Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Reds Start Noelvi Marte In Right Field

By | at

The Reds unveiled a new wrinkle in their lineup for today’s game against the Mets, as Noelvi Marte is batting seventh as the starting right fielder.  This marks the first time in Marte’s pro career that he has played in the outfield, as he has primarily played third base in the majors and second base in the minors, with some additional action at second base.

Reporter Charlie Goldsmith shared some background on the rather sudden position change, as the Reds started working Marte out in the outfield just yesterday.  The idea is that playing the outfield will both add some versatility to the 23-year-old’s skillset and give Cincinnati more flexibility in setting lineups.

“Especially against a lefty, it gives us a chance to put [Santiago] Espinal at third and get all of our righties out there [in the lineup],” outfield coach Collin Cowgill said.  “You’ve seen [Marte] play, he’s a good enough athlete to get it figured out.  He has a cannon.  He has all of the physical attributes.  Now, it’s about practicing.”

Cowgill further noted that Marte’s arm strength in particular makes him an asset in right field, and creates more margin for error in throwing accuracy than Marte found at third base.  Ten of Marte’s 22 career Major League errors have come on throws, all from the hot corner.  By comparison, Espinal has made 13 errors total in 1749 2/3 career innings as a third baseman, while Marte has logged only 929 2/3 frames at third.

Espinal has himself seen some time in both corner outfield spots this season as the Reds continue to look for some steady right-handed balance within an outfield mix that tilts heavily to the left side.  TJ Friedl, Jake Fraley, Gavin Lux, and Will Benson are all left-handed hitters, and the team’s plan to have the right-handed hitting Austin Hays as a regular corner outfielder has been limited by Hays’ injuries, as Hays is now getting a lot of DH action.  Connor Joe is another righty-swinging outfield option, but putting Marte into the outfield picture opens up more avenues for manager Terry Francona.

It could also help Marte cement his place in the Reds’ lineup after a number of ups and downs at the start of his big league career.  Formerly a star prospect, Marte performed well in 35 games during his 2023 rookie season, but his 2024 campaign was marred by an 80-game PED suspension and then poor results in the majors once he was activated.  The Reds began Marte at Triple-A to begin the 2025 season, and after he was called up, faced another lengthy absence when an oblique strain led to a two-month IL stint.

When he has been able to play, however, Marte looks to have found his hitting form, batting .272/.327/.515 over 103 plate appearances this season.  Obviously the Reds want to get that bat into the lineup, and getting Marte regular playing time in the outfield allows both Espinal more time at third base, but it also gets Lux back into more regular duty at the hot corner.  As Goldsmith observes, Lux has been struggling defensively in left field, and would likely benefit from a return to his natural infield position.

Elly De La Cruz and Matt McLain have the middle infield spots spoken for in Cincinnati, leaving Marte with third base as his most logical pathway to big league playing time.  With top prospect Sal Stewart now looming as a third baseman of the future (and even perhaps as early as a 2025 MLB debut), the outfield could become Marte’s more regular position going forward.  Cowgill even suggested that Marte has the athleticism to handle center field, which would give the Reds extra depth at the position behind Friedl.

The Reds are solidly in the wild card race with a 52-47 record, and are known to be looking for hitting help at the deadline.  The exact nature of their position-player targets is yet to be determined, as if Marte can hold his own in right field, Cincinnati might not need to look specifically at the outfield market.

Red Sox Sign First-Rounder Kyson Witherspoon

By | at

The Red Sox have agreed to a deal with first-round draft pick Kyson Witherspoon, according to MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis.  Witherspoon will get a $5MM bonus, which is below the $5,114,200 slot price attached to the 15th overall selection.

The University of Oklahoma product was viewed as the top college right-hander in this year’s draft class, and the best righty pitcher available altogether on some boards.  It was seen as something of a coup for the Red Sox to grab Witherspoon with the 15th overall pick, as pundits all had him within their top tens.  Fangraphs was highest on Witherspoon as the sixth-rated prospect in their rankings, Baseball America had him seventh, the Athletic’s Keith Law placed Witherspoon ninth, and MLB Pipeline and ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel each had the righty tenth.

Witherspoon’s repertoire is highlighted by an outstanding fastball that can hit 99mph, and regularly sits in the 95-97mph range.  His slider also received a 60-grade from both BA and Pipeline, as Witherspoon can throw the pitch with “horizontal action and depth” (as per Pipeline’s scouting report) anywhere from the mid-80s to touching 91mph.  His curveball and changeup aren’t quite as consistently high-rated by evaluators, but there is plus potential with either pitch, giving Witherspoon the possibility of a front-of-the-rotation arsenal.  His delivery is a little unusual, but Law observes that Witherspoon’s arm action helps him achieve quality control on his pitches.

Nationals Not Planning To Trade From Young Core At Deadline

By | at

It has been two weeks since the Nationals sent shockwaves through the organization by firing longtime president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo and manager Davey Martinez.  The timing of the shake-up (a week before the draft and within a month of the trade deadline) caught many by surprise, though it looks like the change in leadership won’t lead to any major changes in direction for the club’s deadline plans.  Interim GM Mike DeBartolo told the Washington Post’s Andrew Golden and other reporters on Saturday that the Nats want to build around such players as James Wood, CJ Abrams, Dylan Crews, and MacKenzie Gore, rather than shop them at the deadline.

“I’m looking to keep the young, core group of our best players together,” DeBartolo said.  “Certainly [with] my job, if someone calls, you always listen to what they have to say.  But trading away our really high-quality young players is not something I’m looking to do right now.”

DeBartolo made a point of including Gore within “that group in terms of our young, really talented players,” noting that it’s “not a focus of mine to move him.”  Gore is both slightly older (26) and closer to free agency than the other members of the core, as Gore has two more arbitration-eligible years remaining before hitting the open market after the 2027 season.

Because of this timeline and the fact that Gore is represented by Scott Boras, there has been speculation that the Nationals could shop Gore if they feel they won’t be able to sign the southpaw to a long-term extension.  Selling high on Gore while he is in the midst of a career year would likely bring a big return back to Washington, as Gore would instantly become perhaps the most sought-after player at the deadline.  On the other hand, as Golden writes, “moving out Gore also would send the message that the Nationals are taking a step back and aren’t ready to contend in the near future.”

[Related: Washington Nationals Trade Deadline Outlook, for MLBTR Front Office subscribers]

The same logic applies to an even greater extent to Abrams (controlled through 2028) and Wood and Crews (each controlled through 2030).  Trading from this group would be tantamount to restarting the rebuild altogether, which doesn’t seem feasible for a team that already hasn’t had a winning season since 2019.  Though DeBartolo has been with the organization since 2012, it also doesn’t appear likely that an interim GM would make the call to deal a building block player, as such a major decision would likely be saved for whomever the Nationals eventually name as the new full-time head of baseball operations.

“My goal in this role, whether it’s interim or otherwise, is to build a competitive team every year,” DeBartolo said.  “As frustrating as it is to see where we are this year, my goal is to build future competitive teams and be in that playoff mix. So that’s what my focus is over the next few weeks — whatever we can do to bolster the future outlook of the Nationals and get in that playoff race as soon as we can.”

This focus likely means that the Nationals will be looking to move shorter-term players who aren’t part of that longer-term future.  Unsurprisingly, the Nats have made impending free agents Kyle Finnegan, Josh Bell, Michael Soroka, and Amed Rosario available in trade talks, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale writes, and first baseman Nathaniel Lowe (who is arb-controlled through 2026) is also within that group of trade chips.  Finnegan and Soroka will likely garner the most attention given how many contenders need pitching help, and the Nats figure to be a team to watch as one of the few teams in full-fledged sell mode.

Brewers Re-Sign Bruce Zimmermann To Minors Deal

By | at

TODAY: Zimmermann has re-signed with the Brewers on a new minor league deal, as per his MLB.com profile page.  The southpaw has again been assigned to Triple-A Nashville.

JULY 16: Left-hander Bruce Zimmermann has opted out of his minor league deal with the Brewers, reports Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors. The southpaw is now a free agent and free to sign with any club.

Zimmermann, 30, signed a minor league deal with the Brewers in the winter. Since then, he has been pitching for Triple-A Nashville. His season-long numbers are middling but he’s been in a good groove lately.

On the whole, he has made 13 starts and six relief appearances with a 4.35 earned run average in 89 innings. His 18.1% strikeout rate was a bit subpar but his 5% walk rate and 47.3% ground ball rate were both better than average. Through June 10th, he had a 5.90 ERA, but he has lowered that by putting together a good stretch of outings more recently. In his most recent 31 innings, he has a 1.45 ERA.

The Brewers are loaded with rotation options, so much so that they recently bumped Aaron Civale to the bullpen. He informed the club that he would prefer to be traded, and they obliged by sending him to the White Sox. Even with that trade, the Brewers have solid guys like Chad Patrick and Logan Henderson pitching in Triple-A. Nestor Cortes and Robert Gasser are working back from the injured list and could further crowd the picture.

Given that context, it’s understandable that Zimmermann would choose to pack his bag. He can likely find a greater path to the big leagues in another organization. Given his solid results and the high number of injuries around the league, someone should want him as a depth option. Some teams will also be trading away pitching in the coming weeks and will need to backfill roster spots.

Prior to this year, Zimmermann had spent most of his time with the Orioles. He got major league time with the O’s in four straight seasons from 2020 to 2023, totaling 158 1/3 innings pitched. He had a 5.57 ERA, 18.1% strikeout rate, 5.7% walk rate and 41.1% ground ball rate in that time. He was outrighted during the 2024 season and elected free agency at the end of that campaign, which led to his deal with the Brewers.

Photo courtesy of Dave Kallmann, Imagn Images

Guardians Listening To Offers On Emmanuel Clase, Cade Smith

By | at

The Guardians are listening to offers on their relievers, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post. That includes a willingness to discuss their star back-end duo of Emmanuel Clase and Cade Smith, Heyman adds, though he unsurprisingly notes that the asking price is high enough that a trade of either pitcher remains a long shot.

Teams are generally willing to field offers on almost every player. That’s particularly true for small-market clubs that are constantly trying to balance the short term and the future. It’s only sensible the Guards would hear other teams out on Clase and Smith. Teams are willing to pay a premium for relievers at the deadline. That’d be all the more true for late-game arms who are cheaply controllable for multiple seasons.

Clase is playing on a $4.5MM salary and will make $6MM next year. Cleveland has a pair of club options covering the 2027-28 seasons. Those respectively came with $10MM base salaries, though Clase has since escalated their value to $11.5MM annually by twice winning the American League Reliever of the Year award and by surpassing 200 appearances over the past three-plus seasons. He’d also receive a $1MM assignment bonus if he’s traded.

That’s well below market value for a pitcher of Clase’s caliber. He’s a much better pitcher than Tanner Scott, who signed for four years and a little over $60MM in net present value as last winter’s top free agent reliever. Clase is controllable for his age 27-30 seasons. There’s a chance he’d get into nine figures if he were a free agent.

Clase was MLB’s best reliever in 2024. He surrendered just five earned runs in 74 1/3 innings and went 47-50 in save opportunities. He had an ugly postseason performance but that came in a total of eight innings. Clase is putting together another excellent regular season this year. He has fired 44 innings of 2.86 ERA ball while going 21-25 in save chances. His 23.4% strikeout rate is essentially league average, but he has never been a huge strikeout artist. Clase excels with plus command and movement on his 99 MPH cutter, which hitters very rarely square up.

[Related: Cleveland Guardians Deadline Outlook]

Smith, 26, had a breakout rookie season to emerge as Cleveland’s top setup man. He turned in a 1.91 ERA with a near-36% strikeout rate through 75 1/3 innings a year ago. Smith’s ERA has backed up to a less impressive (though still strong) 3.07 mark across 41 frames this season. He’s striking out 35% of opponents behind a gaudy 15.1% swinging strike rate. The 6’5″ righty has a 96 MPH heater and a plus splitter. Smith is still a season and a half from reaching arbitration and is under club control for four and a half seasons.

There’s virtually no chance the Guardians would trade both relievers. If they were to move Clase, it’d be largely driven by the belief that Smith would be an elite closer in his own right. It’s even tougher to see them pulling the trigger on a Smith deal when he’ll play for barely above the league minimum for the next year and a half. The Guardians have a few lower-profile relievers (e.g. Hunter Gaddis, Erik Sabrowski) who could also draw some attention. They’d certainly listen on veteran righty and impending free agent Paul Sewald, but he just landed on the injured list with a shoulder strain that could keep him out beyond the deadline.

An openness to discussing Clase and Smith doesn’t signify that Cleveland is a guaranteed seller. They’re 4.5 games back of the American League’s last Wild Card spot. They have one of the easiest second-half schedules of any team, including four series against clubs with losing records (A’s, Orioles, Royals and Rockies) up to the deadline. There’s a path to getting back in the race and hoping that an excellent back of the bullpen can return them to the ALCS and beyond.

Notable Draft Signings: July 18-19th, 2025

By | at

Here’s a roundup of players from the recent draft who were signed or agreed to terms in the past two days. For an arbitrary cutoff, this post will focus on players taken before the second round or any later picks who signed a bonus of $2MM or more. Pre-draft rankings and scouting reports are provided by Keith Law of the Athletic, Baseball America, FanGraphs, MLB Pipeline and ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel.

  • The Cubs have signed outfielder Ethan Conrad to a bonus of $3,563,100, per Jim Callis of MLB.com. Conrad was selected 17th overall, a pick that comes with a $4,750,800 slot. Since the Cubs are saving over a million on their first-round pick, they should have lots of leeway to lock up the remaining players in their class.
  • The Tigers have signed shortstop Jordan Yost with a $3.25MM bonus, per Callis. Yost went 24th overall, a pick that comes with a slot value of $3,726,300. Per Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press, Detroit has also agreed to terms with their second pick, catcher Michael Oliveto. Selected in the competitive balance A round, 34th overall, his $2.45MM signing bonus is below his $2,827,300 slot value. Between Yost and Oliveto, the Tigers have saved close to a million bucks, which can be redirected to the other guys they drafted.
  • The Orioles have signed catcher Caden Bodine with a $3,113,300 bonus, per Callis. Callis also relays that shortstop Wehiwa Aloy has signed for $3,042,800. Bodine and Aloy were taken 30th and 31st respectively, with the compensation picks the O’s received for Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander rejecting qualifying offers and signing elsewhere. Both bonuses were full slot value for their respective picks. The O’s also signed first-rounder Ike Irish to a bonus right around slot value, so they’ve played things pretty straight-up with their top three picks.
  • The Brewers announced that they have signed shortstop Brady Ebel, the son of Dodgers third base coach Dino Ebel. The younger Ebel was selected 32nd overall, the pick the Brewers received for Willy Adames rejecting a qualifying offer and signing elsewhere. That pick comes with a $2.97MM slot value. The signing bonus has not yet been publicly reported. [UPDATE: Baseball America’s Carlos Collazo reports that Ebel signed for a below-slot $2.75MM bonus.]
  • The Mariners have agreed to terms with 19 of their draft picks, reports Daniel Kramer of MLB.com. Top pick Kade Anderson’s bonus was previously reported. The M’s also gave catcher Luke Stevenson a bonus of $2.8MM and shortstop Nick Becker $2.75MM. Stevenson was taken in the competitive balance A round, 33rd overall. This bonus comes in just barely above the $2.76MM slot for that pick. Becker was selected in the second round 57th overall, a pick that comes with a slot of $1.64MM. Anderson’s bonus was about $700K under slot and it seems the M’s redirected those savings to get Becker to sign. Callis reported the Stevenson bonus earlier today.
  • The Yankees have signed shortstop Dax Kilby to a $2.8MM bonus, per Kiley McDaniel of ESPN. Kilby was selected 39th overall, though that was actually the club’s top pick. Their first-rounder was pushed back ten spots because they went over the third competitive balance tax threshold last year. Slot for the pick was $2,509,500, so they went a bit over to get him to sign.
  • The Rays signed outfielder Brendan Summerhill to a $1,997,500 bonus, per Callis. He was selected 42nd overall, in competitive balance round A. Slot value for that pick was $2,331,000, so the Rays saved a bit on this one. The Rays also went below-slot to sign first-round Daniel Pierce, so they have lots of extra powder for the rest of their class.
  • The Cardinals signed shortstop Ryan Mitchell to a $2.25MM bonus, per Ari Alexander of KPRC 2. Mitchell was taken in the second round, 55th overall. The slot for that pick is $1,720,300, so the Cards went about half a million above to get this one done. They saved close to a million when signing first-rounder Liam Doyle, so it seems some of those savings were used to ink Mitchell.

Photo courtesy of Dylan Widger, Imagn Images

MLBTR Chat Transcript

By | at

Mark P

  • The Weekend Chat is back from a scheduling hiatus, as last Sunday night’s draft and the unexpected Nationals front office clearance led to a pair of postponements in everyone’s favorite discussion of beads, bees, and baseball.

    But, on with the questions!

Squints

  • You’re Matt Arnold, congrats! What are you going for at the deadline?

Mark P

  • I think my first priority is to figure out how to change this Freaky Friday scenario, but if that can’t be fixed by July 31, I’d look to add lineup depth.  Even with Hoskins not out for too long, I’d consider bolstering first base anyway, or at least try to get a versatile player that can help all over the infield
  • I feel like “Willi Castro would be a great fit here” applies to like 20 teams, but he’d be a great fit in Milwaukee if the Twins decided to sell

Angels fan

  • Arte is going to buy again isn’t he? The Angels are not a playoff team but I just know he will be delusional again and trade away prospects to make sure people keep coming to the stadium

Mark P

  • Right now the Angels are a game under .500 and four back of a wild card.  I agree with you that I doubt they’re getting into the playoffs, but given how starved the Angels and their fans are for winning, I won’t blame the club for trying to make some moves and stay competitive

Cashman

  • is Lagrange and schlittler untouchables along side Lombard?

Mark P

  • Lombard feels like the only prospect the Yankees absolutely wouldn’t part with.

Read more

Athletics Designate Jhonny Pereda For Assignment

By | at

The Athletics have designated catcher Jhonny Pereda for assignment, per Jason Burke of A’s on SI. That’s the corresponding 40-man roster move for left-hander Ken Waldichuk’s reinstatement from the 60-day injured list. MLBTR covered Waldichuk earlier today.

Pereda, 29, was acquired from the Marlins in an offseason DFA trade. He opened the season as the backup catcher behind Shea Langeliers. As the season has gone along, the A’s have added Willie MacIver and Austin Wynns to the roster, which bumped Pereda down into a depth role.

In the big leagues this year, Pereda has a batting line of .175/.283/.225. That’s in a small sample size of 46 plate appearances but that subpar performance presumably prompted the A’s to make some changes behind the plate. With Pereda having been knocked down the depth chart, it seems his grip on a 40-man spot became tenuous. Pereda now has a career line of .203/.267/.228 when factoring in his time with the Marlins last year.

He is now in DFA limbo, which can last as long as a week. The waiver process takes 48 hours, so the A’s could take as long as five days to talk trades. Though his major league work hasn’t been great so far, that’s in just 86 plate appearances. His minor league work has continued to impress, even this year, which could perhaps lead to some interest.

Dating back to the start of 2022, he has stepped to the plate 811 times at the Triple-A level with a 13.3% walk rate, 19.1% strikeout rate, .302/.394/.427 batting line and 118 wRC+. That includes a .319/.400/.440 line in 105 plate appearances this year. He can still be optioned to the minors for the rest of this year and another season.

Photo courtesy of Ryan Sun, Imagn Images

AL West Notes: Trout, Rangers, Rodgers, Waldichuk

By | at

Mike Trout was hitting .179/.264/.462 when a bone bruise in his left knee sent him to the injured list on May 2, but since being activated from the IL, Trout has been closer to his old superstar form in batting .287/.432/.483 over his last 183 plate appearances.  It might not be a coincidence that Trout has excelled since exclusively acting as a designated hitter since his return, as the Angels have been cautiously managing his leg health in the wake of both the bone bruise, and a variety of other leg injuries over the years.  Trout did take part in some right field drills prior to Friday’s game and came away feeling good, though he told MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger and other reporters that the team doesn’t yet have a timetable set in regards to an in-game return to right field.

Both Trout and interim manager Ray Montgomery are eager to see Trout return to right field, with Montgomery noting that freeing up the DH spot would allow more players to get partial rest days.  Time will tell when Trout is entirely physically ready to go, though there must be some slight sense of “if it ain’t broke….” within the Angels’ decision process.  Trout has been so hammered by injuries in recent years that if regular DH duty allows him to stay in the lineup and post big numbers, the Halos surely have to be considering whether limiting Trout to just cameo appearances in the outfield could be the best course of action going forward.

More from the AL West….

  • The Rangers had interest in Kyle Finnegan when the reliever was a free agent last winter, and the club has had interest in Pirates closer David Bednar dating back to at least last season’s trade deadline, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News writes.  These two relievers could therefore be particular names to watch as Texas looks for help at the back of its bullpen, along with a few other closer candidates that Grant cite as possible deadline candidates.  Texas is an even 49-49 entering today’s play, so it remains to be seen if the Rangers could buy or sell at the deadline.  Speculatively, a trade for Bednar would help for both this season and as a jump start on the 2026 plans, as Bednar is arbitration-controlled for one more year.  Finnegan, meanwhile, is just a rental since he signed a one-year contract with the Nationals in the offseason.
  • Brendan Rodgers suffered a concussion and a nasal fracture after a scary collision with teammate Edwin Diaz in a game with Triple-A Sugar Land yesterday.  As a result, the Astros told the Athletic’s Chandler Rome and other reporters that Rodgers has been returned from the minor league rehab assignment that only just began with yesterday’s abbreviated Triple-A outing.  Rodgers was placed on the big league 10-day IL just over a month ago due to an oblique strain, and while the start of his rehab assignment indicated that he was getting close to a return, his timeline is now completely up in the air as he deals from these new injuries.  Over 128 plate appearances for Houston, Rodgers has hit only .191/.266/.278.
  • Ken Waldichuk has reached the end of his 30-day rehab window, so the Athletics activated the southpaw from the 60-day injured list and optioned him to Triple-A Las Vegas.  Waldichuk underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2024, and he clearly isn’t yet ready for the bigs based the results during his rehab assignment.  Over 15 1/3 minor league innings, Waldichuk has struggled to a 7.63 ERA and almost as many walks (16) as strikeouts (17).  Should he get on track, Waldichuk could emerge as an option for the A’s rotation or bullpen in August.

Tanner Houck’s Rehab Paused Due To New Pronator Strain

By | at

Tanner Houck is being evaluated by Red Sox team doctors after sustaining “a recurrence of the right pronator strain” the right-hander initially suffered back in mid-May, MLB.com’s Ian Browne writes.  Houck had pitched in five minor league games during his rehab assignment, but the Sox have now officially returned him from that assignment and kept him on the 15-day injured list in order to monitor this new problem.

More will be known once Houck is through a fresh round of tests, yet if he has suffered another strain, it might entirely set his rehab back to square one.  Given how he has already missed more than two months of the season, a similar recovery timeline could now threaten Houck’s availability to return before the 2025 campaign is over.

Even the best-case scenario of just a minor strain would still likely mean Houck will be sidelined for at least another month, adding to what has been a frustrating season for the right-hander.  Houck had reached the 30-day end point of his initial rehab assignment and was seemingly close to being activated from the IL before this setback arose.  The Red Sox will probably shift Houck to the 60-day IL at some point, which wouldn’t change his timeline (the 60-day window would start at the time of his initial placement on the 15-day) but it would allow the club to open up space on the 40-man roster.

A breakout 2024 season seemingly cemented Houck’s place in the Boston rotation, as Houck posted a 3.12 ERA and 6.5% walk rate over 178 2/3 innings.  Most of his secondary metrics didn’t back up that strong bottom-line ERA, however, and as Browne noted, most of Houck’s success came in the first half of the 2024 campaign.  The hurler’s late struggles then got several degrees worse in 2025, when Houck posted an 8.04 ERA in his first nine starts and 43 2/3 innings.

Getting Houck back before the trade deadline wouldn’t have really altered Boston’s plan to acquire starting pitching, yet getting a change to gauge Houck’s effectiveness in a start or two would’ve given the Sox a bit more information before jumping into the trade market.

Looking at Boston’s rotation depth, Hunter Dobbins and Kutter Crawford have already been lost to season-ending injuries.  Josh Winckowski has been sidelined by a flexor strain for roughly the same amount of time as Houck, and only just started a throwing progression, so Winckowski is probably a month away if all goes well in his rehab.  Patrick Sandoval had internal brace surgery on his elbow last June and has moved to the point of mound work, though early September could be his target date.

This leaves Garrett Crochet, Brayan Bello, Lucas Giolito, Richard Fitts, and the struggling Walker Buehler as Boston’s starting five.  Even with Kyle Harrison and Cooper Criswell available in Triple-A as backup options, getting another solid rotation piece in play at the deadline would go a long way towards helping the Sox reach the playoffs.  Boston is 53-46, as yesterday’s loss to the Cubs snapped a 10-game winning streak that had brought the Red Sox back into the postseason hunt.

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

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top