseas, the right-hander pitched for the Tigers in 2022 and the Rays in ’23. All in all, he has a career 9.23 ERA in 51 2/3 MLB innings. The O’s will hope he can look more like the pitcher who put up a 1.80 ERA over 45 innings in NPB last season.

Roth, also 27, has spent his entire professional career with the O’s, rising through their minor league ranks since the 2019 campaign. If he gets in a game, he will be making his major league debut. In 24 appearances (36 2/3 innings) between Double-A and Triple-A this year, the right-hander has a 2.21 ERA but a 4.02 FIP and 4.55 xFIP. He has posted impressive strikeout rates at High-A and Double-A over the past two seasons but struggled to miss bats upon his promotion to Triple-A earlier this year. His double-digit walk rate only exacerbates that problem.

Hiraldo, 29, was recalled earlier today for his fourth stint with the Orioles this season. He pitched two innings in game one of the doubleheader, giving up one run on a solo home run by Joey Loperfido. All told, he has pitched 4.1 MLB innings in 2025 with two strikeouts, no walks, and three hits allowed. He has a 4.19 ERA in 38 2/3 minor league innings this year, but his 32.9% strikeout rate and 5.78 strikeout-to-walk ratio are more promising. Those numbers are all the more impressive considering he spent the 2022-24 seasons in the Atlantic and Mexican Leagues. Prior to 2025, he had not pitched in affiliated ball since the Diamondbacks released him in 2021.

Blue Jays Designate Chad Green For Assignment

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After acquiring right-handed reliever Seranthony Domínguez from the Orioles this afternoon, the Blue Jays have designated fellow righty reliever Chad Green for assignment to open up space on their active and 40-man rosters.

Green, 34, has some good seasons on his track record but 2025 isn’t one of them. He has thrown 43 2/3 innings for the Jays this year with a 5.56 earned run average. He came into today’s game with a subpar 18.6% strikeout rate. He has allowed 14 home runs on the year, the most of any reliever in the majors.

The Jays are in first place in the American League East and looking to bolster their roster ahead of the deadline. That includes making bullpen additions. Domínguez is the first but there are likely more relievers coming in the next 48 hours. Green’s subpar results have made him the first casualty of the club’s deadline moves.

He’ll now go into DFA limbo. The Jays can try to trade him before the deadline but likely won’t find much interest. In addition to his struggles this year, Green is making a $10.5MM salary. That came about as part of the convoluted deal he signed with the Jays going into 2023. He was recovering from Tommy John surgery at the time. The deal paid him $2.25MM in 2023, then there was a multi-stage option. The Jays first had to decide about a three-year, $27MM club option. If they declined, Green would then have to decide on a one-year, $6.25MM player option. If he declined that, the Jays had a second option, valued at $21MM over two years.

Green returned from his surgery layoff late in 2023 and tossed 12 innings for the Jays. His 5.25 ERA wasn’t great but he struck out 30.8% of batters faced. The Jays turned down the three-year option and Green turned down his player option, but then the Jays triggered the two-year option. That came with a higher average annual value than the other choice, though it was a lesser overall commitment.

The Jays got 53 1/3 innings with a 3.21 ERA out of Green last year, though his strikeout rate dropped to 21.9%. It fell even farther this year, which led to worsening results and pushed him off the roster.

Any interest in Green would be based on a return to form. With the Yankees from 2016 to 2022, he tossed 383 2/3 innings with a 3.17 ERA, 32.5% strikeout rate and 6.3% walk rate. His stuff still appears to be there, as he’s still averaging in the mid-90s with both of his fastballs, but it’s getting lit up.

Unless the Jays eat a bunch of his salary to facilitate a trade, Green will likely be released in the coming days. If that comes to pass, they will remain on the hook for what’s left of his salary. Any other club could then sign him and pay him the prorated league minimum for any time spent on the roster. That amount would be subtracted from what the Jays pay.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Curry, Imagn Images

Athletics Place Jacob Wilson On 10-Day IL With Fractured Forearm

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The Athletics have placed rookie shortstop Jacob Wilson on the 10-day injured list with a fractured left forearm, the team announced today. He had been nursing what the team initially described as a left hand contusion since he was hit by a pitch before the All-Star break (per Martín Gallegos of MLB.com) and had not played since Friday. Darell Hernaiz has been recalled from Triple-A to fill Wilson’s spot on the active roster.

A hamstring strain and a month-long stint on the injured list prevented Wilson from exceeding rookie limits in 2024. However, he hit the ground running in 2025 and quickly established himself as a favorite for the AL Rookie of the Year. He produced a .339/.380/.473 slashline through the end of June, with a 137 wRC+ and 2.8 FanGraphs WAR, earning the starting shortstop spot on the AL All-Star squad. Yet, in nine games since he was hit by a pitch on July 8, he went just 4-for-38 with a .312 OPS and a -24 wRC+. His fWAR dropped by close to half a win in that short span, and even before the news of his IL stint, he seemed to have fallen behind his teammate Nick Kurtz as the AL Rookie of the Year frontrunner. (Of course, that has as much to do with Kurtz’s phenomenal performance as it does Wilson’s injury-induced slump.)

Until the A’s provide further information, it’s hard to guess how much time Wilson could miss. With only two months left on the calendar, a fractured forearm could be a season-ending injury. At the very least, it’s likely to keep the young shortstop out until September, though it remains a possibility that this is as minor as the wrist fracture Corbin Carroll suffered earlier this year, which only kept him out for two weeks. Regardless, it’s surely disappointing for Wilson that his fracture went undiagnosed for so long. Per Gallegos, he will be shut down from baseball activities for the time being, and the A’s will presumably provide some sort of timeline for his return in the coming days.

Needless to say, this is a tough blow for Wilson and a big loss for the Athletics. That said, it’s not as if the A’s have any dreams of contending for a playoff spot this season, so they have no reason to rush Wilson back onto the field, and this shouldn’t have much of an impact on their trade deadline plans. While Wilson is out, they can give the shortstop job to Max Schuemann, and Hernaiz will get a chance to show what he can do in a utility role off the bench.

Cubs Designate Chris Flexen

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The Cubs have designated right-hander Chris Flexen for assignment, according to multiple members of the Cubs beat (including Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times).  Right-hander Gavin Hollowell was called up from Triple-A Iowa in the corresponding move.

Signed to a minor league deal this past winter, Flexen’s contract was selected to Chicago’s roster at the start of May and he immediately reeled off 21 1/3 innings over 12 outings without allowing an earned run.  Even through 29 innings and 16 appearances, Flexen’s ERA stood at a minuscule 0.62, making him look like a gem of an under-the-radar signing.

Unfortunately, the magic has worn off, as Flexen has given up 13 ER over his last five outings, translating to a 7.98 ERA over his last 14 2/3 innings of work.  The warning signs were apparent before Flexen’s rough July got underway, as he has only a 12.4% strikeout rate over his 43 2/3 total innings, and the right-hander has benefited greatly from a .226 BABIP.  Since Flexen’s 3.09 ERA is dwarfed by a 4.94 SIERA, the Cubs have decided to move on from the 31-year-old.

Flexen worked primarily as a multi-inning reliever, and his tenure in Wrigleyville included one four-inning start.  He has been a starter for most of his career and tossed 160 innings for the White Sox just in 2024, but his low-strikeout and contact-heavy approach makes him a risk for regular turns in a rotation, as Flexen’s 2021-22 seasons with the Mariners represent his only consistent run of results as a starter at the MLB level.  Eating innings in any capacity is a valuable skill, however, so it certainly seems as though another club in need of some bullpen depth might claim Flexen on waivers or work out a low-level trade with the Cubs.

The contract selection locked in a $1.5MM salary for Flexen over the 2025 season.  With 91 days of Major League service time logged this season, Flexen now has over five years of career service time, so he can now reject an outright assignment to the minors and elect free agency if he clears waivers.

Royals Designate Rich Hill For Assignment

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The Royals announced that veteran southpaw Rich Hill has been designated for assignment.  The move opens up roster space for right-hander Thomas Hatch, whose contract has been selected from Triple-A Omaha.

After being released by the Red Sox last September, the 45-year-old Hill didn’t sign a contract until inking a minors deal with Kansas City in May.  Hill pitched 11 outings of ramp-up work in the minor leagues before his contract was selected to the Royals’ roster a week ago today, and he’ll head into DFA limbo with a 5.00 ERA to show for his two starts in a K.C. uniform.

Hill allowed just one earned run over five innings against the Cubs but received no run support in a 6-0 loss on July 22, and the Braves touched him up for four earned runs (on six walks, three hits, and two homers allowed) in as many innings in a start yesterday.  That was apparently enough for the Royals to designate Hill, and he may now be headed for yet another chapter in a career that has now stretched across 21 Major League seasons.

If Hill clears waivers, he obviously has more than enough service time to reject an outright assignment to Triple-A, so the ball is in his court as to his next step.  Hill may opt to just remain with the Royals, and while the club could release him, the Royals may want some rotation depth available in Omaha with so many other starters on the injured list.

A waiver claim isn’t out of the question, given how many teams need starting depth right now, and could still need more arms depending on how the trade deadline shakes out.  Pitching-needy clubs could wait until after the 5pm CT deadline on Thursday to put in a claim on Hill, should they have a sudden hole to fill in a rotation following a trade or two.

Should Hill head to free agency once more, it remains to be seen if he’ll be able to find another minor league contract elsewhere, given how long it took him to land with the Royals.  Yet another reunion with the Red Sox can’t be ruled out, or Hill could try to find a brand-new organization in an attempt to secure a unique place in the record books.  Hill and Edwin Jackson share the record for most career teams (14), so suiting up with a 15th different club at the big league level would make Hill the most well-traveled player in MLB history.  Retirement is naturally another option, if Hill decides to finally hang up his cleats after 24 total years in pro ball.

To put it in perspective, Hatch was only seven years old when Hill was drafted by the Cubs in 2002.  Hatch signed a minor league deal with K.C. during the offseason and has yet to see any big league action — his contract was previously selected on June 5 but just for the first game of a doubleheader, and Hatch was DFA’ed before the nightcap.

Assuming that this stint with the Royals leads to an in-game appearance, it will mark Hatch’s first time on a Major League mound since the 2023 season.  The 30-year-old Hatch posted a 4.96 ERA over 69 MLB innings with the Blue Jays and Pirates from 2020-23 before he spent the 2024 campaign in Japan with the Hiroshima Carp.  Hatch has a 4.22 ERA, 20.1% strikeout rate, and 7.2% walk rate across 91 2/3 innings and 18 Triple-A starts this year, and he’ll be the next pitcher to try and fill a hole in Kansas City’s injury-riddled rotation.

Mariners Showing Interest In Willi Castro, Twins’ Relievers

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The Mariners have already upgraded the right side of their infield with last week’s addition of Josh Naylor, and as they continue to look around the league for help at the other corner and in the bullpen, they’ve increasingly focused in on the Twins, reports Daniel Kramer of MLB.com. Seattle had interest in Willi Castro this past offseason and has again been in touch with Minnesota about the possibility of a Castro swap.

Castro, 28, would give the Mariners an option at third base while still leaving the door open for a potential addition of a prominent slugger like Eugenio Suárez. The switch-hitting Castro is versatile enough to handle second base, shortstop or any of the three outfield spots — though he’s best used as an emergency option at short or in center. He’s primarily played second base and the outfield corners for the Twins this season but has 74 innings at third base (532 in his career) and 26 innings at short (1213 career innings).

The versatile Castro is in his final season of club control and earning $6.4MM. He’s hitting .252/.343/.418 with 10 homers, 15 doubles, a pair of triples and nine steals (in 12 tries). It’s Castro’s third straight productive season since being non-tendered by the Tigers and signing a minor league deal in Minnesota. In two-plus years with the Twins, he’s slashed .251/.336/.401 while playing all over the diamond.

Castro has been solid enough at the plate that even absent a more notable acquisition at the hot corner, he’d still be a marked improvement over in-house options on his own. Rookie Ben Williamson has been playing third base for much of the season in Seattle. He’s turned in sharp defense but carries an anemic .256/.293/.315 batting line in 289 turns at the plate. The hope had been that Jorge Polanco could play third base for the M’s after re-signing this past offseason, but he’s been limited to DH work for much of the season after undergoing knee surgery following the 2024 campaign and playing through a side/oblique issue for much of the early portion of the current season.

On top of their need in the infield, the Mariners have been canvassing the trade market for high-leverage relief help. Kramer notes that hard-throwing righties Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax stand out as on-paper fits and the type of arms Seattle has been seeking. Both are in their first arbitration season and controlled through 2027. Duran is earning $4.125MM this season. Jax is being paid $2.365MM.

While Duran is the more famous of the pair given his status as Minnesota’s closer and his possession of one of MLB’s hardest fastballs, both pitchers are viewed within the industry as elite bullpen options. Duran carries a career 2.47 ERA and 30.6% strikeout rate, though this year’s 25.7% mark (while still strong) is a career low. He’s averaging 100.2 mph on his four-seamer and complementing that blistering offering with a splitter/sinker hybrid (“splinker”) that sits 97.5 mph.

Duran may be more well-known, but Jax is arguably even more appealing. Beyond his lower salary, he boasts superior strikeout and walk rates, sitting at 36.9% and 6.7%, respectively. He’s been dogged by a .371 average on balls in play, which has helped to inflate Jax’s ERA to 3.91, but metrics like FIP (2.00) and SIERA (1.94) rank him among the game’s very best relievers. Among the 651 pitchers (starters and relievers alike) to throw even five innings in the majors this year, Jax is tied with Aroldis Chapman for the fourth-best swinging-strike rate (19.8%). Josh Hader, Mason Miller and Fernando Cruz are the only pitchers with higher marks.

Adam Jude of the Seattle Times writes that while the Mariners indeed covet Duran and/or Jax — as well as Castro — there’s very little chance the M’s could pry away both Castro and one of the Twins’ top bullpen arms in the same trade. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported last week that the Twins were seeking multiple top-100 prospects for either Duran or Jax individually. Jude hears similarly. Adding Castro, one of the more appealing rental players on the market, would only drive the asking price up even further.

Jude suggests left-hander Danny Coulombe as one viable alternative in the Minnesota bullpen. He’s pitched 31 innings this year and logged a pristine 1.16 ERA with a 25.4% strikeout rate and 7.4% walk rate. The 35-year-old southpaw signed a one-year, $3MM deal with the Twins over the winter — his second stint in Minnesota — and is a free agent at season’s end.

Speculatively, the Mariners could also look into righty Brock Stewart. The 33-year-old is making just $870K this season and, like Duran and Jax, is controlled through 2027. He’s been excellent since signing a minor league deal with the Twins three years ago but has also missed considerable time due to injury. Stewart touts a 2.33 ERA, 31.7% strikeout rate and 9.5% walk rate in 77 1/3 innings dating back to Opening Day 2023. Stewart is averaging 96.1 mph on his four-seamer, and while his 15.1% swinging-strike rate isn’t quite at Jax’s elite level, it’s tied with San Diego’s Jason Adam for 28th among 373 big league pitchers who’ve pitched at least 30 innings this year.

The Mariners are well-positioned to land virtually any trade target they covet — it’s just a matter of how much they’re willing to thin out what’s regarded as one of baseball’s top farm systems. Seattle has eight of Baseball America’s top-100 prospects. Minnesota isn’t embarking on a full rebuild but rather aiming to retool and contend again in 2026, so they’d probably prefer prospects closer to big league readiness for their top trade chips (though they did settle on a 19-year-old catching prospect in yesterday’s Chris Paddack trade).

Marlins Select Troy Johnston’s Contract

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The Marlins have selected the contract of first baseman/outfielder Troy Johnston from Triple-A, as MLB.com’s Christina De Nicola reported earlier today.  No corresponding moves are needed, as Miami haf space on both its 26-man and 40-man rosters following the now-official trade that sent Nick Fortes to the Rays.

Johnston will be making his Major League debut whenever he appears in a game, which will mark a long-awaited career highlight for the 28-year-old.  A 17th-round pick for the Marlins in the 2019 draft, Johnston has played at the Triple-A level in each of the last four seasons, with a solid .267/.345/.438 slash line, 35 home runs, and 57 stolen bases (from 66 attempts) to show for 1224 plate appearances at Miami’s top affiliate.

Despite these numbers, Johnston is only now getting his first look at the big league level.  Ely Sussman of the Fish On First blog observes that Johnston would have been eligible for minor league free agency this year if he hadn’t been selected to the 40-man roster, so today’s move erases that scenario.

For now, the left-handed hitting Johnston figures to get some at-bats at first base in a platoon with the righty-swinging Eric Wagaman.  He could also get some time at DH when Agustin Ramirez is behind the plate, and since Kyle Stowers missed yesterday’s game with an illness, Johnston might get some work in the outfield.  Some more playing time could emerge for Johnston depending on the Marlins’ deadline plans, as Jesus Sanchez is a speculative trade candidate.

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