Nationals Claim Jhancarlos Lara, Designate Julian Fernandez
The Nationals announced that they have claimed right-hander Jhancarlos Lara from the Braves and optioned him to Double-A Harrisburg. In a corresponding move, the Nats designated righty Julian Fernandez for assignment.
When the Braves selected Lara’s contract last September, Baseball America, MLB.com and FanGraphs each ranked him among the team’s 25 best prospects. There were questions about his command then, however, and he hasn’t done anything to ease those concerns at the Double-A level this year. The 23-year-old posted an 8.22 ERA with a whopping 29 walks (against 21 strikeouts) in 15 1/3 innings before the Braves cut the cord. Lara endured similar struggles in 2025, during which he combined for a 7.73 ERA with 13.6 K/9 and 8.5 BB/9 in 68 2/3 innings divided between Double-A and Triple-A. Nevertheless, the Nationals will take a flier on a hard thrower who has three minor league options remaining.
The Nationals are less than a year removed from claiming Fernandez from the Dodgers last August. Now 30 years old, Fernandez joined the Rockies in 2012 as an international free agent from the Dominican Republic. He later had stints with the Giants and Marlins, but he didn’t make it to the majors with either team. Fernandez finally debuted in the bigs during a return to Colorado in 2021, but he struggled to a 10.80 ERA over 6 2/3 innings that year. He didn’t pitch in the majors from 2022-24, which included a stint in the Mexican League, but combined for four appearances with the Dodgers and Nationals last season. He made three more appearances with the Nats this year before they designated him. In all, Fernandez carries a 6.98 ERA with 12 walks and eight strikeouts in 15 2/3 frames at the game’s highest level. He owns a 5.14 ERA with 10.2 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 in 145 1/3 Triple-A frames.
Fernandez will have an answer on his future within a week. The waiver process takes 48 hours, giving Washington up to five days to find a trade partner. As someone who has been outrighted in the past, Fernandez has the ability to reject an assignment and opt for free agency.
Diamondbacks Designate Aramis Garcia For Assignment
As expected, infielder/outfielder Jordan Lawlar has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list. In a corresponding move, the Diamondbacks have designated catcher Aramis Garcia for assignment. Over the next week, the D-backs must either trade Garcia or place him on waivers. If he clears waivers, Arizona could send him outright to Triple-A Reno, although he’d have the right to reject that assignment in favor of free agency.
This is the second DFA of the season for Garcia. Arizona first selected his contract in mid-April, after Gabriel Moreno suffered an oblique strain. When Moreno returned, Garcia got the boot. He then cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Reno. A couple of weeks later, the D-backs called on him again, this time to replace an injured James McCann. It’s a pattern Garcia has gotten used to over the years. The 33-year-old has appeared in seven MLB seasons dating back to 2018, suiting up for the Giants, Athletics, Reds, Phillies, and Diamondbacks. In all that time, he has played a total of 129 games.
Garcia was the third catcher on Arizona’s active roster, along with Moreno and Adrian Del Castillo. The D-backs could return to a three-catcher setup once McCann returns from the IL, which might be in the next week or two, barring a setback. However, they probably don’t need three catchers. In the six weeks Garcia has spent with the big league team this year, he has only appeared in eight games, catching 50 innings and stepping to the plate 19 times.
Unless he really struggles, Lawlar will be a lot more valuable than a third backstop. Formerly Arizona’s consensus top prospect, he graduated from rookie status in 2025, although he has still only amassed 128 major league plate appearances in his career. In other words, he has huge potential, but he also has a ton to prove. Not only is he trying to live up to his top-prospect pedigree, but he’s coming back from a broken wrist, and he’s adjusting to a new position. Lawlar came up as a shortstop, but Geraldo Perdomo is blocking him there, and the presence of Ketel Marte and Nolan Arenado means he can’t make the easier transition to second or third base. So, Lawlar will be learning to play the outfield for the Diamondbacks this year. Prior to his injury, he started five games in left field and one in center. He also moved between left and center field during his minor league rehab assignment.
Arizona had one of the best offenses in the National League in 2024 and ’25, but so far in 2026, that hasn’t been the case. Things have been particularly bad as of late. Over the past two weeks, no team has scored less often than the D-backs. What this club really needs is another lefty bat, but until they can find one, they’ll have to hope that the return of a former star prospect injects some energy into their lineup.
Phillies Place Adolis García On 60-Day IL
The Phillies announced that they have placed outfielder Adolis García on the 60-day injured list with a torn right lat. They recalled outfielder Gabriel Rincones Jr. from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to take his active roster spot. Outfielder Derek Hill, whom the Phillies acquired from the White Sox on Thursday, has reported to the club. Steward Berroa will go on the paternity list in a corresponding move. They now have an opening on the 40-man roster.
García will miss at least the next two months. The former Gold Glove right fielder blew out his shoulder during Wednesday’s game in Toronto. García caught a fly ball with runners at the corners and one out. He came up throwing to try to cut down George Springer at home plate. García made an excellent one-hop throw that almost nabbed Springer, but he immediately favored his shoulder and had to come out of the game.
Philadelphia signed García to a one-year, $10MM free agent contract last offseason. He’d been non-tendered by the Rangers after a second straight below-average year at the dish. The Phillies needed a right fielder after determining at the beginning of the offseason they were moving on from Nick Castellanos. García has provided a significant defensive upgrade but has fallen even further offensively.
The 33-year-old has hit .195/.270/.329 across 259 plate appearances, career worst marks in all three slash categories. Things seemed as if they might be clicking just before the injury, as he’d hit three home runs in his last seven games. García is still capable of putting a charge into one, but his approach has undercut any kind of offensive consistency over the past few seasons. He’s a .220/.277/.385 hitter in more than 1400 plate appearances since the start of 2024.
Even with García playing strong defense, Philly seemed likely to prioritize right field at the trade deadline. They’ve played well since the managerial change to pull back into Wild Card position. They clearly need outfield help, as they’ve gotten very little out of center or right field this season.
The Phils traded for Hill during yesterday’s off day. He’s a righty-hitting fourth or fifth outfielder who can platoon with lefty-swinging Brandon Marsh or Justin Crawford. García’s injury probably increased the front office’s urgency to make a move, but Hill fits a complementary role the Phillies needed either way. He’s not the answer for an everyday right fielder.
In the short term, Rincones will get his first major league look. The Phillies selected him onto the 40-man roster over the winter to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft. He began the season on the minor league injured list and has only appeared in 12 Triple-A games since being activated in late May. Rincones has hit .239 without a home run in 55 plate appearances as part of a slow start to the season.
A third-round pick out of Florida Atlantic in 2022, Rincones is coming off a .240/.370/.430 season with Lehigh Valley last year. He walked at an excellent 15.8% clip, hit 18 homers, and stole 21 bags. Rincones takes a lot of pitches and hits the ball hard. The patient approach leads to a lot of walks but also deep counts and a decent number of strikeouts. He’s listed at 6’3″, 225 pounds and isn’t considered a strong corner outfield defender.
Rincones is in the lineup tonight for the series opener in Milwaukee, playing right field and batting seventh. He’ll get a tough welcome to the big leagues in the form of Jacob Misiorowski.
Astros Designate Ryan Weiss For Assignment, Select Raynel Delgado
The Astros have designated right-hander Ryan Weiss for assignment, as first reported by Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle. His 40-man roster spot will go to infielder Raynel Delgado, whose promotion was first reported yesterday by Francys Romero. Weiss was not on Houston’s active roster, but the Astros already cleared a spot for Delgado on the 26-man by optioning Shay Whitcomb on Thursday.
Weiss, 29, pitched in the minor leagues for the Diamondbacks and Royals from 2018-23. Then, after brief stints in the independent Atlantic League and the Chinese Professional Baseball League, he joined the KBO’s Hanwha Eagles. His first season with the Eagles was solid (16 starts, 3.73 ERA), but his follow-up campaign was spectacular. The righty ranked third in the KBO with 178 2/3 innings, while his 2.87 ERA was nearly a run and a half better than the league average. Former major leaguers Cody Ponce and Drew Anderson had even stronger seasons with their KBO clubs – and thus signed bigger contracts in the offseason – but Weiss caught Houston’s eye. In December, the Astros signed him to a one-year, $2.6MM guarantee, with a club option for 2027.
On March 27, Weiss made his major league debut. In one inning of work, he gave up an earned run on two hits (including a home run) and a walk, though he struck out two. Over his next eight appearances, the pattern continued. Pitching in a bulk relief role, Weiss struck out more than a batter per inning, but long balls and free passes were a serious problem. By the time the Astros optioned him to Triple-A in early May, he had already given up eight home runs and 20 walks. The result was an 0-3 record and a 7.62 ERA. His 4.73 SIERA wasn’t as gruesome, but it was hard to ignore the fact that nearly 20% of the batters he faced came around to score, and almost half of the contact he allowed registered as hard-hit.
Unfortunately for Weiss, his struggles continued in the minors. In five starts for Triple-A Sugar Land, he pitched to an 8.41 ERA and a 6.61 FIP. Considering his poor performance and contract status, it’s not surprising the Astros DFA’d the right-hander. If another team thinks it can get more out of Weiss’s arm and puts in a claim, Houston would be off the hook for the rest of his salary. However, it’s more likely he passes through waivers and accepts an outright assignment to Sugar Land. He has previously been outrighted in his career, giving him the right to reject any future outright assignments, but due to his limited service time, rejecting an outright assignment would mean forfeiting the rest of the guaranteed money remaining on his contract.
Delgado, 26, will be making his MLB debut the first time he gets in a game. The Guardians drafted the versatile infielder in 2018, and he played in their system until he elected minor league free agency at the end of the 2024 campaign. He has since signed minor league contracts with the Brewers and Rays. It was Tampa Bay that traded him to Houston for cash considerations earlier this week. Delgado’s offensive numbers at Triple-A don’t jump off the page – he’s hitting .250 with a 77 wRC+ in 253 PA this season – but he steals bases, and he can play anywhere on the infield, including shortstop.
Blue Jays Activate Alejandro Kirk, Designate Tyler Heineman
To highlight a series of roster moves on Friday, the Blue Jays activated catcher Alejandro Kirk from the 60-day injured list and placed outfielder Dalton Varsho on the 10-day IL with left wrist inflammation, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports. The team also designated catcher Tyler Heineman for assignment and recalled outfielder Davis Schneider from Triple-A Buffalo. Right-handed reliever Yariel Rodriguez, who was designated for assignment on June 8, has cleared waivers and will head back to Buffalo.
The Blue Jays have gone almost the whole season without Kirk, who underwent surgery on a broken left thumb in early April. The two-time All-Star has played just five games this year, but the silver lining is that the Blue Jays saw Brandon Valenzuela emerge as a capable big leaguer in his absence.
Acquired from the Padres for infielder Will Wagner at last year’s trade deadline, Valenzuela has slashed .252/.333/.457 (121 wRC+) with seven home runs and 1.5 fWAR over 46 games and 145 plate appearances since he debuted April 4. The 25-year-old rookie has also drawn mostly excellent marks as a defender. While Valenzuela has thrown out a below-average 20.5 percent of base stealers, he has made up for it in other ways. He ranks in the 100th percentile in framing, according to Statcast, and has been credited with 5 DRS and 7 FRV.
Kirk’s return gives Toronto an enviable duo behind the plate, which will cost Heineman his roster spot. The 34-year-old journeyman is in his third stint with the Blue Jays, who claimed him off waivers from the Red Sox in September 2024. Heineman typically has not offered strong production as a hitter, but that was not the case during the Jays’ pennant-winning season last year. He batted a career-best .289/.361/.416 (120 wRC+) with three homers over 64 games and 174 trips to the plate.
Heineman was worth a personal-high 2.1 fWAR in 2025, but his offense has cratered in a 33-game, 87-plate appearance showing this year. Thanks in part to a career-low 2.3 percent walk rate (down from 6.9 in 2025), he is hitting .154/.205/.205 (15 wRC+) with one homer. To his credit, though, Heineman has received outstanding grades as a catcher. He is a 95th percentile framer who has thrown out a tremendous 36.3 percent of base stealers and accounted for 6 DRS and 7 FRV. That isn’t anything new for Heineman, who has caught over 31 percent of base thieves since he debuted with the Marlins in 2019.
Heineman, who has been outrighted in the past and has over three years of service time, will be able to reject an outright assignment if there isn’t a taker via trade or on waivers. That process could take up to a week. However, Heineman does not have enough service time (five-plus years) to keep his $1.24MM salary if he turns down an outright.
Varsho’s wrist injury has kept him out of the starting lineup since June 5, though he did come off the bench in three games between then and his IL placement. It is unclear how much time Varsho will miss, but his absence is a shot to Toronto’s lineup and a tough blow for a player enjoying a solid contract year. Varsho, who has drawn walks at a career-best 19.1 percent clip, has hit .256/.331/.408 (106 wRC+) with five long balls in 64 games and 236 PA. Known throughout his career for his plus defense, Varsho has been credited with one DRS, OAA and FRV apiece in center field this year. However, having dealt with rotator cuff problems that required surgery in 2024, his arm strength is only in the 18th percentile.
Varsho’s recovery from his procedure kept him from debuting until late April last year. He also spent time on the IL with a strained hamstring. The injuries limited him to 71 games. While Varsho was out, the Blue Jays primarily turned to Myles Straw in center field. Nathan Lukes was next in the pecking order. Both players are still in the fold, making them logical fill-ins for however long Varsho is out.
Rodriguez has been outrighted in the past, giving him the right to reject the assignment. But that isn’t going to happen, as Rodriguez lacks the service time to collect the rest of the money on the five-year, $32MM deal he signed in 2024. The 29-year-old Cuban pitched to 3.08 ERA in 73 innings in 2025, but he has struggled this season over a much smaller sample of works. The Jays designated Rodriguez after he threw 9 1/3 frames of 7.11 ERA ball with more walks (seven) than strikeouts (six).
Guardians Recall Daniel Espino For MLB Debut
2:01pm: The Guardians have officially announced the move. To make room for Espino, they optioned righty reliever Codi Heuer to Triple-A.
7:34am: The Guardians are expected to recall right-hander Daniel Espino for his MLB debut, reports Zack Meisel of The Athletic. Espino is already on the 40-man roster, so only a 26-man move will be needed.
It’s been a long journey to the big leagues for Espino. The 25-year-old has missed almost all of the past three seasons due to injuries. After not pitching at all in 2023 and 2024, Espino made it back on the mound for one Triple-A appearance last year.
Espino was among the top prospects in Cleveland’s organization after getting selected in the first round of the 2019 draft. MLB Pipeline ranked him at No. 5 in the system heading into the 2020 campaign. Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs had Espino at seventh that year. The righty, along with Triston McKenzie and James Karinchak, was among the most promising arms in the organization at the time.
With the 2020 minor league season scrapped, Espino didn’t get a full year of pro ball until 2021. He was excellent in 20 starts split between Single-A and High-A. Espino recorded a massive 40.5% strikeout rate with a sub-4.00 ERA across 91 2/3 frames. He made the jump to Double-A and continued to punch out minor leaguers at a ridiculous clip. Espino posted a 51.5% strikeout rate in four starts with Akron.
The injury issues began for Espino in 2022. His campaign was cut short by knee and shoulder concerns. Despite tossing just 18 1/3 innings, Espino entered the 2023 season as the consensus top prospect in the Guardians’ system. He was heralded as one of the best young arms yet to debut in the majors. As he ramped up for the 2023 season, Espino felt renewed shoulder discomfort. The injury ultimately required surgery. Additional procedures on his right arm would cost Espino all of 2024 and most of 2025.
Espino has moved to a bullpen role this season. He’s made 22 appearances at Triple-A, all but one of which have come as a reliever. Espino has posted 18 2/3 innings of a 5.30 ERA with Columbus. He’s maintained strong strikeout numbers, whiffing Triple-A opponents at a 33.3% clip.
The Guardians opened the year with Rule 5 pick Peyton Pallette in a long-relief role. He’s since been returned to the White Sox. Espino hasn’t had an appearance longer than an inning with the Clippers, so he’s unlikely to fill that role. Cleveland’s high-leverage group is rock solid with Cade Smith, Hunter Gaddis, and Shawn Armstrong handling the later innings. Espino has the strikeout skills to join the mix, but he’ll likely begin in lower-leverage spots.
Photo courtesy of Samantha Madar of the Columbus Dispatch via Imagn Images
Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript
Anthony Franco
- Hey all, hope you're doing well!
- Looking forward to another of these, let's get goin
- Going even
- Great start
RoxTalks
- What could the Rockies conceivably get back at the deadline if they actually sell at the deadline, rather than sit on their valuable pieces until they aren't valuable anymore or watch them walk for free like they so often do? Could Goodman get a back-end top 100 prospect despite the strikeout issues given the positional/offensive value? Senzatela two mid-range organizational prospects? Is there anyone else that might entice other teams?
Anthony Franco
- Yeah I think Goodman would pull a back-end Top 100 guy. Three and a half years of a serviceable defensive catcher with 25-30 HR upside is pretty valuable even with the approach questions
- Doubt he'd net a top 50 headliner though, and if the Rockies are looking at something like the #85 overall prospect and a couple mid-tier fliers, I assume they'd again hold. That's a tough sell for ownership
- With you on Senzatela's value and think he's a lock to move as long as he doesn't get hurt
- There's not much beyond that. There'll be teams that love Halvorsen, doubt the Rox move him. Moniak netting a mid-level prospect as a strong side platoon, sure. Center field market might be bleak enough that the Guardians, Astros or Rays view McCarthy as a low-end regular
Chris
- Any concern about Kyle Tucker?
Anthony Franco
- A little bit. Plate discipline is strong enough that the floor should still be an above-average hitter but the exit velocities were always more good than great and have trended down over the past two years
- I'll take the over on his 12-homer pace but could see him settling in as a low 20s HR guy rather than pushing 30 like he did when healthy in Houston
- And if that's where he ends up, he's probably more like 20-25 points better than average offensively rather than 40, which is what the Dodgers paid him for
Nick
- If Sox take Cholowsky 1/1 and they’re still in serious contention in September does he get called up if he’s bashing in the minors?
Anthony Franco
- Higher chance of it with Cholowsky than if they take Vahn Lackey -- can't see any way they'd throw a catcher in that spot -- but would still guess it's a '27 ETA. The infield's pretty well positioned already and you'd be talking about 35-40 games of minor league experience at the end of the longest season of his career
Fenway Yard Sale
- If things continue as they have what pieces do the Red Sox trade and what could come back. Any chance they could also get anything for Bello, or Campbell?
Anthony Franco
- Campbell no. Limited defensive value with a 30% strikeout rate in Triple-A this year and owed $60MM for the next eight seasons. This the quickest any of those early-career top prospect extensions have soured
- I half jokingly proposed that they should've put Campbell on waivers last offseason to shed the contract. They were never going to do that obviously -- nor would I have had the stones to do it if I were running baseball ops -- but I'm pretty confident he'd go unclaimed if they waived him now
- I think that's also true of Bello but could see more of an argument for them paying down some money if they just think everyone involved needs a change of scenery. If the Sox pay him down to $8-10M annually, doesn't seem crazy to get a team like Arizona or Washington that has no real long-term starting pitching to roll the dice
My name?
- What are the cards going to do? They came into the year having signed Stanek and May with the obvious hope that they'd prove some value and be valuable trade assets to offload along with Romero and possibly Noot, Burleson, and O'Brien. But now they're like really in contention? Even if they do not buy, they loose considerable opportunity to improve for the future by holding on to those players. And for what? To have guys like Leahy, Libratore, Pallante, and McCheesey starting playoff games against the Braves or Dodgers or Brewers?
Rebuild or no
- With teams like the Cardinals and white Sox finding themselves in contention instead of rebuilding. And contenders like the Mets, tigers and Red Sox possibly selling how does they affect the deadline?
-
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Padres Designate Bryce Johnson For Assignment
The Padres have designated outfielder Bryce Johnson for assignment, per a team announcement. Xander Bogaerts is being reinstated from the paternity list. The team’s 40-man roster stands at 39 with the move.
This may conclude Johnson’s second stint with San Diego, which first signed the former Giant to a minor league contract ahead of the 2024 season. He got into 47 games that year and hit just .206/.286/.238 (57 wRC+) with no home runs in 73 trips to the plate. Johnson opened 2025 in the Pirates organization, but the Padres brought him back in a mid-April trade for catcher Brett Sullivan. The move worked out better than expected for the Padres, as the switch-hitting Johnson easily posted career-best numbers. Across 55 games and 84 trips to the plate, he slashed .342/.383/.434. Although he only hit one homer, Johnson managed a 135 wRC+.
Last season’s unexpected outburst has not carried into 2026 for Johnson, one of many players who have slumped for the Padres this year. The Padres will enter Friday last in the majors in runs, all three triple-slash categories and wRC+. Johnson contributed to those woes, as he hit a meager .178/.229/.222 (30 wRC+) and struck out in a bloated 36.7 percent in 49 plate appearances before the Padres cut him.
While Johnson has only made 12 starts this year, he has gotten into 32 games and seen action at all three outfield positions. Johnson’s designation will lead to further instability in the grass for the Padres. They lost Ramón Laureano to what is likely a season-ending hip injury earlier this month, and they released Nick Castellanos a couple of days later. Samad Taylor and Jase Bowen have come up from the minors to join Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill and Gavin Sheets as outfield options. Tatis has gotten more action at second base than in his typical right field over the past month-plus, but that could change. The Padres are expected to give some keystone time to Will Wagner, which would allow Tatis to go back to the outfield, per Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
The 30-year-old Johnson will head into DFA limbo for up to a week. The Padres will have five days to find a trade partner for Johnson, which is possible given his above-average speed, defensive versatility and $805K salary. If a taker does not emerge, there is a 48-hour waiver process. Johnson has been outrighted in the past, which gives him the right to decline a minor league assignment in favor of free agency.
Astros Interested In Outfield, Bullpen Upgrades
The Astros are currently 31-39 and in fourth place in the AL West, but the mediocre state of the American League has them only four games out of a Wild Card spot. Earlier this week, general manager Dana Brown pushed back hard on the idea of trading Jeremy Peña or Yordan Alvarez. Brown shared more details about the Astros’ deadline strategy with Brian McTaggart of MLB.com, saying the team will be looking to upgrade their outfield and bullpen.
“If we could find some offensive outfield help at the Deadline, that would be great,” Brown said to McTaggart. “If we could find some bullpen help, that would be great. Those are two big things.” The GM went on to say that the rotation will stabilize when Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier, and other injured starters return, so that won’t be as much of a focus as the outfield and rotation.
Nearly every club wants to add to their bullpen, but Dana Brown’s comments on outfield additions are more notable. Houston’s 102 team wRC+ is middle of the pack, but their outfielders are a Bottom-5 unit with just an 86 wRC+. Of their outfielders, only Cam Smith has made enough plate appearances to qualify, and he is 9% below average by wRC+, although his stellar defense makes him valuable overall.
The current lineup includes Joey Loperfido in left field, Taylor Trammell in center, and Smith in right. Loperfido is striking out 29.2% of the time in a small sample. Trammell has a 98 wRC+ in 76 plate appearances but is running a .452 average on balls in play that will eventually come back to earth. LaMonte Wade Jr., who’s currently on the 10-day injured list, had a 119 wRC+ in 2024 but struggled so badly last year that the Giants designated him for assignment. Wade will be out until the second half per the team’s injury report, and he won’t be a difference maker when he returns.
With so many fringe contenders and few obvious sellers, it’s difficult to tell which outfielders will be available to Houston via trade. In addition, the Astros have a weak farm system with only two Top-100 prospects according to MLB.com. That could limit them to looking at rentals and complimentary pieces in the outfield.
At present, the Tigers, Red Sox, Royals, and Angels are the four teams behind the Astros in the Wild Card standings. The Tigers and Red Sox’ outfielders all have several years of control left and would require a substantial return, so they’re not likely to move. Perhaps the Angels could make Jo Adell available with just a year and a half of control remaining. Adell is hitting below-average this year but has a 146 wRC+ against lefties, so he could complement Loperfido and Trammell, both of whom hit from the left side. In any case, some kind of outfield upgrade is needed if the Astros want to secure a Wild Card spot.
The same goes for upgrading the bullpen. At this point in the season, Houston’s relievers have a 4.82 ERA that ranks seventh-worst in the Majors. Enyel De Los Santos, Bryan King, and Steven Okert have ERAs between 2.51 and 3.07, but the latter two are outperforming their SIERAs by at least a full run and are candidates for regression. AJ Blubaugh and Bryan Abreu are struggling mightily. The recent return of closer Josh Hader helps a lot, but the ‘pen needs more than one or two dominant arms to be an effective unit overall.
As with potential outfield upgrades, the club may not have the prospect capital to pull off a deal for a top-tier reliever. That said, it might be easier to package several mid-level prospects together to acquire bullpen pieces. Fifteen of the club’s Top-30 prospects on MLB.com are right-handed pitchers, so perhaps Houston could look to trade from that depth in exchange for more established bullpen arms.
Photo courtesy of Troy Taormina, Imagn Images
Guardians Receiving Trade Interest In Young Catchers
The August 3rd trade deadline is over a month and a half away, and the Guardians sit just half a game back of the upstart White Sox in the AL Central. Although impactful trades are very unlikely at this stage, teams are nonetheless starting their due diligence on opposing players to prepare for deadline season. Some are interested in Cleveland’s young catchers, as Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports the team has fielded calls on Bo Naylor, Cooper Ingle, and Kody Huff.
All three players are currently at Triple-A. Naylor is the only one with big league experience, having appeared in 346 games for Cleveland since debuting in 2022. He’s batted .199/.279/.372 with an 82 wRC+ in that time. Ingle is the team’s No. 3 prospect and a Top-100 prospect in all of baseball, according to MLB.com. He’s doing exceedingly well at Triple-A this year, with a 161 wRC+ in 179 plate appearances. Huff has the least pedigree of the three, but he’s also hitting well. Ingle and Huff are not on Cleveland’s 40-man roster.
Rosenthal doesn’t specify the extent of the talks, though they’re more than likely just early check-ins from opposing clubs. The Guardians are in a precarious spot as far as their major league catchers go. Naylor got most of the starts in the early going, but he only put up a 22 wRC+ before being optioned down on May 9th. Austin Hedges and Patrick Bailey are the current tandem behind the plate. The former’s 98 wRC+ is well above his career norms, while the latter’s .154/.207/.238 output would be unplayable at any other position. Both Hedges and Bailey are lauded for their defense, but neither is a strong option on offense.
Overall, Guardians catchers are batting .210/.265/.326 with a 65 wRC+. That mark is fifth-worst in the Majors and well below the 89 wRC+ put up by catchers around the league. With the AL Central being a weak division, the club is likely thinking about ways to upgrade the roster and pull ahead of the rest of the group. Given their Bottom-5 payroll, internal upgrades might be the most efficient way to achieve that.
All that’s to say that Cleveland has both a surplus of catching depth as well as a need for more offense at the big league level. Ingle, in particular, has the prospect pedigree and upper minors track record to warrant a promotion at some point. He’d need to establish himself against major league pitching, but Hedges and Bailey’s weak hitting is reason enough for Ingle to get a shot.
Naylor and Huff would find themselves lower on the depth chart in that scenario. While Naylor holds some value as a young player (he’s only 26) who’s controllable for there years beyond this one, he simply hasn’t established himself offensively in the Majors. Naylor had a 123 wRC+ in 230 plate appearances in 2023, but he has just a 74 wRC+ in 893 PA from 2024-26. He’s also a lesser option on defense compared to Hedges and Bailey, with Naylor declining to 1 Defensive Run Saved in 2025 following an 11 DRS season the year prior.
All told, it’s notable that Naylor has been relegated to Triple-A for the last month and change, with the Guards accepting the lack of offense from Hedges and Bailey. As for Huff, he’s improved greatly on offense, with a 144 wRC+ at Triple-A this year compared to a 71 wRC+ in 2025. That said, he is not considered a top prospect and profiles as a depth piece at best. Theoretically, that could leave Huff and Naylor as the most expendable out of the three catchers mentioned by Rosenthal.
Rosenthal clarifies that the Guardians might not be in a rush to deal from their catching depth. The free agent market is projected to be weak, with none of the catchers being younger than 30 in 2027. In that context, Cleveland might consider holding on to their depth and sorting out the logjam during the offseason when demand will still be favorable. Hedges is a free agent after this season, while Bailey is under control through 2029. Assuming Hedges leaves, that could open a spot for Ingle on the big league roster, with Naylor and Huff sticking at Triple-A if they don’t end up being traded.