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Padres Interested In Luis Robert Jr., Ramón Laureano

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The Padres have been looking for left field solutions for a while. Jon Heyman of The New York Post reports that they are interested in Steven Kwan of the Guardians, Luis Robert Jr. of the White Sox and Ramón Laureano of the Orioles. Their interest in Kwan was reported earlier this week.

Robert has been one of the clearest trade candidates for a while now. The Sox have been aggressively rebuilding and he’s not in their long-term plans. He’s in the final guaranteed year of his contract. There are a pair of $20MM club with $2MM buyouts. However, his mercurial production and frequent injury issues have made those seem less attractive.

He is at least in a good stretch now. In early June, he sat out a few games to focus on some adjustments to his approach. He had a .177/.266/.286 batting line at that time. Since then, he has hit .266/.349/.457 for a 122 wRC+. Even when he was struggling, he was still hitting lefties, stealing bases and fielding well. His improved offense of late won’t totally erase the memories of his slumps but it should help somewhat.

There have been some rumblings that the Sox could hold Robert and exercise the option if they don’t get an offer to their liking but that feels like an unwise path. They have already missed chances to sell him when his value was presumably higher. He had a great 2023 season but the Sox didn’t trade him at that time, when they could have felt they had four affordable years of club control. But in 2024, he was largely hurt and underperforming, which cut into his value. Holding him at that point and hoping for a bounceback was defensible, but then he his struggles carried over into the early parts of 2025.

Though he’s been better lately, he’s been inconsistent enough that it would be a real risk to hold him. It’s entirely possible that more injuries or slumps pop up in the second half, which would make it harder to justify picking up the option.

Laureano is also a logical candidate to move in the next week. The Orioles are in the midst of a disappointing season and are clear sellers. They’re not going to move controllable core pieces but general manager Mike Elias has admitted they will be looking to move guys who are “coming towards the end of their contracts.”

That should include Laureano, though he’s not strictly a rental. His one-year deal contains a club option for 2026. The O’s could keep him but he’s not a foundational piece for them, so they should be open to offers.

It also makes sense to sell him now since his career has been up-and-down but he’s been hot lately. He has 14 home runs and a .277/.337/.521 line this year, which translates to a 137 wRC+. He was sitting on a tepid .188/.216/.438 line at the end of April but has gone off since then with a .300/.366/.542 line.

For a few years now, the Padres have been dealing with a tight budget and various roster concerns. They traded Juan Soto ahead of the 2024 season, saving some money and adding rotation depth. They backfilled some of Soto’s production by signing Jurickson Profar for $1MM, which worked surprisingly well, though that also priced him out of San Diego’s range for this year.

The Friars tried to find low-cost solutions again. The first plan was a platoon of Jason Heyward and Connor Joe, who both got $1MM deals. However, both struggled and were off the roster before the end of June.

Another low-cost move is working out well. Gavin Sheets signed a minor league deal with the Padres ahead of this year. He has 14 home runs, a .253/.314/.424 slash line and a 109 wRC+. However, he’s not a strong defender in the outfield and would be better utilized at first base or in the designated hitter slot.

The trio of Sheets, Luis Arráez and Jake Cronenworth could cover first base, second base and DH if Sheets is no longer needed in left field. That would mean fewer plate appearances for Jose Iglesias, who is hitting .238/.297/.277. Tyler Wade and Trenton Brooks aren’t playing as often as Iglesias but are hitting .206/.309/.252 and .150/.190/.275, respectively.

Laureano has experience at all three outfield spots. Robert has only ever played center field. The Padres have Jackson Merrill in center, who is a strong defender. Since he’s signed through 2034, the Padres presumably wouldn’t move him for a short-term addition. Center fielders usually move to a corner spot with ease, so there shouldn’t be any real concern about Robert’s lack of experience in left.

With the Padres, the budget is an ongoing concern, as mentioned. Their offseason moves clearly showed a lack of financial wiggle room. In addition to Heyward and Joe, they gave small guarantees to Elias Díaz and Kyle Hart. They did give Nick Pivetta $55MM over four years but that deal is heavily backloaded, with the righty only making a $1MM salary this year, in addition to a $3MM signing bonus.

In addition to the financial concerns, the Padres have traded away a lot of prospects in recent years and their farm system isn’t well regarded. They have two strong pieces in Leo De Vries and Ethan Salas but all reporting has suggested the Friars want to hold those two.

It seems that president of baseball operations A.J. Preller is considering all kinds of scenarios in order to work around his constraints. Despite a questionable rotation, there have been a number of Dylan Cease rumors recently, though the Padres have also been connected to other starters such as Sandy Alcantara. It’s possible that Preller engineers a sort of musical chairs approach where he could trade Cease away for prospects or big league talent while saving some money and also bringing in other players. There have also been rumors that the Friars could subtract from or add to their bullpen.

That’s not unprecedented for the Friars. As mentioned, they flipped Soto ahead of last year for younger players, one of them being Drew Thorpe. Shortly thereafter, they used Thorpe as part of a package to get Cease. It’s possible that Preller again cooks up a number of trades that relate to each other.

Robert is making $15MM this year. About $5MM of that will be left to be paid out at the deadline, plus at least the $2MM buyout on his option. The Sox are reportedly willing to include cash in trading Robert, though that would be a way to extra prospect capital. The Padres would obviously welcome that financial arrangement but may not have the prospects, unless they get some in a Cease deal or some other trade.

Laureano is far more affordable, as he’s only making $4MM, which will leave roughly $1.33MM left to be paid out at the deadline. His 2026 club option is for $6.5MM with no buyout. If he stays hot through the end of the year, it’s possible that option looks like a good deal. In that scenario, the Padres could keep him for 2026 or flip him to another club in the winter.

The Padres have also been connected to Kwan and Jarren Duran of the Red Sox, though those are more long-shot candidates. Both of those players are affordably controlled beyond this season and their respective clubs are both still playoff contenders. Still, the Padres seem to be going over dozens of different trade permutations, so there are lots of different ways things could play out in the next week.

Photo courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski, Imagn Images

Red Sox Unlikely To Trade Jarren Duran This Summer

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With a 55-49 record and a seat at the Wild Card table, the Red Sox have seemingly played themselves out of selling this summer even after trading former franchise face Rafael Devers to the Giants last month. There’s been plenty of speculation about the possibility that they could trade from their glut of outfield talent and move Jarren Duran, but it seems as though that might not be in the cards—for now, at least. ESPN’s Jeff Passan recently wrote that the Red Sox might more or less stand pat this summer, while Jon Heyman of the New York Post noted that Boston is “believed” to be unlikely to move Duran despite considerable interest from the Padres.

Sean McAdam of MassLive provides further details on the situation surrounding Duran. He suggests that while a deal involving Duran is “likely” at some point, the Red Sox are inclined to hold off on making such a deal until the offseason. McAdam then goes on to note that the Padres offered Boston a three-player package of right-hander Dylan Cease, top catching prospect Ethan Salas, and an additional prospect not named Leo De Vries that was “quickly rejected.” That’s a fairly significant offer, particularly given the fact that the Red Sox had reportedly expressed interest in Cease previously in conversations with San Diego this summer.

Duran’s in the midst of a decent season but has taken a massive step back from his All-Star 2024 campaign that ended with an eighth place finish in a crowded NL MVP race. This year, Duran has hit just .254/.321/.428 with a wRC+ of 104 and below average defense in the outfield. While the Padres clearly still believe in the upside they saw when he put together a 6.8 fWAR, 8.7 bWAR season last year given their offer of a longtime top prospect and a front-of-the-rotation rental, it’s possible that the Red Sox are hoping for a strong second half from Duran that can raise his value headed into the offseason and potentially get the attention of other clubs besides San Diego.

Perhaps the Red Sox were willing to reject that offer from San Diego in part because the players they’d be acquiring are in the midst of down seasons themselves. Cease has long been viewed as one of the sport’s most talented pitchers, but he’s posted a 4.59 ERA that’s actually 10% worse than league average by ERA+ across 21 starts this year. His peripheral numbers remain strong and some of his poor season-long numbers can be attributed to a nine-run, four-inning implosion at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento back in April. Even so, Cease doesn’t carry the same surefire ace pedigree he would have had even one season ago. Salas is in no better shape, having been sidelined by a stress fracture in his back for most of 2025 following a tough season at the High-A level last year.

While the Padres have been frequently connected to Duran for quite some time now, they’re far from the only team for whom he’d be an excellent fit. The Phillies have a major hole in left field, the Astros are in desperate need of a left-handed bat to help balance their lineup, the Royals are in clear need of help all around the outfield, and even non-contending clubs in need of offense like the Pirates could make sense as a suitor for Duran given that he won’t reach free agency until after the 2028 season. That’s hardly an exhaustive list of teams that could make sense as a fit for Duran, as his combination of upside and long period of team control could make him attractive for virtually any team that isn’t already stacked with outfield talent themselves.

Rockies Willing To Entertain Offers On Victor Vodnik, Seth Halvorsen

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The Rockies are willing to field offers on relievers Victor Vodnik and Seth Halvorsen, report Katie Woo and Will Sammon of The Athletic. Unsurprisingly, The Athletic notes that the Rox have a high asking price on both controllable power arms.

Vodnik and Halvorsen have been Colorado’s two highest-leverage bullpen options over the past month. They’re each 25-year-old righties with massive arm speed. Vodnik, acquired from the Braves at the 2023 deadline in the Pierce Johnson deal, averages 98.5 MPH on his fastball. Halvorsen, a seventh-round draft pick from two seasons ago, has a heater that sits above 100. Only Mason Miller and Jhoan Durán throw harder than he does.

Of the two, Vodnik has had more success. He tossed 73 2/3 innings of 4.28 ERA ball in his first full season last year. He missed five weeks earlier this season with shoulder inflammation but carries an even 3.00 earned run average in 30 frames. He has gotten ground balls at a huge 56.3% clip, though he has given up a lot of hard contact. Vodnik has also walked a concerning 13.4% of opposing hitters while turning in a league average 23.6% strikeout rate.

[Related: Under-The-Radar Bullpen Trade Candidates]

Vodnik’s underlying marks don’t support a low-3.00s ERA. At the same time, it’s easy to see the appeal of a pitcher with this kind of velocity and ability to generate ground balls. It’s a similar story with Halvorsen, who is working as the rebuilding team’s closer. He has gotten grounders at a 53.2% clip while posting middling strikeout (21.3%) and walk (11%) rates. Halvorsen has allowed a few too many home runs, leading to a pedestrian 5.02 ERA through 37 2/3 frames.

The Rockies are generally resistant to dealing players with multiple years of control, but reporting out of Colorado has suggested they’re more open to selling than in years past. That’s most relevant for third baseman Ryan McMahon but could apply to controllable relievers Jake Bird, Vodnik and Halvorsen.

Trading either of the latter two pitchers would have some parallels to last summer’s deal of Nick Mears — another controllable power arm with middling results — to Milwaukee. Mears was two years older than Halvorsen and Vodnik are now, and he’s a former waiver claim whom the Rockies could’ve been more willing to move than pitchers they’ve drafted or acquired in trade. Vodnik is under club control for four seasons after this one; Halvorsen has five-plus years of control.

Seranthony Dominguez, Pete Fairbanks Among Cubs’ Bullpen Targets

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The Cubs are eyeing upgrades for the back end of the bullpen and have looked into Orioles setup man Seranthony Dominguez and Rays closer Pete Fairbanks, reports Bruce Levine of 670 The Score. Levine notes that the Rays have been showing reluctance to part with Fairbanks, which lines up with recent reporting from Will Sammon, Katie Woo and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic, wherein they indicate that Tampa Bay “strongly prefers” to hang onto Fairbanks (but are still hearing out interested teams who inquire).

Both Dominguez and Fairbanks are sensible targets for a Cubs bullpen in need of help. Dominguez is being paid $8MM in his final year of club control. He’s a pure free agent at season’s end. The 30-year-old righty is in his first full season with the O’s after having been acquired from the Phillies at last year’s deadline. He’s pitched 40 2/3 innings this season and worked to a sharp 3.32 ERA with a hefty 31% strikeout rate. Dominguez has been one of the primary setup options for closer Félix Bautista, tallying 13 holds and two saves of his own on the season. He’s averaged a sizzling 97.7 mph on his four-seamer and 97.9 mph on his sinker.

Command troubles have plagued Dominguez at times in his career, however, and that’s never been truer than in 2025. This year’s 14% walk rate is far and away the worst of his career, and he’s also tossed nine wild pitches. That’s clearly far from ideal, but Chicago’s combined 20.1% strikeout rate from their relievers is fourth-lowest in MLB, so adding some swing-and-miss is an understandable focus — particularly given how important that ability tends to be in the postseason.

Fairbanks is earning a bit more than $3.8MM this season and has a club option for the 2026 campaign. That option comes with a $7MM base value, but Fairbanks has already boosted that to to $8MM as he begins reaching escalator milestones. So long as he remains healthy, he’ll likely increase that option value considerably more.

The 31-year-old Fairbanks has already finished 29 games and boost next year’s option value by $500K for each of 30, 35 and 40 games finished in 2025. The option also climbs by $1MM apiece when Fairbanks reaches 135, 150 and 165 total appearances from 2023-25 combined. He’s currently at 134 games total between those three seasons. There’s a strong chance that option winds up valued at $11.5MM.

In the past, Fairbanks has missed bats at comparable levels to Dominguez, but his 20.3% strikeout rate in 2025 is a career-low. He’s dealt with shoulder, lat, forearm and hip injuries over the past five seasons, and a four-seamer that once averaged a blistering 99 mph has accordingly dropped off, sitting at 97.3 mph in each of the past two seasons.

Fairbanks’ swinging-strike rate has unsurprisingly dropped as he’s lost some zip on that heater, though his velocity is still well above average and he’s continued to remain effective. In 38 innings this season, he’s sporting a 2.84 earned run average and has gone 17-for-20 in save opportunities. With the exception of 21-inning rookie debut, Fairbanks has never posted an ERA north of 3.59 in a season. This year’s 2.84 ERA is almost a dead match for the 2.88 mark he’s compiled dating back to the 2020 season.

Dominguez and Fairbanks are surely just two of many targets the Cubs are eyeing as they look to bolster a relief corps that ranks 10th in the majors with a collective 3.78 ERA but 27th in strikeout rate, 15th in FIP (4.05) and 24th in SIERA (3.98). Emerging closer Daniel Palencia and resurgent veteran Brad Keller are both showing plus velocity, with the former sitting at a whopping 99.5 mph with his fastball and Keller sitting 97.1 mph. The rest of Chicago’s bullpen — aside from the currently injured Porter Hodge — has average to below-average velocity (and, in many cases, sub-par strikeout rates to match).

The Opener: Diamondbacks, O’Hearn, Cardinals

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With the first major trade of July finally in place, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day:

1. Who’s next to go on the Diamondbacks?

The Diamondbacks had been on the fence between buying or selling for weeks, but they’ve finally planted their stake in the ground by being the first team to sell off a rental player this summer when they shipped first baseman Josh Naylor to the Mariners last night in exchange for pitching prospects Brandyn Garcia and Ashton Izzi. With Naylor out the door, the biggest question for fans in Arizona is who will follow him? Eugenio Suarez is looked at by many as the prize of this deadline when it comes to rentals amid a season where he’s already clubbed 36 homers, but Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen are intriguing rental starters as well. Arizona has even reportedly received some interest on outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and the final year-and-a-half of his three-year pact with the club from the 2023-24 offseason.

2. Could O’Hearn be on the way out of Baltimore?

Naylor isn’t the only slugging, lefty-swinging first baseman on the market. That description also applies to Ryan O’Hearn of the Orioles, a fellow rental bat in the midst of an even stronger season than Naylor. The 31-year-old O’Hearn is having a career year in 2025, with a .281/.375/.452 slash line and 12 home runs in 89 games despite having topped out at 15 across an entire season previously. A team in need of offensive firepower like the Reds, Rangers, Padres, or Brewers could make plenty of sense for O’Hearn, although the Reds and Rangers appear to be on the buy-sell bubble at this point. San Diego is also apparently considering a buy-and-sell strategy for the deadline. Like Naylor, O’Hearn’s limited defensive versatility could make him a tough fit for teams like the Yankees, Dodgers, Cubs, and Mets who are more surefire buyers but generally have talent locked in at first base, at designated hitter and in the outfield corners.

3. Who will the Cardinals trade?

The Cardinals didn’t work out a trade yesterday, but they’ve still made waves in recent days. After president of baseball operations John Mozeliak acknowledged that he was meeting with Nolan Arenado to discuss the third baseman’s no-trade clause earlier this week, St. Louis designated potential trade chip Erick Fedde for assignment in a move that signals they don’t intend to keep the righty regardless of if they find a suitor for his services or not. Most recently, longtime closer Ryan Helsley publicly acknowledged that he feels he has about a “90 percent chance” to be pitching elsewhere on August 1. Helsley is likely St. Louis’s top trade chip, especially given the struggles Fedde has faced this year. Most veterans on the roster like Arenado, Miles Mikolas, Sonny Gray, and Willson Contreras have no-trade clauses they’ve not indicated an interest in waiving to this point, so a sell-off in St. Louis could be focused on players like Helsley, veteran righty Phil Maton, and lefty Steven Matz.

Mariners Acquire Josh Naylor

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The Mariners and Diamondbacks made the first significant move of deadline season on Thursday evening. Seattle acquired first baseman Josh Naylor for rookie left-hander Brandyn Garcia and pitching prospect Ashton Izzi. Naylor and Garcia are each on the 40-man roster, so no additional moves were required in that regard. The D-Backs recalled Tristin English to fill the spot on the active roster.

Naylor hasn’t gotten quite the same amount of deadline hype as now former teammate Eugenio Suárez, whose power barrage makes him the top impending free agent hitter available. The 28-year-old first baseman is having a strong year in his own right, though. Naylor is hitting .292/.360/.447 with 11 homers in nearly 400 trips to the dish. He has even chipped in a career-high 11 stolen bases in 13 attempts. There may not have been a better left-handed rental bat on the market.

The former first-round pick is on the move for the second time in seven months. The Diamondbacks acquired Naylor from Cleveland for starting pitcher Slade Cecconi and the 70th overall draft pick over the winter. It was a more affordable means of addressing first base than re-signing Christian Walker, who secured a three-year contract that paid $20MM annually from the Astros. While Naylor doesn’t provide the same Gold Glove defense that Walker offers, he has been a well above-average hitter for a fourth straight season. Last year’s career-best 31 home runs looks like an outlier, but he has cut his strikeout rate to a personal-low 12.4% clip and should hit between 15-20 homers.

Seattle has long had a reputation as a team that desperately needs offense to complement a loaded pitching staff. That has been true in prior seasons but is not so much the case this year. The Mariners rank sixth in home runs and 10th in runs scored. They’re middle-of-the-pack in batting average and rank among the top ten in both on-base percentage and slugging. That’s no small feat for a team that plays its home games at the extremely pitcher-friendly T-Mobile Park. Seattle has an MLB-best .270 batting average and .346 OBP on the road, and only the Brewers and Cubs have scored more runs away from home.

Naylor deepens the group. He’ll take the everyday first base job from Luke Raley, who should see most of his time in right field. Dominic Canzone has been on fire since Seattle recalled him from Triple-A on June 9. He now projects as a bench bat, though he could also get into the lineup at designated hitter if the Mariners feel comfortable using Jorge Polanco a little more frequently between second and third base.

That’s all dependent on what other moves Seattle has in store. Earlier this week, Adam Jude of The Seattle Times reported that the Mariners considered a reunion with Suárez to be their top deadline priority, even more so than the idea of adding Naylor. The Mariners will reportedly continue to push to add Suárez as well. He’s a cleaner positional fit — he’d be a massive upgrade at third base over Ben Williamson — but the Diamondbacks will command a better return than they received for Naylor.

That also demonstrates that the M’s are working with greater financial flexibility than they had over the offseason, as has been reported by multiple Seattle beat writers in recent weeks. Naylor is playing on a $10.9MM salary, nearly $4MM of which the Mariners are taking on. Suárez is owed more than $5MM of his $15MM salary. The Mariners have fallen six games back of the Astros in the AL West, but they’re clearly willing to invest as they try to at least lock down a Wild Card berth.

This is the first of multiple dominoes to fall for the Diamondbacks. Any hope they had of avoiding a sell-off when they swept the Cardinals coming out of the All-Star Break is gone. They negated the St. Louis series by getting swept at home by Houston earlier this week. They’re back to three games below .500 and 5.5 out of a playoff spot with four teams to jump. The front office is resigned to the unlikelihood of closing that gap with an injury-riddled pitching staff.

Arizona is prioritizing controllable pitching in their deadline returns. They get a pair of young arms in their first deal of the summer. Garcia, 25, should jump right into the big league bullpen. The 6’4″ southpaw was just promoted to the big leagues on Monday. He has pitched twice, giving up three runs (one earned) on four hits and three walks while recording one strikeout. He’s averaging 97 MPH on his sinker and has two distinct breaking pitches — a mid-80s sweeper and a cutter/slider that sits in the upper 80s.

Garcia was Seattle’s 11th-round pick out of Texas A&M in 2023. He ranked 13th among Seattle prospects at MLB Pipeline and 19th at Baseball America. Both outlets credit him with a promising sinker-slider combination. Garcia’s lack of a viable changeup and fringe command pushed him to the bullpen for the first time this season. John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM reports that the D-Backs also view him as a reliever and don’t intend to build him back up to start. Garcia has combined for a 3.51 ERA with a 28.2% strikeout rate and elevated 11.4% walk percentage in 32 appearances between the top two minor league levels.

Izzi, 21, is a long-term development play. Seattle took him in the fourth round of the 2022 draft out of an Illinois high school. He pitched well in Low-A last season but has struggled to a 5.51 ERA across 12 starts in High-A this year. He has punched out a quarter of batters faced with a reasonable 9.7% walk rate, suggesting there’s some poor fortune in that earned run average. The 6’3″ right-hander ranked 13th among Seattle farmhands at Baseball America and 16th at MLB Pipeline. He has a mid-90s fastball and the chance for a three-pitch mix that could allow him to stick as a starter if his command continues to develop.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported that the Mariners were acquiring Naylor. ESPN’s Jeff Passan had Garcia and Izzi going back to Arizona. Respective images courtesy of Denis Poroy and Joe Nicholson, Imagn Images.

Should The Padres Listen To Offers On Their All-Star Closer?

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Despite being deadline buyers, the Padres are hearing teams out on Dylan Cease. He’s an impending free agent who could theoretically allow them to acquire young talent they could flip for a more controllable starting pitcher or help elsewhere on the roster.

There’d be a similar logic for San Diego in entertaining offers on All-Star closer Robert Suarez. The 34-year-old righty is expected to opt out of the remaining two years and $16MM on his contract. He’s playing on a $10MM salary this year, around $3.2MM of which will be owed from the deadline through the end of the season. While that’s a bargain rate for a very good reliever, it’s not an insignificant amount for a team that had very little short-term payroll room all offseason.

San Diego reportedly fielded interest in Suarez throughout the offseason. They obviously didn’t find an offer to their liking. That was also the case for Cease but hasn’t stopped them from taking calls this summer. ESPN’s Jeff Passan suggested on Wednesday that the Padres could make Suarez available as well.

The Padres have a trio of high-end setup options in Jeremiah Estrada, Jason Adam and Adrian Morejon. Rookie right-hander David Morgan has a 2.25 ERA while striking out a quarter of opponents in his first 24 big league innings. Morgan doesn’t have any high-leverage experience, but he regularly hits 98 MPH with his fastball and has a plus curveball. He certainly has late-inning caliber stuff. If they were to trade Suarez, the Padres could give Morgan some more meaningful assignments while using Estrada or Adam in the ninth inning.

A trade would only make sense if the Padres get big league talent in return (either directly or by flipping some of the prospects to a third team). They need to add a left fielder and could be in the catching market. The rotation depth is questionable, especially with Yu Darvish struggling in his first four starts off the injured list. Their farm system isn’t strong beyond their top two prospects, Leo De Vries and Ethan Salas, whom they’re unlikely to move. Trading off the big league roster in some capacity seems likely — even though the conventional play would be to deal rookies like Morgan or starter Ryan Bergert for more established veterans.

Suarez leads MLB with 29 saves. He tallied 36 saves last season and carries a 3.46 ERA across 41 2/3 innings. Almost all of the damage has been confined to a pair of five-run disasters. Outside of those two appearances, he has allowed seven combined runs. 36 of his 44 appearances have been scoreless. Suarez has fanned nearly 27% of batters faced against a 7.3% walk rate. His opt-out clause could give some teams pause — the remaining $16MM in guarantees are pure downside for an acquiring club if he gets injured late in the season — but he’s affordable and effective enough that the Padres should find plenty of interest if they seriously considered making him available.

Ryan Helsley Expects To Be Traded

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Ryan Helsley has stood as a logical trade candidate for upwards of ten months now, dating back to the Cardinals’ declaration that they planned to reduce payroll heading into the 2025 season and focus on creating opportunities for young players. St. Louis surprisingly held onto Helsley all offseason and up into deadline season. After holding a Wild Card spot earlier this summer, they’ve gone dropped 13 of their past 19 games and now sit nine games out of the division lead. They’re still just two and a half games back in the Wild Card scene but have three teams to leapfrog.

With the team’s recent slide, indications have been that they’ll wind up operating primarily on the sell side of the market. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has reported in the past couple days that the Cards are listening on not only Helsley but also relievers Phil Maton and Steven Matz. Goold wrote this morning that the Cardinals aren’t necessarily turning away interest in lefty reliever John King or infielder Nolan Gorman — among other unnamed, more controllable pieces. (Presumably, southpaw JoJo Romero, who’s controlled through just the 2026 season, is obtainable as well.)

The reality seems to be setting in on the roster. Helsley told The Athletic’s Katie Woo tonight that the “likelihood is probably as great as it’s ever been for me to get traded” before going on to add: “I would say it’s 90 percent I go, 10 percent I stay.” Helsley made clear that his preference would be to remain with the Cardinals and win in St. Louis, but that’s not a decision that’s under his control at the moment.

At least five clubs have shown interest in Helsley, per Woo and colleague Will Sammon. The Dodgers are known to have interest in the 31-year-old flamethrower, and the Phillies were connected to him earlier this season. Back in the offseason, the Blue Jays were among the teams with interest, and it stands to reason now that they’re clear deadline buyers, they could revisit their pursuit of the impending free agent.

Helsley is earning $8.2MM in his final season of club control. The Cardinals could make him a qualifying offer and recoup a compensatory pick in the 2026 draft if he turns it down and signs elsewhere, though that would presume continued health and production from Helsley down the stretch. Neither is a guarantee. The most surefire way to extract some future value from the former All-Star is to trade him within the next week.

Helsley is having a nice season relative to the average big league reliever but a down year by his standards. He’s pitched 35 innings and logged a 3.09 ERA but has already blown five saves — more than he did all of last season (four). Helsley’s 25.5% strikeout rate and 9.2% walk rate have both trended in the wrong direction. He punched out 34.6% of his opponents from 2022-24, but his strikeout rate has now dipped for a third consecutive season. His walk rate is up from both the 8.6% and 8.4% marks he posted in 2024 and 2022, respectively, though it’s better than the 11.6% mark he logged in 2023 and right in line with his overall 2022-24 rate. He’s still averaging better than 99 mph on his fastball, though even his 99.3 mph average represents a modest dip from last year’s 99.6 mph.

That’s not to say Helsley doesn’t have much trade value. He’s one of the most talented relievers on the market, and the asking price on him will be considerably lower than on other marquee relievers like Emmanuel Clase, Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax and David Bednar — all of whom are controlled at least one additional season (one for Bednar, two for Duran and Jax, three for Clase). Contending clubs covet power arms with high-leverage track records this time of year, and Helsley still checks those boxes, even if his results have dipped.

If the Cards string together several wins, perhaps they’ll ultimately wind up holding onto Helsley and plan to make him a qualifying offer. As things stand, however, the pitcher himself is bracing for a trade within the next week — and it sounds like several other Cardinals could end up on the move as well.

Latest On A’s Deadline Possibilities

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The A’s are known to be listening to offers on a few back-of-the-rotation starting pitchers. There’s been comparatively less chatter about the 43-62 club’s position player group. That’s because their hitters of much regard are all controllable for a long while, but there’s a case to be made that they should entertain trading from a crowded collection of bats.

If that happens, it won’t involve Brent Rooker. The All-Star slugger confidently told Foul Territory this afternoon that he will not be moved. “I’m not going anywhere. We’re good. I’m staying,” Rooker said. He’s in the first season of a five-year, $60MM extension. While that doesn’t come with any no-trade protection, Rooker indicated the front office has already assured him that they’re not moving him.

Rooker will remain locked in as the primary designated hitter. Nick Kurtz, who is mashing at a .281/.355/.614 clip to give teammate Jacob Wilson a run for his money as the AL Rookie of the Year, is a building block at first base. That does leave the A’s to somewhat awkwardly play Tyler Soderstrom out of position in left field. Soderstrom is an average runner who had played only catcher or first base until this season. While he has graded as a league average defender in his first 500+ career innings in the outfield, it’s fair to wonder if the A’s want to keep him out there for the long term.

With that positional logjam in mind, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe wrote earlier this week that some people within the game consider Soderstrom a dark horse trade candidate. Speier didn’t report that the A’s are shopping the 23-year-old, to be clear, so it’s possible that other teams are simply observing the A’s crowded outfield mix and wondering if there’s an opportunity to pry him loose.

Soderstrom is a former first-round pick who has been an above-average hitter in two straight seasons. He owns a .256/.329/.448 batting line with 18 home runs across 415 plate appearances this year. The vast majority of that damage came in April. Soderstrom hit .284 with nine longballs in the season’s first month. He fell into a two-month slump thereafter, though he has rebounded of late with a .271/.295/.542 showing in July.

The lefty-hitting Soderstrom is still a year away from qualifying for arbitration. He’s under club control for four seasons after this one. The A’s would certainly set a high bar even if they were willing to entertain trade discussions. They’ll need an influx of young starting pitching if they want to compete in the near future, though, and none of Jeffrey Springs, JP Sears or Luis Severino is likely to bring back a huge return. Floating Soderstrom for a starting pitcher with a similar window of club control could have some appeal.

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.

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