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Rangers Designate Billy McKinney For Assignment

By Leo Morgenstern | July 4, 2025 at 2:59pm CDT

With Evan Carter returning from the bereavement list today, the Rangers have designated Billy McKinney for assignment. It was a quick stint in Arlington for the 30-year-old outfielder.

McKinney signed a minor league contract with the Rangers in May after he was released by the Mets. Following a strong month at Triple-A Round Rock, he got the call to the majors earlier this week when Carter was placed on the bereavement list. He went 1-for-7 with a walk and a run in two games. While he didn’t get much of a chance to prove himself for Texas, his .295/.433/.487 slash line and 137 wRC+ for Round Rock might be enough to convince a team in need of outfield depth or a lefty bench bat to take a chance on him via trade or a waiver claim.

A first-round pick in 2013, McKinney has never been able to live up to that billing. He has, however, carved out a legitimate major league career for himself. He has appeared in the majors each year since 2018, suiting up for the Yankees, Blue Jays, Brewers, Mets, Dodgers, Athletics, Pirates, and Rangers. He also spent time in the Cubs’ minor league system early in his career. Over the past eight years, he has appeared at all three outfield spots as well as first base and DH, playing a total of 323 MLB games. He will look to increase that number once his DFA is resolved.

As for the Rangers, they are surely pleased to have Carter’s hot bat back in their lineup and his glove back in center field. The 22-year-old has an .816 OPS and a 133 wRC+ this season, and a .965 OPS and 173 wRC+ over the past month. He has also compiled 2 DRS and 3 OAA in center field and has yet to make an error all season. Even better, the Rangers are also hoping to have Wyatt Langford back from the injured list this weekend. Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News notes that Langford is eligible to return tomorrow and reports that the young outfielder is already back in the clubhouse ahead of today’s game.

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Texas Rangers Transactions Billy McKinney

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Blue Jays Select Lazaro Estrada, Transfer Anthony Santander To 60-Day IL

By Nick Deeds | July 4, 2025 at 2:53pm CDT

2:53 PM: The Blue Jays have made it official and selected Estrada’s contract from Triple-A Buffalo. To free up room on the 26 and 40-man rosters, the team optioned left-hander Justin Bruihl to Triple-A and transferred outfielder/DH Anthony Santander from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL. Santander will now not be eligible to return until late July.

7:10 AM: The Blue Jays are set to select the contract of right-hander Lazaro Estrada today, according to a report from Yordano Carmona of Pelota Cubana USA. Toronto’s 40-man roster is full, so a corresponding move will be necessary to make room for Estrada on both the active and 40-man rosters. Should Estrada make an appearance while on the roster, it would be his big league debut.

Estrada, 26, was born in La Habana, Cuba and made his pro debut with the Blue Jays back in 2018. After losing a season of development to 2020’s cancelled minor league season, Estrada managed just 39 1/3 innings of work total between 2021 and ’22 due to injuries. That slowed his ascent up the minor league ladder considerably, and he only cracked the Double-A level just last year. Despite that slow-going path to the majors, however, Estrada posted a 3.29 ERA across three levels of the minors last year and has followed that up by more or less holding his own at the Triple-A level this year. He has a 4.75 ERA through 15 starts, but his 24.8% strikeout rate is quite strong for a starter while his 7.8% walk rate is roughly average.

It’s not entirely clear what role Estrada will play now that he’s headed to the majors. The Blue Jays have a full rotation for the first time in a while, with Max Scherzer back from the injured list and southpaw Eric Lauer having more than earned a spot in the starting five after posting a 2.60 ERA on the season, including a 3.32 ERA in four starts since moving to the rotation last month. That duo is joined by Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt, and Jose Berrios. While each of those three is having somewhat middling seasons overall, none of them should be expected to move out of the rotation  barring a trip to the injured list.

That makes the most likely outcome for Estrada a move to the bullpen. The right-hander could serve as a solid complement to Lauer, who for all his effectiveness has capped out around 85 pitches this year. That could make having a multi-inning righty able to piggyback off of Lauer an attractive option, and Estrada would also be able to more generally provide length to a bullpen that has been leaned on heavily in recent days.

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Toronto Blue Jays Transactions Anthony Santander Lazaro Estrada

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White Sox Recall Colson Montgomery For MLB Debut, DFA Vinny Capra

By Anthony Franco | July 4, 2025 at 2:14pm CDT

Today: The White Sox have officially announced Montgomery’s promotion. To open a space on the active roster, the team designated infielder Vinny Capra for assignment. They had claimed Capra off waivers from the Brewers in May. He hit .190 with a .443 OPS over 23 games in Chicago, while splitting his time between second base, third base, and shortstop. The White Sox now have five days to trade Capra. If they cannot find a taker, they must place him on outright or release waivers.

In an additional transaction, the White Sox reinstated left-handed pitcher Fraser Ellard from the 60-day IL and optioned him to Triple-A Charlotte. Because Montgomery was already on the 40-man and Ellard will essentially take Capra’s spot, Chicago’s 40-man roster remains at 38 players.

July 3: The White Sox will promote Colson Montgomery for this weekend’s series against the Rockies, reports Kris Norton of WITZ Radio in Indiana. Montgomery is already on the 40-man roster, so the Sox only need to make an active roster move.

It’s the first MLB call for the 23-year-old, who’ll likely make his MLB debut tomorrow against Colorado’s Antonio Senzatela. Chicago’s first-round pick in 2021, the lefty-hitting shortstop was one of the sport’s top prospects not too long ago. Montgomery placed among Baseball America’s top 50 minor league talents entering each of the past three seasons. BA ranked him as the best prospect in the Sox’s system each year from 2022-24.

Montgomery is listed at 6’3″ and 230 pounds, giving him big raw power potential for a middle infielder. A very patient plate approach led to strong on-base marks against low minors pitching, but he has had a tougher time against more polished arms. Montgomery spent all of last year at Triple-A Charlotte, where he hit .214/.329/.381 in 130 games. He connected on 18 home runs with a strong 12% walk rate but struck out in nearly 29% of his trips to the plate.

Chicago needed to add Montgomery to the 40-man roster last offseason to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft. He’d surely have been selected despite the middling Triple-A numbers, so that was an easy call for the front office. They optioned him back to Charlotte to begin the season, and he’s had similar concerns in his second crack at the level. He has struck out a third of the time while batting .218/.298/.435 in 55 games.

While the season numbers don’t exactly demand a promotion, they’re weighed down by an atrocious April. Montgomery had a serviceable May and was very productive in June, batting .281 with six homers and 11 extra-base knocks in 16 games. The plate discipline concerns persist — he struck out 22 times while drawing only five walks in 71 plate appearances last month — but he’d shown enough from a power perspective for the team to give him a look.

The Indiana native has played four games at third base this year but has otherwise been a full-time shortstop in his minor league career. It’s unlikely the Sox would call him up if they weren’t prepared to give him everyday playing time at his natural position. Rookie Chase Meidroth has gotten the playing time there. Meidroth, acquired from the Red Sox in the Garrett Crochet trade, is hitting .260 with a solid .347 on-base percentage. He hasn’t shown any kind of power, but the disciplined approach is probably enough to stay in the lineup.

Meidroth’s defensive grades are serviceable, but most scouting reports project him as a second baseman. The Sox could slide him to the keystone and move Lenyn Sosa to third base to push Josh Rojas out of the mix. Sosa is a known commodity as a utility type as well, so the focus should be on getting Montgomery and Meidroth into the lineup on a daily basis.

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Chicago White Sox Colson Montgomery Vinny Capra

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Top 40 Trade Candidates For The 2025 Deadline

By Steve Adams and Anthony Franco | July 4, 2025 at 12:50pm CDT

We’ve hit July and are less than a month from the trade deadline, so it’s an appropriate time for MLBTR’s first pass at which players could be on the move. While we’ve probably already seen the year’s biggest trade with the Rafael Devers stunner, the number of teams on the postseason bubble will make the next few weeks particularly interesting. Trade volume tends not to ramp up until the second half of the month — both to allow fringe contenders more time to evaluate their playoff chances and because clubs primarily remain focused on the July 13-14 amateur draft.

As is the case for all our trade candidate lists, we’re trying to strike a balance between the player’s appeal and the likelihood that they’ll move. This isn’t purely a ranking of trade value or talent. There are players in the back half of the list who’d vault to the top if it were clear that they’d be moved. It’s an inherently subjective exercise.

This is a league-wide summary, but we’re also drilling down more specifically into each team with our new Deadline Outlook series for Front Office subscribers. We’ve already covered most of the clear buyers and sellers in that series and will continue checking off the bubble teams over the next couple weeks.

With that out of the way, onto the list! We’ll update and quite likely expand the rankings at least once or twice as the deadline draws near.

Stats are through play on July 2.

1. Sandy Alcantara, RHP, Marlins ($17MM in 2025; $17MM in 2026, $21MM club option/$2MM buyout for 2027)

As a former Cy Young winner signed affordably on a rebuilding team that traded a dozen players last July, Alcantara has stood as the most prominent and obvious trade candidate for much of the season. A few factors have gummed the situation up more than expected. First and foremost, Alcantara not only hasn’t looked like his former self for much of the season — he simply hasn’t been a very good pitcher. The velocity is still strong, but Alcantara carried an 8.47 ERA into the month of June. His strikeout, walk and ground-ball rates all went in the wrong direction, relative to past levels.

Alcantara looked to be righting the ship when he rattled off four starts/23 innings with a 2.74 ERA and improved rate stats. He followed that encouraging stretch with a seven-run shellacking at the hands of the D-backs.  Now, on top of his inconsistency, Miami recently won eight straight games. The Fish are still seven under .500, but they’ve graduated from “surefire seller” to merely “likely seller.” Alcantara is simultaneously the most talented and enigmatic pitcher on this list.

2. Mitch Keller, RHP, Pirates ($15MM in 2025; $16.5MM in 2026, $18MM in 2027, $20MM in 2028)

A steady, mid-rotation workhorse who’s signed to a reasonable contract, Keller’s name has come up in connection to the Cubs and will surely garner interest from virtually every pitching-hungry team on the market. He’s working with a diminished strikeout rate this season but has missed more bats over the past two months (20.3 K%) than he did early in the year (16.8 K% through May 2).

The Pirates don’t need to move Keller, but they’re deep in young pitching and thin on young, impact position players. Flipping Keller for an interesting bat(s) and then reallocating his salary to a mid-range free agent has some merits. If the Pirates do move him, they’ll probably be seeking MLB-ready help, as the current front office regime is in year six of an increasingly interminable rebuilding process.

3. David Bednar, RHP, Pirates ($5.9MM in 2025, arbitration-eligible through 2026)

Bednar struggled in 2024, then pitched so poorly to begin the 2025 season that the Pirates optioned him to Triple-A Indianapolis. A few weeks later, he was back on the big league roster and back to peak form. Since his mid-April recall, Bednar has pitched 28 2/3 innings with a 1.88 ERA, a mammoth 36.6% strikeout rate and a 6.3% walk rate. He’s going to get a raise to the $8-10MM range in his final arbitration year, and the Pirates would probably prefer not to pay that, even for a hometown fan favorite. Ownership has reportedly intervened in past Bednar trade talks, but that doesn’t seem likely to be the case this time around — not in the wake of his roller-coaster calendar year and with just one additional (and expensive) season of club control remaining.

4. Ryan O’Hearn, 1B/DH, Orioles ($8MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)

O’Hearn has gotten better every year since being traded to Baltimore in 2023 and now stands as one of the best bats not just on this list but in the entire American League. He’s hitting .295/.383/.471 (44% better than average, per wRC+) with 11 homers, 10 doubles, an 11% walk rate and just a 16.3% strikeout rate. O’Hearn is far better against righties than lefties. A contender with a righty-hitting platoon option could benefit greatly from plugging O’Hearn into the heart of its order.

5. Andrew Heaney, LHP, Pirates ($5.25MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)

In 2022, it was Tyler Anderson. In 2023, it was Rich Hill. In 2024, Martin Perez. This year’s veteran Pirates lefty du jour is the 34-year-old Heaney, who’s been an effective innings eater at the back of their rotation. Heaney’s velocity, strikeout rate and swinging-strike rate are all down relative to recent years, but he’s a veteran lefty who can solidify the fourth or fifth spot in a contender’s rotation before moving to the bullpen in the postseason. The Bucs have scaled back his slider usage and have Heaney throwing a sinker more frequently, so perhaps another club thinks that there’s more upside to miss bats if he reverts to his former usage rates. Heaney posted a 12% swinging-strike rate and fanned 23% of his opponents just last year in Texas.

6. Ryan McMahon, 3B, Rockies ($12MM in 2025; $16MM annually in 2026-27)

The Rockies tend to resist selling their best players, particularly when they have multiple years of club control remaining. McMahon is no exception. They passed on truly making him available last year despite interest, then watched as McMahon torched his trade value over the remainder of the season and in the early portion of 2025.

McMahon got hot in early May, however, and while he’s slumped a bit over the past couple weeks, he looks a lot like the classic version of himself. Dating back to May 1, he’s slashing .258/.349/.478 with 10 homers, nine doubles and a triple. His strikeout rate in that span is almost 30%, but contact has long been an issue for the 30-year-old, so that’s nothing new. This looks like vintage McMahon — 20-homer pop with plus defense at the hot corner and plenty of strikeouts. We can never accurately predict what the Rockies will do, but if their current 37-win pace can’t convince them a change in approach is needed, perhaps nothing will. McMahon should be available this time around, and Jon Heyman of The New York Post reported yesterday that the Rox are more willing to listen than they have been previously.

7. Jeffrey Springs, LHP, Athletics ($10.5MM annually in 2025-26; $15MM club option/$750K buyout for 2027)

The A’s traded for Springs over the winter, hoping they were buying low on a lefty who looked to have a quiet breakout with the 2022-23 Rays before blowing out his elbow. Instead, he’s pitched like a fourth starter. Springs’ velocity is down a mile per hour, and his strikeout and walk rates have both trended the wrong way since returning from surgery. He’s sitting on a 4.30 ERA but has looked better of late. Even if he’s only a fourth starter, his contract isn’t bad, and there could be upside for better performance as he further distances himself from surgery.

8. Cedric Mullins, OF, Orioles ($8.725MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)

Mullins had a huge April but is hitting just .171/.215/.336 in 164 plate appearances since that time. His season-long batting line is down to right about league average. Mullins’ defensive ratings have dipped in recent years, but he’s one of the few center field options who could feasibly be on the trade market this summer. He entered the season as a pretty clear qualifying offer candidate, but if his current struggles continue, the O’s might not chance that — which only makes the notion of a trade more compelling.

9. Dennis Santana, RHP, Pirates ($1.4MM in 2025, arb-eligible through 2026)

When the Pirates claimed Santana last June, few took notice. Jokes were made. Santana was a journeyman right-hander who’d ping-ponged around the league. The Pirates were looking to emerge from a lengthy rebuild and plucked a cheap power arm with an inconsistent track record off waivers.

Pittsburgh’s claim of Santana is a reminder that we never really know how even the most mundane transaction will pan out in this game. Since landing with the Pirates, Santana has pitched 80 2/3 innings with a 2.02 ERA, 25.5% strikeout rate, 5.6% walk rate and 41.3% ground-ball rate. He’s averaging 95.2 mph on his heater and proving near impossible to square up (86.1 mph average exit velocity, 4.3% barrel rate, 29.8% hard-hit rate). His lack of track record kept his arbitration price tag low. Santana now looks like a quality high-leverage arm whose salary amounts to relative peanuts. He has another season of club control remaining and probably won’t top $4MM. Nearly any bullpen-needy team would be happy to have him, and since he’s effectively found money with minimal control remaining, the Pirates should be more than willing to move him.

10. Jake Bird, RHP, Rockies (pre-arbitration in 2025, arb-eligible through 2028)

Bird has worked to change the shape and speed of his slider in recent years, and he’s now throwing it more than either his sinker or curveball. The result is 48 innings with a terrific 2.63 ERA (2.96 SIERA). Bird has whiffed 29.1% of his opponents against a 9.5% walk rate. He’s “only” averaging 94.3 mph on his sinker, so he’s not necessarily a power arm by today’s standards, but he’s been extremely effective. Bird won’t reach arbitration until this offseason and is under club control through 2028. This is precisely the type of player the Rockies have resisted trading at peak value in the past. Will they change direction this time around? They should, given both the state of the organization and the fact that relief pitchers are notoriously volatile.

11. Seth Lugo, RHP, Royals ($15MM in 2025; $15MM player option for 2026)

Lugo would have a case for the #1 spot on the list if he were a lock to be traded. He’s coming off a Cy Young runner-up finish and carries a 2.21 ERA through 15 starts this year. While he doesn’t have huge swing-and-miss stuff, he has proven capable of excelling as a starter and would fit well as the #2 or #3 pitcher in a postseason rotation. The Royals are hopeful of avoiding a sale, but they’ve dropped six games below .500 after a terrible June and are running out of time to get back on track.

The contract structure is the complicating factor. Lugo’s $15MM salary is a bargain for a pitcher of his caliber. He has a matching player option for 2026 that he’d almost certainly decline so long as he finishes this year healthy. That’s pure downside for an acquiring team, though. If Lugo gets injured in the final two months, they’re stuck paying that. He’d otherwise be able to walk next winter. Teams tend to be reluctant to acquire players whose deals have opt-out clauses, but there’ll be such a demand for starting pitching that someone should be willing to roll the dice and hope he stays healthy. They’ll want to price that downside into whatever they offer the Royals, which could make it tricky to find an agreeable prospect package.

12. Marcell Ozuna, DH, Braves ($16MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)

It doesn’t seem as though the Braves will be all that keen on trading players controlled beyond the season, but Ozuna is a free agent who can’t be tendered a qualifying offer because he already received one earlier in his career. The 34-year-old slugger’s power output is down this year, but he’s still ripped 11 homers en route to a .242/.370/.389 batting line (116 wRC+). This year’s 16.7% walk rate is a career best, and Ozuna’s batted-ball metrics on Statcast remain excellent.

13. Michael Soroka, RHP, Nationals ($9MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)

Soroka signed a one-year, $9MM free agent contract to work out of Washington’s rotation. He missed a month early in the season with a biceps strain but has been healthy since the second week of May. A 4.70 ERA through 59 2/3 innings isn’t eye-opening, but he’s striking out more than 26% of opponents. Soroka posted big strikeout numbers in a relief role for the White Sox late last season, so he could be a target for teams seeking rotation or bullpen help.

14. Germán Márquez, RHP, Rockies ($10MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)

After an ugly start to his season, Márquez is back on track. He’s held opponents to a 2.70 ERA over his past eight starts — a sample of 43 1/3 innings — although that includes six unearned runs at the hands of the Dodgers on June 24. He’s fanned 20.9% of his opponents and issued walks at a sharp 5.8% clip in that time. Márquez isn’t missing as many bats, generating as many grounders or throwing quite as hard as he did at his peak, but he’s an affordable 30-year-old righty with a nice track record who could potentially benefit from finally getting out of Coors Field. At his best, in 2018, Márquez posted a 3.77 ERA (3.10 SIERA) and fanned more than 28% of his opponents. He’s probably not going to get back to that level, but there’s some track record and a bit of upside here.

15. Aaron Civale, RHP, White Sox ($8MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end; Brewers covering portion of the salary)

Civale was bounced from the Brewers’ rotation earlier this summer when they called up top prospect Jacob Misiorowski. Given that he’s a career-long starter and impending free agent, he requested a trade, and the Brewers/White Sox accommodated him. The South Siders are surely hoping to be able to flip Civale for more than they gave up (non-tender candidate Andrew Vaughn). He’s been a passable if unspectacular rotation option since returning from an early IL stint, logging a 3.86 ERA, 17.5% strikeout rate and 9.7% walk rate in seven starts (35 innings). A team just looking for a competent starter to keep them in the game every fifth day could flip a nominal prospect to the White Sox to get something done.

16. Adrian Houser, RHP, White Sox ($1.35MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)

Speaking of White Sox starters and nominal returns, Houser has done well to rebuild some value after a brutal season with the Mets. The longtime Brewers hurler signed a big league deal in late May after being granted his release by the Rangers. He’s responded with seven starts and 42 2/3 innings of 1.90 ERA ball. Houser’s 18.1% strikeout rate, 8.2% walk rate and 46.8% grounder rate don’t support that success, which is propped up by a sky-high 87% strand rate that he won’t sustain. That said, he’s averaging a career-best 95 mph on his four-seamer and getting good results on a curveball he’s throwing at a career-high clip, so there are some tangible changes to support an ERA in the low 4.00s.

17. Jesus Sanchez, OF, Marlins ($4.5MM in 2025, arb-eligible through 2027)

At $4.5MM, Sanchez is the highest-paid position player on Miami’s roster (not counting the dead money owed to Avisail Garcia). He’s a former top prospect who has settled in as a league-average right fielder. Sanchez has double-digit home run power and serviceable but hardly elite on-base skills. It’s tough to sell him having a much higher ceiling as he nears his 28th birthday, but he’s a straightforward target for teams that need to raise the floor in the corner outfield. He’s still reasonably affordable and controllable for two years after this one, though his expected arbitration salary may climb to a point beyond what teams are willing to pay by 2027.

18. Kyle Finnegan, RHP, Nationals ($6MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)

The Nats didn’t trade Finnegan last summer, perhaps in part because of some struggles leading up to the trade deadline. He was non-tendered after an awful second half but re-signed on a one-year deal and has been solid in 2025. Finnegan’s velocity and strikeout rate are down, but he’s still sporting a 2.61 ERA and 18 saves on the season. The dip in strikeouts and a poor 8.7% swinging-strike rate are going to impact his trade value, but the Nats should be able to flip him for a decent return.

19. Nathaniel Lowe, 1B, Nationals ($10.3MM in 2025, arb-eligible through 2026)

A steadily productive first baseman for the Rangers from 2021-24 when he batted a combined .274/.359/.432 (124 wRC+), Lowe has taken a significant step back following an offseason trade to the Nationals. He’s shown signs of life recently, swatting four homers and tallying six multi-hit games since June 17. If Lowe can maintain this hot streak for another four weeks, he’ll be able to largely attribute his sub-par production to an anomalous six-week stretch from early May to mid-June. There’s a nice track record here, and Lowe should be popular in a market that’s light on impact bats.

20. Zack Littell, RHP, Rays ($5.72MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)

The Rays are in the thick of the AL East race and are not going to be true “sellers.” They never close the door on creative trade scenarios, though, and they may feel they can part with Littell without dealing a huge hit to their playoff odds. He’s an elite strike-thrower who carries a 3.61 ERA over 17 starts. Most teams probably view him as a low-end #3 or solid fourth starter. The Rays have a strong rotation and still have a shot to welcome Shane McClanahan back in the final month or two. Littell probably walks in free agency next offseason. Cashing him in for a controllable asset on a pitching-starved market while adding elsewhere on the roster would fit the Rays’ usual operating procedure.

21. Luis Severino, RHP, Athletics ($15MM in 2025; $20MM in 2026, $22MM player option for 2027)

The A’s brought Severino to West Sacramento on a three-year deal, and it seems like all parties involved might prefer a mulligan. Severino has recently been outspoken about the unfavorable home conditions at Sutter Health Park, where he’s pitched to a 6.79 ERA compared to a 3.04 mark on the road. Trading Severino won’t be an easy feat. The A’s overpaid to get him in the first place, and Severino is now sitting on a 5.09 ERA with a 15.4% strikeout rate that ranks 68th among 70 qualified major league starting pitchers. On top of that, he has an opt-out following the 2026 season.

22. Luis Robert Jr., OF, White Sox ($15MM in 2025; $20MM club options/$2MM buyout for 2026-27)

The Sox have been hopeful that the oft-injured Robert will return to his brilliant 2023 form and build up some trade value, but he keeps trending in the opposite direction. He’s still just 27 years old, but dating back to Opening Day 2024, Robert is lugging a .209/.275/.354 batting line around with him. He landed on the injured list with a hamstring strain over the weekend. He’s still a plus baserunner with strong defensive tools, but what once looked like a pair of bargain $20MM options on his contract now look unlikely to be exercised. The Sox are willing to pay down some of this year’s $15MM salary to facilitate a trade, and that might be their only true means of extracting any sort of return.

23. Andrew Benintendi, OF, White Sox ($16.5MM annually in 2025-26; $14.5MM in 2027)

He’s slumping a bit recently, but Benintendi has quietly returned to his ways as a productive hitter since last June. Over his past 557 plate appearances, Benintendi is batting .247/.315/.468 with 27 home runs. He’s been a power-over-hit corner outfielder with deteriorating defensive value for more than a calendar year now. No one is taking the full freight of Benintendi’s remaining contract, but he’s a more productive hitter than Robert and the Sox are willing to eat money to trade them both. Would another team bite if the Sox ate the rest of this year’s salary and paid Benintendi down to $5-7MM per season in 2026-27?

24. Josh Naylor, 1B, D-backs ($10.9MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)

Naylor, who clubbed 31 homers for the 2024 Guardians, is striking out at a career-low 13% clip. He’s ripped 10 homers and already tied a career-high with 10 stolen bases. Naylor walks less than O’Hearn but has shown slightly more pop and makes even more contact. They’re comparable players, however, and Naylor’s .304/.359/.474 batting line (130 wRC+) would be a jolt to any team seeking help at first base or designated hitter. The D-backs aren’t selling just yet, but they’ve lost Corbin Burnes, Justin Martinez and A.J. Puk for the season, while Corbin Carroll (broken wrist) and Gabriel Moreno (broken finger) are also on the shelf. Their performance over the next two weeks is crucial.

25. Eugenio Suárez, 3B, D-backs ($15MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)

Suárez has continually made the Mariners rue parting ways with him following the 2023 season. Faced with a reduced payroll, Seattle shipped him to Arizona and has seen him shake off a poor start to the 2024 campaign to post a combined .255/.320/.502 slash with the Snakes. He’s already belted 26 home runs this season. Suárez would be one of the prizes of the rental market if the Diamondbacks sell and could both solidify third base and fill a vital heart-of-the-order need for contenders seeking third base help.

26. Zac Gallen, RHP, D-backs ($13.5MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)

The 2025 season wasn’t supposed to go like this for Gallen, an impending free agent who finished top-five in Cy Young balloting in both 2022 and ’23 before posting a 3.65 ERA in an injury-shortened 2024 campaign. His run of excellent results has been snapped, decisively, by a 5.45 ERA on the season. The quality start he tossed last time out was just his sixth in 18 tries. Gallen hasn’t lost much velocity, but his command has eroded both in terms of walk rate and precision within the zone, leading to a glut of home runs. The track record is so good (3.29 ERA in 815 innings from 2019-24) that Gallen could quickly rebuild some trade value with a few more good outings. Of course, the D-backs will hope those good outings come around and propel them back into contention.

27. Edward Cabrera, RHP, Marlins ($1.95MM in 2025, arb-eligible through 2028)

Cabrera is a former top pitching prospect whose MLB career has been inconsistent. He has shown big stuff and bat-missing ability but had been plagued by well below-average command for his first few seasons. He’s showing signs of putting it together at age 27, turning in a 3.41 ERA through 71 1/3 innings. Even that is weighed down by a pair of April clunkers. Cabrera has allowed two or fewer earned runs in nine of his past 10 starts and carries a 2.05 mark with a manageable 9% walk rate since the beginning of May. The Marlins cheaply control him for three seasons beyond this one, so they’re not facing the same financial pressure to cash him in as they are with Alcantara. This may come down to whether the front office genuinely believes he’s amidst a breakout or feels he’s pitching at an unsustainable level and would rather look to sell high.

28. Mike Tauchman, OF, White Sox ($1.95MM in 2025, arb-eligible through 2026)

A low-cost pickup of Tauchman after he was non-tendered by the Cubs has proven wise for the South Siders. He has had two IL stints due to a strain in his right hamstring but has produced a .262/.350/.443 slash in 140 plate appearances when healthy. Tauchman has a .358 OBP in nearly 900 plate appearances dating back to 2023, and he’s been productive against lefties and righties alike.

29. Seranthony Dominguez, RHP, Orioles ($8MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)

The hard-throwing Dominguez is sporting a career-high 32.4% strikeout rate but also a career-worst 14.4% walk rate. He’s also sporting a 3.15 ERA — his third sub-4.00 ERA in the past four seasons. Dominguez has a career 3.53 ERA with 39 saves and 69 holds.

30. Gregory Soto, LHP, Orioles ($5.35MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)

Another of Baltimore’s impending free agents, Soto is a former All-Star closer who is both tantalizing and frustrating. He has rare velocity from the left side, averaging around 97 MPH on both his sinker and four-seam fastball. The command comes and goes, but he has punched out nearly 28% of opposing hitters and has pitched well since a rough April. He carries a 3.72 ERA with a near-31% strikeout rate in 19 1/3 innings since the start of May.

31. Charlie Morton, SP, Orioles ($15MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)

The 41-year-old Morton had a horrendous start to his Baltimore tenure, giving up 29 runs across 26 2/3 innings through the end of April. That ensures he’s going to have a poor overall stat line and obscures that he has pitched quite well for the last six weeks. Morton found his footing amidst a brief stint in the bullpen in May. He drew back into the rotation on May 26 and has posted a 2.90 ERA with a 27% strikeout rate over his last six starts. He’s still sitting in the 94-95 MPH range on his fastball and has a near-11% swinging strike rate. The season-long 5.63 ERA is still ugly, but a strong July would lend more credence to the idea that he’s back to his mid-rotation form after a fluke month.

32. Andrew Kittredge, RHP, Orioles ($9MM in 2025; $9MM club option/$1MM buyout for 2026)

Kittredge missed two months due to a knee injury but has fired 18 solid innings since his debut. His 4.50 ERA is pedestrian, but he’s fanned 23.8% of his opponents against a 7.5% walk rate. As is often the case for relievers with small samples of work, a significant portion of the damage against Kittredge came in one appearance wherein he served up four runs to the Rays. Kittredge has a 2.66 ERA in exactly 200 innings since 2020, and he’s controllable into 2026 via a reasonably priced club option.

33. Ramon Laureano, OF, Orioles ($4MM in 2025; $6.5MM club option for 2026)

Laureano has been the inverse of Mullins in 2025; after an awful first month, he’s been absolutely on fire, slashing .313/.393/.550 over his past 150 plate appearances. It’s his most productive stretch since returning from an 80-game PED ban in 2021. Laureano has far better career numbers versus lefties, but he’s been crushing right-handed pitching as well in 2025.

34. Adolis Garcia, OF, Rangers ($9.25MM in 2025, arb-eligible through 2026)

Garcia’s production has declined sharply since his 2023 postseason heroics. He hit .224/.284/.400 a year ago and is down to a .232/.276/.393 slash with 10 homers this season. He’d need a big second half to convince the Rangers to tender him an eight-figure contract for his final season of arbitration. If they expect to move on during the offseason regardless, Texas could shop Garcia as a change-of-scenery candidate. That’d be true even if they don’t commit to selling, as a trade would open more spending room beneath the luxury tax threshold as they try to inject some life into a mediocre offense.

35. Anthony Bender, RHP, Marlins ($1.42MM in 2025, arb-eligible through 2027)

Bender’s strikeout rate has cratered from 25.9% in 2024 to just over 18% this season. His fastball, which averaged 98 mph back in 2022, is down to “just” 95.9 mph in 2025. Those red flags notwithstanding, Bender touts a 2.19 ERA in 37 frames for the Fish. He has a career 3.12 mark in 170 1/3 innings, and he’s controlled an additional two years beyond the current season.

36. Pete Fairbanks, RHP, Rays ($3.82MM in 2025; $8MM club option/$1MM buyout for 2026)

Fairbanks is having another solid season as Tampa Bay’s top high-leverage arm. He owns a 2.45 ERA with 15 saves in 17 opportunities across 34 appearances. He’s getting grounders at a 50% clip but has seen his once excellent strikeout rate fall to a career-low 21.2%. That’s not much of a concern while he’s playing on a bargain salary that checks in below $4MM. Fairbanks’ deal contains a more expensive club option for next year. He has already boosted its value to $8MM and is trending towards pushing it into eight figures based on his appearance and games finished totals. That’d be a heavy price for the Rays to pay a reliever. An offseason trade may be more likely with the team fighting for a playoff spot, but Tampa Bay probably wouldn’t close the door on a deadline deal for the right price.

37. Jarren Duran, OF, Red Sox ($3.85MM in 2025, arb-eligible through 2028)

Duran is a season removed from a top-10 MVP finish when he hit .285/.342/.492 while appearing in 160 games. His numbers are down this year, as he carries a league-average .253/.312/.409 slash in nearly 400 plate appearances. Duran almost never misses a game and has 20-homer upside. He’s an excellent baserunner who has shown the ability to play a plus left field — though the defensive metrics differ on his performance this season. The optics of trading him within six weeks of dealing Devers would be terrible. Still, the Red Sox recently added top prospect Roman Anthony to a heavily left-handed outfield. They could get a haul for Duran at three and a half seasons of control.

38. Wilyer Abreu, OF, Red Sox (pre-arb in 2025, arb-eligible through 2029)

The same logic about Boston’s outfield applies to Abreu. He hasn’t shown quite the ceiling that Duran did in 2024 but he’s having the better ’25 season of the two. Abreu is already at a career-high 17 homers with a .261/.329/.506 line in 76 games. Most of that has come in a platoon capacity, as he hasn’t had much of a chance to improve upon his lifetime .198/.274/.302 slash against left-handed pitching. Abreu is still a year from arbitration and controllable for four seasons beyond this one. The Sox would demand a significant return even if he’s more of a strong-side platoon bat than a true All-Star caliber everyday player.

39. Bryan Reynolds, OF, Pirates ($12MM in 2025; $14MM in 2026, $15MM per year from 2027-30 with $2MM buyout on 2031 club option)

Reynolds is only two seasons into a franchise-record seven-year, $100MM contract extension. He’s having a down year, hitting .237/.301/.393 with 10 homers in what would easily be the worst 162-game season of his career. Reynolds’ batted ball metrics are still impressive, though, and there’d certainly be teams willing to bet on the track record. If another team is willing to absorb most or all of the contract, would the Pirates be willing to sell low to clear the money? They’re reportedly only making Paul Skenes and franchise legend Andrew McCutchen truly untouchable, but this would be another blow to a lineup that already can’t score.

40. Oneil Cruz, OF, Pirates (pre-arb in 2025, arb-eligible through 2028)

Pittsburgh’s toolsy center fielder was also notably excluded from the reported list of Pirates’ untouchables. That doesn’t make a trade likely, but there’ll certainly be teams that try to pull him from Pittsburgh. Cruz’s defensive miscues and big strikeout totals are frustrating, but he brings as much raw power as anyone this side of Aaron Judge. He’s on pace to surpass 40 stolen bases and could approach or exceed 30 homers in a relative down season. He’s playing for barely more than the league minimum and controllable for three seasons after this one.

Players to Watch on Fringe Contenders/Playoff Hopefuls

Angels: Tyler Anderson, LHP; Kenley Jansen, RHP; Yoan Moncada, IF; Luis Rengifo, IF

Athletics: Luis Urias, 2B

Braves: Raisel Iglesias, RHP; Sean Murphy, C

Cardinals: Erick Fedde, RHP; Ryan Helsley, RHP; Steven Matz, LHP; Miles Mikolas, RHP

Diamondbacks: Jalen Beeks, LHP; Merrill Kelly, RHP;  Shelby Miller, RHP

Guardians: Austin Hedges, C; Jakob Junis, RHP; Carlos Santana, 1B; Paul Sewald, RHP; Lane Thomas, OF

Marlins: Calvin Faucher, RHP; Nick Fortes, C; Ronny Henriquez, RHP; Cal Quantrill, RHP

Nationals: Amed Rosario, IF

Orioles: Gary Sanchez, C

Pirates: Bailey Falter, LHP Caleb Ferguson, LHP; Ke’Bryan Hayes, 3B; Isiah Kiner-Falefa, SS

Rangers: Shawn Armstrong, RHP; Patrick Corbin, LHP; Jonah Heim, C; Kyle Higashioka, C; Luke Jackson, RHP; Chris Martin, RHP; Hoby Milner, LHP

Rays: Christopher Morel, LF;  Taylor Walls, SS

Reds: Austin Hays, OF; Gavin Lux, INF/OF; Nick Martinez, RHP; Emilio Pagan, RHP; Taylor Rogers, LHP; Brady Singer, RHP; Brent Suter, LHP

Red Sox: Walker Buehler, RHP; Aroldis Chapman, LHP; Lucas Giolito, RHP

Rockies: Thairo Estrada, 2B; Ryan Feltner, RHP

Royals: Carlos Estevez, RHP; Jonathan India, INF/OF; Michael Lorenzen, RHP; John Schreiber, RHP

Twins: Harrison Bader, OF; Willi Castro, INF/OF; Danny Coulombe, LHP; Ty France, 1B; Chris Paddack, RHP

Currently on the injured list: Miguel Andujar, 3B/OF (Athletics); Zach Eflin, RHP (Orioles); Ryan Mountcastle, 1B (Orioles);  Tyler Mahle, RHP (Rangers); Jon Gray (Rangers); Chas McCormick, OF (Astros)

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MLBTR Originals Newsstand Top Trade Deadline Candidates

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Yankees Place Clarke Schmidt On 15-Day IL With Forearm Tightness

By Leo Morgenstern | July 4, 2025 at 12:08pm CDT

The Yankees have placed starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt on the 15-day injured list with right forearm tightness. In additional pitching transactions, the team optioned Clayton Beeter to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre yesterday and recalled Scott Effross and Jayvien Sandridge this morning.

Schmidt, 29, exited early on Thursday after giving up three runs in three innings against the Blue Jays and later revealed that he has been nursing some tightness in his forearm for a month (per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com). He is going for imaging today (per Greg Joyce of the New York Post), which is worrisome enough, but the fact that the team placed him on the IL before his MRI is further cause for concern. Joyce suggests that it is not yet clear if the Yankees will be able to offer an update on Schmidt by the end of the day today.

The right-hander sat out the first three weeks of the season with rotator cuff tendonitis. Upon his return, however, he picked up right where he left off in 2024 (another injury-shortened but nonetheless successful campaign). Through 16 starts this year, Schmidt has pitched to a 3.32 ERA and 4.23 SIERA. Add that to his 16 starts from last year, and you get a 3.07 ERA and 3.97 SIERA through 30 starts and 164 innings. In other words, it’s not hard to see why he’s so important to the middle of the Yankees’ rotation and why losing him to the IL again would be a significant loss for the club.

New York’s rotation was already stretched thin with Gerrit Cole out for the year, Luis Gil out since spring training with a lat strain, and Ryan Yarbrough recently hitting the IL with a strained oblique. Max Fried and Carlos Rodón make for as good of a top two as you’ll find on any AL club, but Will Warren has been wildly inconsistent in his rookie season, and Marcus Stroman only just returned from a long IL stint of his own. The only other healthy starter on the 40-man roster is 29-year-old Allan Winans, who has excelled at Triple-A but has a career 7.38 ERA over 10 MLB games. JT Brubaker can also start, but he has been pitching out of the bullpen this year and has not started in the majors since 2022. According to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, the team considers pitching prospect Cam Schlittler a potential option for the rotation in the second half, but it’s unclear if they would call him up sooner. He has been excellent in the minors this season, but this is only his third professional campaign, and he only has five starts at Triple-A under his belt. So, if Schmidt misses significant time – and even if he doesn’t – the Yankees could seek some outside help for the rotation as they look to regain first place in the AL East.

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New York Yankees Transactions Clarke Schmidt

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Cubs Place Jameson Taillon On 15-Day IL With Calf Strain

By Leo Morgenstern | July 4, 2025 at 10:51am CDT

The Cubs are placing starting pitcher Jameson Taillon on the 15-day injured list with a strained right calf. The team revealed the news to reporters (including Patrick Mooney of The Athletic) this morning and confirmed the transaction shortly thereafter. Jordan Wicks is coming up from the Triple-A Iowa Cubs to take Taillon’s spot on the active roster. However, manager Craig Counsell said that Chris Flexen, not Wicks, is the most likely candidate to temporarily join the rotation (per Bruce Levine of 670 The Score). Flexen has been working as a long reliever this season, but he made 30 starts for the White Sox just last year.

Taillon, 33, suffered the injury while running in a training session and is expected to miss more than a month (per Vinnie Duber of the Chicago Sun-Times). While he hasn’t been as effective for Chicago as he was last year, there is no doubt the Cubs will miss his reliable presence on the mound every five days. His 95 1/3 innings rank 20th among NL starting pitchers, while his 4.44 ERA (85 ERA+) and 4.24 xERA (32nd percentile) suggest he has been more than serviceable as an inning-eating back-end starter. He hasn’t looked his best recently, with a 10.66 ERA over 12 2/3 innings in his last three starts, so if there is any silver lining to this injury, it is that he will have some time to rest and reset. The Cubs will hope he returns looking more like the guy who pitched to a 3.48 ERA over his first 14 starts.

Wicks, the Cubs’ first-round pick in 2021, has never quite looked comfortable at the MLB level, with a career 5.23 ERA and 4.68 SIERA over 82 2/3 innings from 2023-25. With that said, he has looked sharp over his last handful of outings at Triple-A (16 1/3 IP, 3 ER, 20 K, 3 BB). The 25-year-old will presumably take over Flexen’s low-leverage long-relief gig. Flexen, meanwhile, shouldn’t have too much trouble transitioning back to the rotation. He started five games at Triple-A in April before he was called up to the big league club, pitching to a 3-0 record with a 1.16 ERA and 2.89 FIP. While he has not started in the majors since 2024, he tossed four scoreless innings of relief against the Astros last week, so stretching out shouldn’t be too difficult. Although Flexen was not very effective as a starter in either of the last two seasons, he has more than earned another opportunity with his excellent performance so far in 2025. In 29 innings spread out over 16 appearances, he has given up just two earned runs on 16 hits.

The Cubs have been without Javier Assad (oblique injury) all season, and Justin Steele required season-ending elbow surgery after just four starts. Shota Imanaga also missed significant time earlier this year, but the Cubs were grateful to see him back on the mound last week. Imanaga and the surprisingly dominant Matthew Boyd give Chicago a strong one-two punch atop the rotation, but the back end could be a weak spot until Taillon returns.

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Chicago Cubs Transactions Jameson Taillon

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Nationals Place Trevor Williams On Injured List With Elbow Sprain

By Nick Deeds | July 4, 2025 at 9:41am CDT

The Nationals announced a series of roster moves this morning, headlined by their placement of right-hander Trevor Williams on the 15-day injured list due to a right elbow sprain. Right-hander Ryan Loutos was recalled to the MLB roster to replace Williams. In an additional move, Washington has activated catcher Keibert Ruiz from the 7-day concussion-related injured list and optioned catcher Drew Millas to Triple-A.

Williams, 33, has been part of the Nationals’ rotation all year but struggled badly with his results. The righty is sporting a 6.21 ERA across 17 starts and 82 2/3 innings this year. That’s the third-worst figure in baseball among pitchers with at least 80 innings of work this year. Brutal as the results have been, it’s perhaps worth noting that Williams has gotten quite unlucky according to the underlying metrics. His .347 BABIP allowed is nearly fifty points higher than his career mark, and a 61.6% strand rate suggests he’s been the victim of poor sequencing as well. Williams’s 4.08 FIP and 4.45 FIP paint him as a roughly average fifth starter based on his performance this year, despite the rough run prevention numbers.

In terms of strikeout and walk rate, Williams hasn’t been all that different than 2024. Last year saw him pitch to a dazzling 2.03 ERA in 66 2/3 innings, but his results then were much better than the metrics suggested they should have been. Taken together, Williams’s strong but abbreviated 2024 and his brutal first half this year paint a picture of a mid-to-back of the rotation arm: 30 starts, a 4.34 ERA, a 3.51 FIP, and a 4.23 SIERA. Perhaps there would’ve been a pitching-needy club or two who would have viewed Williams as a decent innings-eating arm to bet on for a low-cost flier this summer, but today’s injury news will throw a wrench into that possibility.

The exact details surrounding Williams’s injury are not yet known, but any injury involving a pitcher’s elbow is concerning and will typically be treated with an abundance of caution to avoid further damage. Williams figures to be out for several weeks at the very least and could miss much longer than that. A clearer timeline for his return to action figures to be available with time, but Mark Zuckerman of MASN reports that Williams himself suggested that the injury is “comparable” to the flexor strain that cost him more than three months last year. A similar timeline for his recovery this time around would likely put an end to his 2025 campaign.

For the time being, Williams will be replaced on the roster by Loutos. The righty was plucked off waivers from the Dodgers earlier this year but has surrendered eight runs (six earned) in just 4 1/3 innings during his time in a Nationals uniform. He’ll help eat innings for now, but the club will need to replace Williams in the rotation eventually. Cade Cavalli and Shinnosuke Ogasawara are both on the 40-man roster and could be called upon, though Cavalli has struggled at Triple-A this year while Ogasawara is currently pitching at High-A as he works his way back from an injury.

As for Ruiz, the catcher was placed on the 10-day IL after being struck by a foul ball while in the dugout on June 24, but was later moved to the concussion-related IL after experiencing headaches. He figures to resume getting the lion’s share of playing time behind the plate going forward, with Riley Adams serving as his backup. The eight-year, $50MM extension the Nats signed Ruiz to prior to the 2023 season hasn’t worked out so far, and he’s hitting just .247/.278/.320 in 66 games this year. Even so, the former top prospect is still just 26 years old and it’s not outside the realm of possibility that his numbers could improve given how common it is for catchers to be relatively late bloomers at the big league level.

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Transactions Washington Nationals Drew Millas Keibert Ruiz Ryan Loutos Trevor Williams

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The Opener: Trade Candidates, Schmidt, Montgomery

By Nick Deeds | July 4, 2025 at 8:24am CDT

Happy Independence Day to those who celebrate! Here are three things for MLBTR readers to keep an eye on headed into Fourth of July weekend:

1. MLBTR’s Top 40 Trade Candidates:

We’re less than a month away from the 2025 Trade Deadline, and the rumor mill has begun to heat up. That means it’s time for another addition of MLBTR’s Top Trade Candidates list. Last year, we covered the Top 50 Trade Candidates for the 2024 deadline. Nine of the top eleven names on our list wound up traded that summer, and a tenth (southpaw Garrett Crochet) was dealt over the winter. This year, we’ll be looking in-depth at this summer’s 40 biggest trade candidates, though with so many teams on the bubble of playoff relevance more than 100 plausible trade candidates are mentioned in some capacity. Our list will be published this afternoon, so be sure to check back later today!

2. Schmidt headed to the IL?

The Yankees suffered a tough loss to the Blue Jays yesterday that knocked them out of the AL East lead and things took a turn for the worse after it was revealed that right-hander Clarke Schmidt’s early exit from the game was due to an issue in his forearm. Schmidt is slated to undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the problem, but Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports this morning that both Scott Effross and Jayvien Sandridge are expected to be recalled by the Yankees today. The addition of Effross to the roster is hardly noteworthy given that the Yankees already optioned Clayton Beeter to the minors to open a spot in the bullpen, but Sandridge can only be recalled if he’s replacing an injured player. That would certainly seem to suggests that Schmidt, who has 3.32 ERA in 14 starts this year, is ticketed for the shelf. We’ll surely know more about his status later today, as well as the Yankees’ rotation plans without him in the fold.

3. Montgomery to debut:

It’s been a brutal few years for White Sox fans, as their once-vaunted core of the early 2020s fizzled out and was dismantled. That’s left the fans on the south side with little reason for optimism in recent years, but this season’s club has boasted encouraging performances from young players like Shane Smith and Kyle Teel. Another exciting youngster is set to debut this weekend, as Chicago is reportedly poised to promote longtime top prospect Colson Montgomery to the majors. The 23-year-old is hitting just .218/.298/.435 across 55 games at the Triple-A level this year, but was a consensus top-15 prospect in the sport as recently as last season and heated up considerably this past month. With Montgomery doing his best work of the season, the White Sox clearly feel that now is the time to get him a taste of the big leagues. His first assignment will come against the Rockies in Colorado this weekend, for whom Antonio Senzatela (6.69 ERA) will be on the mound tonight.

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The Opener

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Padres Seeking Upgrades At Catcher

By Steve Adams | July 3, 2025 at 11:47pm CDT

The Padres are hoping to upgrade their offensive production behind the plate as the July 31 trade deadline approaches, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic writes. It’ll likely be a thin market for available catchers, which complicates their search.

San Diego has leaned exclusively on Elias Diaz and Martin Maldonado behind the plate this year and received virtually no production on the offensive side of things. That veteran duo has combined for a feeble .205/.268/.328 batting line in 296 plate appearances. The resulting 70 wRC+, which indicates they’ve been 30% worse than average at the plate, ranks 27th in the majors.

Unfortunately for the Friars, few of the clear sellers around the game have catching help for sale. The White Sox (Kyle Teel, Edgar Quero), Marlins (Agustin Ramirez) and Rockies (Hunter Goodman) all have young catchers enjoying good seasons — and all are controllable at least five years beyond the current campaign. Pittsburgh’s Joey Bart makes some sense on paper, but he hasn’t been able to replicate last year’s breakout. The A’s would make another good speculative fit, but Rosenthal reports that they have no intention of trading Shea Langeliers. He adds that even even with Drake Baldwin ascending in Atlanta, a Sean Murphy trade over the next four weeks isn’t likely.

There are some bubble teams who could eventually have catching depth to spare, but it’s not yet clear whether any of those teams will sell. The Reds only control Tyler Stephenson through the 2026 campaign, and fellow catcher Jose Trevino’s recent three-year extension (plus a club option) gives them a bit more stability long-term. Similarly, the Twins and Rangers only have Ryan Jeffers and Jonah Heim under club control through 2026, although the latter is having a particularly down season at the plate. If the Orioles wind up selling, old friend Gary Sanchez would be a logical trade chip, as an impending free agent whose bat is heating up in recent weeks.

On top of the likely lack of supply, the Padres will presumably have financial limitations. San Diego was known to be low on spending power late in the offseason, hence the creative structure of Nick Pivetta’s four-year deal and the bargain-bin additions at catcher (Diaz, Maldonado), in left field (Jason Heyward, Connor Joe, Gavin Sheets) and for the pitching staff (Kyle Hart). The Padres are well into luxury tax territory — an estimated $263MM worth of obligations, per RosterResource, puts them in the second tier of penalty — so any additions would come with an additional 30% tax on top of their remaining annual salary.

The Padres also have needs in the outfield corners — neither Joe nor Heyward is still with the club — and could use some additional rotation help with Michael King on the shelf and Yu Darvish yet to make his season debut. Juggling all those needs, with potentially limited financial flexibility and a farm system that has been thinned by years of aggressive win-now trades, could prove a tall order.

The fact that San Diego is both reported to covet catching help and using Diaz and Maldonado exclusively also speaks to the manner in which former top prospect Luis Campusano has fallen out of favor in the organization. The 26-year-old is hitting .315/.432/.613 in 224 Triple-A plate appearances but hasn’t gotten much of a look in the majors this year. He’s struggled on both sides of the ball in the past, hitting .241/.295/.374 in 589 major league plate appearances while posting sub-par defensive grades. Campusano feels like a change-of-scenery candidate who could be on the move between now and the end of the month.

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Atlanta Braves Oakland Athletics San Diego Padres Elias Diaz Luis Campusano Martin Maldonado Sean Murphy Shea Langeliers

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Tayler Scott Elects Free Agency

By Anthony Franco | July 3, 2025 at 11:23pm CDT

Reliever Tayler Scott elected free agency after being outrighted by the Diamondbacks, according to the MLB.com transaction log. Arizona had designated the righty for assignment over the weekend when they called up John Curtiss.

Scott has been DFA twice on the season. He began the year with the Astros and was dropped from the roster in mid-May. He elected free agency, signed a minor league deal with Arizona, and was selected onto their big league roster in June. Scott pitched six times for the Snakes, allowing nine runs in as many innings with seven strikeouts and four walks. He carries a 6.66 earned run average over 25 2/3 innings between Houston and Arizona on the season.

The 33-year-old Scott has pitched in parts of five MLB campaigns. He made 79 appearances with Houston but has otherwise yet to reach 10 games for any individual team. He has been a very popular depth target, however, as the Diamondbacks were the eighth club of his big league career. He’ll pursue his next opportunity now that he’s back on the open market.

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Arizona Diamondbacks Transactions Tayler Scott

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    Astros Re-Sign Tayler Scott To Minor League Deal

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    Astros Designate Jordan Weems For Assignment

    Athletics Reinstate Zack Gelof, Release T.J. McFarland

    Rangers To Sign Rowdy Tellez To Minor League Deal

    Freddy Galvis Announces Retirement

    Rockies Reinstate Ryan Feltner From 60-Day IL, Outright Sam Hilliard

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