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Akil Baddoo Accepts Outright Assignment With Tigers

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The Tigers announced to reporters, including Chris McCosky of Detroit News, that outfielder Akil Baddoo is staying in the organization. He was designated for assignment last week but has now cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Toledo.

Baddoo was also outrighted off Detroit’s roster in December. That was his first career outright assignment and he had less than three years of service time at that point, meaning he did not have the right to elect free agency. He was added back to the roster about a month ago but has now been outrighted a second time. He had the right to elect free agency this time but has decided to stay in the Tigers’ system as non-roster depth.

Back in 2021, Baddoo looked like a Rule 5 steal. That was his first year with Detroit after getting plucked from the Twins. He got into 124 games, hit 13 home runs and stole 18 bases. He slashed .259/.330/.436 for a 108 wRC+.

It seemed like maybe the Tigers had grabbed an everyday outfielder but his production has tailed off since then, leaving him now as a depth option. Since the start of the 2022 season, he has stepped to the plate 682 times in the majors with a .201/.288/.323 line and 74 wRC+.

Still, the Tigers are probably happy to have him around. He has continued putting up good numbers in the minors, with a .250/.351/.433 line and 111 wRC+ for that 2022-25 stretch. Matt Vierling has been on the injured list for much of this year and it’s nice to have options available if another injury pops up.

Photo courtesy of Junfu Han, Imagn Images.

Dodgers Recall Matt Sauer, DFA José Ureña

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3:50pm: It’s now official, with the Dodgers announcing they have recalled Sauer and designated Ureña for assignment.

8:03am: Speaking to reporters (including The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya) after last night’s extra-innings victory over the Padres, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts revealed that the team is planning to recall right-hander Matt Sauer from Triple-A. Sauer is already with the team in San Diego as a member of the taxi squad, but the Dodgers will need to formally add him to the roster before he can pitch this evening. To do so, they will designate veteran righty José Ureña for assignment (per Ardaya).

Drafted by the Yankees in 2017, Sauer made his MLB debut last season with the Royals, who had selected him in the Rule 5 draft. However, Kansas City DFA’d him after he gave up 14 runs in his first 14 games, and he returned to finish out the season in New York’s farm system. The righty elected free agency this past offseason and signed a minor league contract with the Dodgers in December. This will already be Sauer’s fifth stint with the Dodgers this year. He made the travel roster for the Tokyo Series (although he did not appear in a game) and has since been optioned and recalled several times. All told, he has thrown 20 2/3 innings over seven appearances, allowing nine runs (seven earned) on 16 hits. The 26-year-old has only struck out 13 batters (16.7% K%), but his low walk rate (3.8%) and high groundball rate (49.2%) have helped him keep runners off the bases and runs off the board. As has been the case each previous time he was recalled, Sauer isn’t likely to stick around on L.A.’s 26-man roster for long. That said, a player can only be optioned five times in a season, so the next time the Dodgers option him will be the last.

Due to the Dodgers limited rotation depth – Tony Gonsolin recently joined fellow starters Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki, Emmet Sheehan, River Ryan, Kyle Hurt and Gavin Stone on the IL – Sauer is likely to pitch multiple innings as part of a bullpen game today. However, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register suggests he will probably come in after an opener rather than start the game.

Ureña signed with the Dodgers last week, shortly after the Blue Jays DFA’d him. As Ardaya notes, the Dodgers will only be on the hook for a prorated portion of the league minimum salary for the few days he spent on their active roster. In that time, Ureña made two appearances for L.A., giving up one run on four hits over three innings. Altogether, he has pitched 18 1/3 innings this season for the Mets, Blue Jays, and Dodgers, with a 5.40 ERA and 5.09 SIERA to show for it. Considering his long MLB track record and versatility – he can pitch into the fifth inning as a starter or touch 98 mph out of the bullpen – he shouldn’t have trouble latching on somewhere else. The journeyman might not be seeing the same success he enjoyed with the Rangers in 2024 (3.80 ERA in 109 IP), but there’s a reason three contending clubs have put him on their roster this season.

Chris Stratton Elects Free Agency

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Right-hander Chris Stratton has elected free agency, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. The Dodgers had sent him outright to Triple-A Oklahoma City, indicating he cleared waivers after being designated for assignment a few days ago. However, he has exercised his right to head to the open market.

Stratton, 34, has been on and off the Dodgers’ roster in recent weeks. He was released by the Royals a couple of weeks ago. That left Kansas City on the hook for what’s left of the two-year, $8MM deal he signed ahead of the 2024 campaign. Any other team can sign him and only pay him the prorated league minimum for any time spent on the roster, with that amount subtracted from what the Royals pay.

The Dodgers have done so twice in recent weeks. The first time resulted in Stratton making two appearances before being designated for assignment. He went unclaimed on waivers, elected free agency and then re-signed with them. In the second stint, he made just one appearance before getting the DFA treatment again. As a player with at least five years of service time, he can reject an outright assignment and keep his salary commitments in place.

The Dodgers currently have 14 pitchers on the injured list and they have been trying various methods to keep the staff fresh. They are also a third-time competitive balance tax payor and are above the top line this year, meaning they face a 110% tax on any new spending. Stratton has therefore been a nice fit for them as a veteran arm who has been both cheap and available.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him reunite with the Dodgers yet again but he is now free to discuss opportunities with all clubs. Los Angeles just got Michael Kopech and Kirby Yates off the IL, perhaps lessening their need to sign Stratton a third time.

Stratton hasn’t been in great form lately. Since signing that aforementioned deal with the Royals, he has a 6.13 earned run average in 79 1/3 innings. His 18.3% strikeout rate and 11.9% walk rate in that time are both subpar figures, though he’s been getting grounders at a healthy 46% clip.

But he does have years of previous experience as an effective big league reliever. From 2020 to 2023, he logged 255 1/3 innings with a 3.91 ERA, 24.5% strikeout rate, 8.8% walk rate and 41.9% ground ball rate. Since there’s no real cost in picking him up, he should land a new deal in the coming days.

Photo courtesy of William Purnell, Imagn Images

Aaron Nola To Be Shut Down For Two Weeks With Stress Reaction In Rib Cage

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Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola is already on the injured list but won’t be returning soon. Per Matt Gelb of The Athletic, a recent MRI revealed a stress reaction in his right rib cage. He won’t throw for the next two weeks.

Nola landed on the 15-day IL almost a month ago due to a sprained right ankle. It’s unclear how or when he suffered this rib injury but it’s a notable setback for him. Even if he’s healthy two weeks from now, it will have been about six weeks since his most recent game action. At that point, he’ll have to ramp back up into game shape. As noted by Gelb, it’s now possible that Nola won’t return until after the All-Star break.

Prior to hitting the IL, Nola wasn’t having his best season, with a 6.16 earned run average in nine starts. However, that may not have been entirely his fault. His 23.6% strikeout rate and 7.3% walk rate were fairly close to his previous levels, while his .348 batting average on balls in play and 68.7% strand rate were both to the unlucky side. ERA estimators like his 5.00 FIP and especially his 3.63 SIERA felt he deserved far better.

He now won’t get a chance to improve his numbers for a while. As he has been out of action, the Phils have endured their toughest stretch of the season. They have lost nine of their past eleven contests, dropping them to four games back of the Mets in the National League East.

On paper, the Philadelphia rotation is strong even without Nola in it. They still have Zack Wheeler, Ranger Suárez, Cristopher Sánchez, Jesús Luzardo and Mick Abel. However, Wheeler recently spent some time on the paternity list and Luzardo’s past two starts have been awful. Abel’s big league numbers are good so far but he literally has two starts under his belt.

Ideally, that group can help the team right the ship in the coming weeks. If not, the Phils have some potential in-house pivots. Prospect Andrew Painter is now healthy and putting up decent numbers in Triple-A, though he may have workload concerns after missing all of the previous two seasons recovering from Tommy John surgery. Taijuan Walker is currently in the bullpen and could return to the rotation, though getting stretched out midseason can be a challenge.

The trade deadline is on July 31st, which may coincide with Nola’s return to the big league club. Given the starting options the Phils already have on hand, trading for more help is probably not the top of their to-do list, but it’s always possible that more injuries pop up or that Nola experiences another setback of some kind.

Photo courtesy of Bill Streicher, Imagn Images

Mets Sign Travis Jankowski To Minor League Deal

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The Mets signed veteran outfielder — and former Met — Travis Jankowski to a minor league deal, per the team’s transaction log at MLB.com. The Excel Sports client will head to Triple-A Syracuse for the time being.

Jankowski was placed on waivers by the Rays earlier this month. He went unclaimed and elected free agency, as is his right as a player with more than more than three years of service (more than eight, in Jankowski’s case). His time with Tampa Bay, during which he batted .244/.286/.289 in 49 plate appearances, gives him at least some level of big league action in 11 consecutive seasons.

Though he crossed eight years of MLB service during that Rays stint, Jankowski has never been a regular in the majors. He played a career-high 131 games with the 2016 Padres but did so in a limited, part-time role (383 plate appearances). He’s never topped the 387 plate appearances he logged with the 2018 Padres and has a total of 805 plate appearances over the past seven MLB seasons.

Jankowski is a career .236/.318/.305 hitter. He has negligible power and a league-average strikeout rate but draws plenty of walks, runs well and can play solid defense at all three outfield positions. He’s a nice fourth or fifth outfielder who’ll head to Triple-A and see if an opportunity opens up with the Mets’ big league squad, where Brandon Nimmo, Tyrone Taylor and Juan Soto are currently the main outfield options.

Both Jared Young and Starling Marte can technically play in the outfield, but they have four combined appearances on the grass this season. Outfielders Jose Siri and Jesse Winker are currently on the injured list (although the latter has primarily been a designated hitter). Jeff McNeil is effectively the Mets’ fourth outfielder at the moment. He’s logged 96 innings in the outfield, including 49 in center.

Jankowski was with the Mets back in 2022 but went just 9-for-44, with all nine of those hits being singles. That came out to a .167/.286/.167 batting line, but he could find himself with the opportunity to make a more lasting impression this time around, should the Mets incur an outfield injury or opt to move McNeil back to second base on a full-time basis.

Poll: Can Drew Rasmussen Keep Pitching Like An Ace?

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Drew Rasmussen has pitched into the fifth inning in every start he’s made in 2025. That might not seem so impressive, but Rasmussen is one of just 28 pitchers to have recorded an out in the fifth in 13 or more starts this year. That’s fewer than one per team. Not to mention, he’s coming off internal brace surgery, the third major elbow procedure of his career. Few major leaguers have ever returned from a third such surgery, let alone returned and thrived as the kind of arm a team can count on for five innings every five days.

Even better for Rasmussen and the Rays, his innings stand out for their quality as much as their quantity. In 12 of his 13 starts, he has thrown at least five frames whilst allowing no more than seven baserunners and four runs. No other pitcher – not Paul Skenes, not Jacob deGrom, not Zack Wheeler – has made as many starts that fit that description. All told, the 29-year-old has a 2.22 ERA, the eighth-lowest among qualified AL starters, right in between preseason Cy Young favorites Tarik Skubal and Garrett Crochet. His 0.90 WHIP ranks third, just behind Skubal’s and just ahead of deGrom’s. Underlying those strong results are a 5.3% walk rate, a 50.8% groundball rate, and a 4.8% barrel rate, all of which rank him among the AL’s best. None of his ERA estimators (3.43 SIERA, 3.16 xERA, 3.23 FIP, and 3.31 xFIP) is quite as strong as his low-2.00s ERA, but they’re all still excellent numbers, and only four qualified AL starters have him beat in all four metrics: Skubal, Crochet, Kris Bubic, and Hunter Brown. Those are four of the most exciting young hurlers in the league.

Rasmussen has often flown under the radar, but his ace-like performance this year is hardly coming out of nowhere. Since he arrived in Tampa Bay as part of the Willy Adames trade in 2021, he has pitched to a 2.62 ERA in 347 1/3 innings. He has also compiled 8.2 FanGraphs WAR and 8.8 Baseball Reference WAR in that time. That works out to roughly four wins above replacement per 162 innings, an All-Star-caliber clip. Just as impressive is his consistency. In parts of five seasons with the Rays, he has never had an ERA higher than 2.84. Of course, injuries have severely limited his playing time – he threw 59 innings for Tampa Bay in 2021, 146 in 2022, 44 2/3 in 2023, 28 2/3 in 2024, and he’s thrown 69 so far in 2025 – but his steady excellence is remarkable all the same. Before and after each stint on the IL, Rasmussen has remained dominant. We’re also talking about a guy with the underlying metrics and phenomenal stuff to back up his great results. Since he joined the Rays, only three pitchers have thrown more innings than Rasmussen with a lower SIERA, xERA, FIP, and xFIP: Skubal, Chris Sale, and Spencer Strider. Meanwhile, the comprehensive pitch models at FanGraphs, PitchingBot and Pitching+, both suggest his arsenal has been well above average in every season of his Rays tenure.

So, on the one hand, we’re looking at a pitcher who has excelled at every turn over the past five years. On the other hand, that same pitcher has never thrown more than 146 innings in a season. His second-highest single-season innings total at the MLB level is 76. Both of those campaigns came before his third major elbow surgery. In other words, all of Rasmussen’s stats come from a relatively small sample. Furthermore, we have no way to know for sure that he is capable of pitching a full, qualified season without tiring down the stretch. Most important of all, he’s an injury risk, and he will carry that label for perhaps the rest of his career. So, even in a best-case scenario in which Rasmussen continues to shine and shows no sign of slowing down, the Rays will have to manage his workload carefully. At some point, Kevin Cash might stop him from pitching into the fifth inning every start. It’s not out of the question that Rasmussen could eventually move to the bullpen if the Rays are particularly worried about his innings.

Rasmussen has pitched like an ace so far in 2025. Indeed, on a per-inning basis, he’s been one of the most effective arms in the game since he landed with the Rays in 2021. Yet, it’s far from a guarantee he can keep this up over the next several months. So, what do MLBTR readers think? Has Rasmussen done enough to prove he’s one of the game’s premier starting pitchers? Or will his injury history and lack of experience catch up with him as the season wears on? Have your say in today’s poll:

White Sox Designate Bryse Wilson For Assignment

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The White Sox announced that they have selected right-hander Grant Taylor to the roster, a move that was reported yesterday. Fellow righty Bryse Wilson has been designated for assignment as the corresponding move.

Wilson, 27, was signed in December to a one-year deal that guaranteed him $1.05MM. He was a sensible pickup for Chicago since he had experience as both a starter and a reliever. With the Brewers over 2023 and 2024, he tossed 181 1/3 innings with a 3.42 earned run average. The rebuilding Sox came into the year with a fairly young and inexperienced pitching staff and could deploy Wilson as needed, depending on how he and everyone else performed.

Unfortunately, he hasn’t really provided the club with much in either role. He has made five starts and 14 relief appearances so far this year, logging 45 1/3 innings with a 6.95 ERA. That includes a 6.23 ERA as a starter and a 7.61 mark in relief work. His 8.7% walk rate is right around average but his 12.4% strikeout rate is barely half of league par.

That performance has nudged Wilson off the roster and into DFA limbo, which can last for a week at most. The waiver process takes 48 hours, so the Sox can theoretically take five days to explore trade interest. However, given Wilson’s salary and performance this year, there isn’t likely to be strong interest.

If he is passed through waivers unclaimed, he will likely stick with the Sox as non-roster depth. Players with at least three years of service time have the right to reject an outright assignment and elect free agency. However, if they have less than five years of service, they have to forfeit their remaining salary in order to exercise that right.

Wilson came into this year with four years and 36 days of service. By my count, he has added 75 days so far in 2025, putting him at 4.111. That’s still 61 days shy of the five-year mark. Assuming he wants to keep the rest of that $1.05MM flowing, he would choose to report to Charlotte as opposed to electing free agency.

The Sox are 22-44 this year and will clearly be deadline sellers. Any pitcher with limited control who is putting up decent numbers should be available in the coming weeks. That includes guys like Adrian Houser, Dan Altavilla and Steven Wilson. That could further thin out the pitching staff and open further opportunities for Bryse later in the year.

Photo courtesy of Patrick Gorski, Imagn Images

Nationals Claim Ryan Loutos

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The Nationals announced that they have claimed right-hander Ryan Loutos off waivers from the Dodgers and optioned him to Triple-A Rochester. The Dodgers designated the righty for assignment last week. The Nats had a roster vacancy after recently releasing righty Jorge López but their 40-man is now full.

Loutos, 26, joins his third club of the year. He started the season with the Cardinals but was designated for assignment at the end of April. The Dodgers then acquired him in a cash deal but gave him the DFA treatment again a few days ago, which led to this waiver claim.

His major league track record is still fairly limited. He logged 2 1/3 innings for the Cards last year and added another three innings for the Dodgers this year. He has allowed five earned runs while striking out two, walking two and hitting one batter.

The Nats are presumably more interested in his minor league track record, which provides a far larger sample of work to look at. He has logged 231 innings on the farm from 2021 to the present with a 4.68 ERA. Dating back to the start of 2024, he has a 3.14 ERA in 71 2/3 innings, with a 24.3% strikeout rate and 9.5% walk rate. He has also generated grounders on close to half the balls in play he’s allowed.

Loutos can also be optioned to the minors for the rest of this year and one additional season. The Nats had an open roster spot, so Loutos is essentially a free flier on a young arm with some intriguing numbers. He’ll head to Rochester for now but should be up in the big leagues whenever Washington needs a fresh bullpen arm.

Photo courtesy of Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Imagn Images

Orioles Designate Emmanuel Rivera For Assignment, Option Heston Kjerstad

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The Orioles announced a number of roster moves today. Outfielder Cedric Mullins and infielder Jordan Westburg have both been reinstated from the 10-day injured list. In corresponding moves, the club has optioned outfielder Heston Kjerstad and designated infielder Emmanuel Rivera for assignment. The O’s also announced that outfielder Jordyn Adams, who was designated for assignment last week, has been sent outright to Triple-A Norfolk. The 40-man roster count drops to 38.

Kjerstad, 26, was the No. 2 overall pick back in 2020, though that selection represented a bit of draft-day creativity; he was generally viewed as a mid-first-round talent but signed with the O’s on an underslot deal at No. 2 overall, leaving Baltimore some extra money to pursue over-slot bonuses with others further down the line — the aforementioned Westburg and top prospect Coby Mayo among them.

The Orioles have given Kjerstad looks in each of the past three seasons now, but the 2025 campaign is the first where he’s been given a real run at anything close to regular playing time. It didn’t go well. Despite being largely shielded from left-handed pitching, the lefty-swinging Kjerstad hit just .192/.240/.327 with four homers, a 3.6% walk rate and a 26.9% strikeout rate in 167 turns at the plate. He’s improved his overall contact rate relative to 2023-24, but he’s chasing off the plate at borderline egregious levels (38.4% chase rate) and still swinging through pitches too often.

Kjerstad finds himself at something of a crossroads with the Orioles. He’ll still have one more minor league option remaining beyond the current season, but he’s now struggled to establish himself in three separate seasons. Colton Cowser is locked into one outfield spot long-term. Tyler O’Neill has an opt-out clause in his three-year contract that he does not presently appear likely to take (although a big finish to the season can always change that). Mullins is a free agent at season’s end, as is Ryan O’Hearn, which could open some outfield/designated hitter playing time. However, the O’s have prospects like Enrique Bradfield Jr., Jud Fabian, Vance Honeycutt and Dylan Beavers rising through the system — any of whom could also factor into those competitions for playing time.

It’s arguable that Kjerstad hasn’t really gotten a fair audition. He’s totaled 314 MLB plate appearances across three seasons and always been either platooned or had the specter of someone returning from the IL to take his spot and push him back to Triple-A Norfolk.

Other clubs might have given him a more traditional everyday opportunity, but the Orioles tend to prioritize matchups more than most and have frequently brought in veteran outfielders who’ve cut into Kjerstad’s potential playing time (e.g. O’Neill, Ramon Laureano, Dylan Carlson, Eloy Jimenez, Austin Slater). They make no secret about their endeavors to stockpile as much depth as possible, which positions them well for injuries but also results in scattershot opportunities for young players like Kjerstad, Mayo and since-traded prospects like Kyle Stowers, Connor Norby and Joey Ortiz.

For now, Kjerstad will head to Norfolk and look to get his swing back on track. However, he has little left to prove against Triple-A pitching. Kjerstad has played 132 games there, taken 591 plate appearances, and mashed at a .299/.382/.541 clip.

As for Rivera, he originally came to the O’s as one of those previously mentioned depth grabs. Baltimore claimed him off waivers last August, enjoyed a productive run of 27 games down the stretch, and tendered him a $1MM contract over the winter. Rivera never seemed likely to replicate the .364 average on balls in play or 22.2% homer-to-fly-ball ratio he logged with the O’s in 2024, however, and his offense has plummeted back down to his career norms in 2025. He’s taken 76 plate appearances and batted .232/.303/.275 — not far off his lifetime .243/.306/.363 slash in the majors.

The 28-year-old Rivera’s hard-contact numbers completely eroded this season. He’s a surehanded defender at the hot corner and has also played some first base in the majors. However, he’s out of minor league options, so the O’s couldn’t simply send him down. He’ll first need to clear waivers. Given his lack of track record and options, he could well pass through unclaimed, though he’s affordable enough that a team seeking short-term help at the hot corner could look to him as a stopgap between now and the trade deadline.

MLB rules stipulate that a player can be in DFA limbo for a maximum of one week, and waivers are a 48-hour process, so Rivera will be traded or placed on waivers within the next five days. If he clears, he’ll presumably accept a minor league assignment, as he did when the O’s passed him through waivers earlier this spring. Rejecting in favor of free agency would mean forfeiting the remainder of his $1MM guarantee, as Rivera does not have the five years of service needed to reject an outright assignment and retain his guaranteed salary.

MLBTR Chat Transcript

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Steve Adams

  • Good afternoon! Sorry to not open this up for early questions or preview it in this morning’s Opener. We’re all working on slightly different schedules today with Anthony off for a few days — and today, in particular, with Darragh and me recording the podcast this morning — so I wasn’t sure exactly when it’d get underway! We’ll start a bit early and go for an hour or a bit more, as usual.

Guards Ball

  • What is the guardians plan at the deadline? Buy, sell some rentals or even controllable relievers, or stand pat?

Steve Adams

  • This is a boring part one of the answer, but it’s emblematic of modern baseball in a three Wild Card era: they won’t make that final call anytime soon. Most teams don’t pick a lane until there’s less than a week until the deadline. Cleveland is certainly a team that tends to wait. They’re only a game back in the Wild Card standings, so I don’t think they’re going to engineer a huge sale, barring a total collapse. I could see them listening on Carlos Santana regardless, since they could just plug Manzardo in at 1B.
  • I expect that they’ll be open to various situations that’d net them controllable outfielders or starting pitching options. The rotation depth there is not what it once was, and the gears at their pitching factor have slowed a bit recently — in part due to injuries.

Chris Young

  • I’m thinking of trading Adolis Garcia and Tyler Mahle to the Braves for Marcell Ozuna and Spencer Strider: What are your thoughts on my trade proposal?

Steve Adams

  • Cannot fathom the Braves giving up Strider in that deal
  • Or in general

Luis Rengifo

  • Do I have trade value at all?

Steve Adams

  • Sure. The contact skills are still good, and he’s hitting plenty of line drives. Overall quality of contact profile is poor, but he’s never been someone who hits the ball super hard with consistency even when he’s been at his best.

    I don’t think Rengifo’s going to fetch the Angels any kind of significant prospect haul, but they’re not going to make him a QO, he’s a free agent at season’s end, and the Angels aren’t going anywhere this season, so I fully expect him to be moved. It’ll probably be a modest return, but that’s not a bad thing. They got Ryan Zeferjahn in that type of return, and he’s a genuinely interesting bullpen piece for them now

Dave Dombrowski

  • will I be in the market for a player like jarren duran?

Steve Adams

  • I imagine two-thirds of the league will ask the Red Sox about Jarren Duran. And Wilyer Abreu. And probably Ceddanne Rafaela, too.

    The Red Sox have a lot of good outfielders, especially with Roman Anthony up.

    Duran’s going to cost something significant and something close to MLB ready. For the Phillies, maybe Mick Abel-plus. That sort of thing. (With the “plus” also being quite significant … not like, Abel plus some 18-year-old lotto tickets)

Judgement

  • Aaron judge.

Steve Adams

  • Hear he’s P good at this baseball thing, yes.

KC42

  • Still confused on the Braves decision to DFA Kimbrel after one inning when they still run out Montero on a daily basis. Kinda a slap in the face to an Icon to not even let him throw at Truist. AA has been questionable since the WS run.

Steve Adams

  • Braves fans don’t like to hear it, but the World Series run was kind of just Anthopoulos throwing a bunch of stuff at the wall and all of it somehow simultaneously sticking. Even he probably has to be in shock about how well all of those moves worked out.

    I agree to an extent that he’s done a lot of weird things since. There have been a lot of great moves. Sale/Grissom is one of the best trades in recent memory. Risky, sure, but great self-evaluation of Grissom and a well-timed move since he lost all trade value quickly thereafter. Paying a ton of money to buy low on Kelenic? Like $30MMish once you factor in luxury taxes… less so. Paying nearly $3MM to rent Rafael Montero was wild.

  • That’s the reason they’re keeping Montero over Kimbrel, though. They took on a notable chunk of his salary, while Kimbrel just got his prorated base for a day.

    Kimbrel’s minor league numbers look nice, but his velo is now below average and the command hasn’t been great even in AAA.

Joshua

  • Would Michael Soroka be a sneaky good trade candidate for a variety of contending teams? His era through 5 innings during his starts is just over 3.00, he has experience as a reliver and has excelled there, and is a FA to be so there is no long term money attached to him.

Steve Adams

  • Yeah. I don’t like Soroka as a starter but I loved him as a reliever in the offseason and thought he could’ve cashed in on a nice two-year deal that way. He almost certainly could have, I should say, but clear he wanted to start and that was going to limit his earning more. If it keeps going well, maybe gets the nice multi-year this winter.

    Teams might be wary of trading for a guy who prioritized starting as a free agent, and then immediately plugging him into a bullpen, but Soroka had to know that was a strong possibility when he signed on with the Nats. And he’s a professional who’d be getting a chance to chase a ring, so I’m sure it’d be fine.

    Broadly — yes, go get Soroka. Put him in the ’pen. He was really impressive as a reliever last year and I still think that’s his best role.

  • To the point you made, it’s not just that his results dip after five innings. He destroys opponents the firs time through the order and immediately turns into a pumpkin
  • .148/.175/.262 first time through a lineup
    .263/.311/.509 second time through
    .400/.483/.680 third time through
  • (2025 only there, I should clarify)

Steve

  • Are the TWINS still up for sale?

Steve Adams

John

  • Denzel Clarke. Enough said

Steve Adams

  • Guy is like peak “Superman” Pillar levels of fun to watch in the outfield

Seb

  • Do you believe the A’s will be selling or buying at the trade deadline?

Steve Adams

  • Selling short-term pieces, open to adding big leaguers who can be controlled several more years.

Astros fan

  • Why did this site go down for a week

Steve Adams

  • That… has never happened? Not sure what issue you ran into. Email through our contact form if you’re having some sort of problem

Joe

  • Adrian Houser for Nick Frasso. Who says no?

Steve Adams

  • If the Dodgers wanted Houser they could’ve just signed him for like a $2MM base

Front Row

  • Any guesses about a Hader to the Padres type deal at this year’s deadline. An impact player traded away by a contending team?

Steve Adams

  • Yandy/Brandon Lowe/Fairbanks from the Rays
    Peralta from the Brewers
    Clase from the Guardians, I suppose, but I think that’s more a fantasy that fans of other teams have than something Cleveland will do … but there will probably be a few rumors to that effect even if there’s minimal fire backing said smoke

Aaron,esq

  • Does Chris Sale get traded?

Steve Adams

  • We talked about this on the podcast we recorded this morning (cheap plug!).

    I tend to think ATL will go into the deadline with the mindset of “We’re keeping him. We’re trying to win in 2026,” but offers will escalate to the point where they have to give real thought to it — kind of similar to the Twins with Jose Berrios several years back.

    If he’s healthy, I can definitely see a team making the Braves bite the bullet.

    Again, it’s boring to say “it’s too early to definitively say yes or no right now,” but that’s the reality. For the time being, yes, I find it eminently plausible even though the Braves would tell you right now “We’re not thinking like that.”

BC

  • Do IKF and Bednar have much value? Should I trade them?

Steve Adams

  • Not a ton for IKF, but a contending team will at least want him for a utility role. Or his old pals in the Bronx could use a second baseman!

    Bednar has looked great since his recall from Triple-A … 30-to-3 K/BB ratio in 20 2/3 innings, 2.61 ERA, sub-2.00 FIP and SIERA.

    Every contending team should want Bednar, and his stock is trending way up again.

Aaron

  • Is Stanton coming back this week?

Steve Adams

  • If not this week, probably next. He’s on a rehab assignment starting today. Of course, given his injury history, we can’t just assume he gets through it setback-free

Earl Scheib

  • Do you think this absolutely horrible season forces Colorado’s ownership to consider selling or at least completely replacing the front office? I can still see envision Dick Monfort rationalizing the whole thing away.

Steve Adams

  • I have long since given up assuming that anything will snap Dick Monfort back to reality.

Brewers 3B/SS

  • Will Bo Bichette be available at the deadline?  If so, what package could the Brewers put together that would be fair for the rental?

Steve Adams

  • I doubt Bichette’s available. The Jays are firmly in playoff contention right now, and even if they’re several games back of a spot, they have a front office/GM that probably feels like turnover is coming if the team doesn’t win.

    You could maybe get more than the value of a potential QO by trading Bichette, but you’d really punch a hole in your 2025 chances. Unless the Jays are like 10 back of a playoff spot, I think he’s staying.

  • Brewers wouldn’t be a good fit anyway, unless Toronto is eating like all of the salary.

Martras

  • I’ve seen an increasing expectation the Twins might look to acquire more starting pitching at the deadline, but I don’t see it. By the time the deadline rolls back around, Lopez should be close to returning and #5ish rotation depth is still strong for the Twins. I don’t see any appetite for their ownership to spend, either. What is your take?

Steve Adams

  • Generally agree. If they have more injuries or if Lopez/Matthews are going to be out awhile past the deadline, I could see them going after a Heaney or someone, just to avoid a situation like they had last year where they’re trying to stay afloat in a playoff race but running out three rookie starters (Woods Richardson, Festa, Matthews). But if they think they’re 2-4 weeks out from a Lopez return, if Zebby’s back by then and if the rest of the staff is healthy, I don’t know that they’ll be making aggressive pushes for SP help.

    Lots of “ifs” there, though.

AJ Preller

  • What will I have to give up to get Ramon Laureano? Can I pry him away mid June without a overpay?

Steve Adams

  • I just wouldn’t target/prioritize Laureano. He has decent numbers in a small sample this year, but the recent track record is bad, his K’s are up there, the defense isn’t what it once was and he’s not even hitting lefties well — he’s just BABIP’ing hard against righties (with some unexpected right-on-right pop). In general, I’d aim higher.

    But, as you’d expect after seeing me rattle off that glowing review — I don’t think the cost of acquisition would be all that high, no. Haha.

Wook

  • Brady House…July 1st call up?

Steve Adams

  • Anytime at this point wouldn’t surprise me too much.

Christian Walker

  • Am I living up to my contract even though negative war?  Is negative war for first baseman the new norm?

Steve Adams

  • I feel like it should go without saying that hitting .207/.269/.350 is decidedly not living up to a $20MM salary. K’s and chase way up, walks and power down. Not a great combo, but he’s still hitting the ball hard when he makes contact and still plays a good 1B defensively

JimmyKrakKorn

  • Is Clase The starting centre fielder in Toronto next year and Varsho moves to Left. We will need a lead off hitter when Bo Bichett moves to the Dodgers

Steve Adams

  • I don’t think Clase can/will hit, and even if he did, I’m not taking Varsho out of CF for him (or almost anyone else). Let him play LF and keep Varsho in center.

Dana Brown

  • A lot of buzz around Miguel Ullola. He isn’t listed in top 100 prospects but could he be a center piece in a trade for a top line SP or bat?

Steve Adams

  • I assume you’re talking locally in Houston? Ullola’s having a nice season in terms of his ERA and strikeout rate, but he’s walking almost 15% of his opponents in Triple-A. I don’t think he’s a centerpiece for a substantial deadline upgrade. But hey, only takes one team that loves him and thinks they can make some tweaks to bump his command a grade or two.

Redneck Rampage

  • Is Misiorowski coming up to Milwaukee a precursor to a Brewer trade? There’s a whole lot of pitchers up there even without Woodruff.

Steve Adams

  • Doubt it. The Brewers just view their Triple-A arms as an extension of the big league rotation. They had Quinn Priester lined up but have been getting good use of him as a bulk arm following openers with good success.

    They’re going to get innings for all of Misiorowski, Henderson, Patrick, Priester, etc. down the stretch. I expect that they’ll trade some starting pitching at the deadline, even if they’re contending (Civale/Quintana most likely, but they’ll get big offers on Peralta) and maybe narrow the group thusly post-deadline.

Friars

  • Have the Padres considered trading for Harrison Bader?

Steve Adams

  • The Twins are five over .500, +37 run differential and currently hold a Wild Card spot.

Binky

  • So when a player gets DFA’d what’s the benefit to the player in choosing FA and 1 minute later resigning a minor league deal vs instead of just accepting AAA right from thr get go.

Steve Adams

  • New opt-out language, different salary terms, the brief ability to see if anyone else will put you directly on a MLB roster elsewhere.

Defense wins Championships

  • Kimbrel makes sense for the Angels, right?

Steve Adams

  • Kimbrel feels like a very Angels move, if only because they love rolling the dice on former stars.

    Any team seeking bullpen depth (which is most of them) could sign Kimbrel — Braves included.

jed hoyer

  • Does a team take a chance on half a season of Julio Urias?

Steve Adams

  • Nope

Vladdy Jr

  • Is it possible that I’m just not a slugger?  Yes I hit the ball hard, but I can’t seem to get the launch angle for homers on the regular.  And how bad does my 500 million contract look if I’m good for only 25-30 home runs a year?

Steve Adams

  • Vlad hit .323/.396/.544 with 30 homers last year. If he’s “just” a 25-30 HR bat with those kinds of rate stats, they’ll be fine.

@Tayyyburrr

  • Does Julio Urias, Bauer or Wander ever play in MLB again?

Steve Adams

  • Nope

BB-STC

  • Assuming that he won’t be traded this year, what does Paddack’s next contract look like?

Steve Adams

  • Good command, sub-par K% and SwStr%. Average-ish velo. Two TJs under his belt. I’d have a hard time seeing anything past Taillon’s 4/68, and I’d probably take the under in years and AAV. Something in Eflin’s 3/40 range, perhaps?

Sad Reds Fan

  • Hunter Greene would be a Cy Young candidate if he could stay healthy and that makes me sad

Steve Adams

  • I have no great feedback other than to say, yes he would, and that’s understandable.

Kyle

  • After 3000Ks, is Clayton Kershaw unanimous HOF’er? Or will some writer hold playoffs against him

Steve Adams

  • I never expect anyone to get in unanimously, because some caveman writer will leave his ballot blank or like, only vote for one guy or something stupid. And then never own up to it.

    But it doesn’t matter. Kershaw’s a slam-dunk first ballot HOF

Kyle

  • Do you think the players will want to address in the next CBO the problem of clearly Ready prospects being held down until the summer to avoid them winning a full year via ROY?

Steve Adams

  • That wrinkle in and of itself is a product of the ROY rules which were designed to prevent Kris Bryant/Vlad Jr. situations where teams hold players down for 15 days to buy a whole year of service.

    This next iteration of service manipulation wasn’t hard to foresee. We were writing about how teams in situations like the O’s at the time could hold Rutschman (then a prospect) down until July or August even when they’re ready on Opening Day or mid-May for just this purpose.

    Maybe they’ll try to address this, sure, but clubs will find another way to try to game the system then. It’s only natural.

Thinking Cap

  • Any reason why Brendan Rodgers is still with the Astros & hasn’t been DFA’d? Highest K% of his career by far!

Steve Adams

  • I don’t really get what they’re doing there. He has 28 PA in the past month. He’s not hitting on the rare occasions they do use him. It’s not quite Austin Wynns/Reds level of non-usage, but it’s not far off. At a certain point — and I’d say we’re there — move on and make better use of the roster spot.

Josh Elliott

  • I watched most of a Guardians game about a week or so ago.  3 questions.  Is Angel Martinez available?  Can he play LF?  Would the Padres be able to get him without giving up Salas/De Vries?  Thank you!

Steve Adams

  • I assume you must’ve caught a good Martinez game, but there haven’t been many of them. He has a .257 OBP and the ninth-highest chase rate on balls off the plate among the 239 MLB hitters with 150+ PAs this year. That’s not the sort of upgrade I’m targeting. I’m surprised the Guardians are sticking with him.

Carl

  • Speaking of Kimbrel, he is a hall of famer?

Steve Adams

  • 440 saves, career 39 K% — I expect he’ll get in.

Backstops

  • How would you rank the following young catchers in projected career value: Henry Davis, Hunter Goodman, Alejandro Kirk, Logan O’Hoppe

Steve Adams

  • In the reverse order you listed them

Red Sox fan

  • Does Salas and De Vries get Duran

Steve Adams

  • Padres aren’t doing that
  • (But, yes, if the Padres actually offered that, I imagine the Red Sox would say “Um… ok?”)

Harry Ford

  • What tier of player could I return the Mariners if they put me on the block?

Steve Adams

  • He’s basically an MLB-ready, 55- or 60-FV catching prospect. He could rightly be the return for the overwhelming majority of players available at this year’s deadline.

    Jerry Dipoto also just unleashed a lengthy and largely unprompted ode to how much the org loves Harry Ford and how they think both he and Raleigh can coexist on the same roster long-term, so while I doubt he’s expressly untouchable, I also don’t think it’s necessarily likely that he’s traded.

Kyle

  • If the Pirates do trade Skenes, even if next year, is the return even bigger than Soto’s? Assuming health stays of course

Steve Adams

  • They won’t this year, but yes, it would be a larger return than Soto either this year or next.

J2F

  • Looks like Mil just promoted Misiorowski. Once Chandler gets the call, which one would you prefer for fantasy purposes?

Steve Adams

  • Chandler because the Pirates will keep him up. The Brewers will keep shuttling guys up and down all year as the situation necessitates. Need some length in the bullpen because Misiorowski went 5 innings but the game ran into the 11th? Misiorowski is going to get optioned.
  • Also, Chandler’s just the more highly regarded prospect. But the roster machinations in Milwaukee vs. Pittsburgh make it an easier call even if you think Chandler is overrated and/or Misiorowski is underrated.

Claude Hopper

  • What constitutes an acceptable return for Freddy Peralta? They would need a starting corner infielder and a top 5 organizational prospect IMO, especially considering Freddy’s salary.

Steve Adams

  • I would agree with something along those lines, yeah. “top 5 organizational prospect” feels too nebulous. The Mariners’ No. 5 prospect and the Angels’ No. 5 prospect are wildly different things.

    Two clear-cut 50 FV or better prospects (basically top-100 guys), or one plug-and-play young infielder and a 50 FV prospect seems like a good starting point.

baseball gods laugh and laugh

  • Who wouldn’t Salas and De Vries get?

Steve Adams

  • I mean the two of them on their own might not get Skenes. And the Yankees or Mariners aren’t tanking their contending seasons by trading Judge or Raleigh in order to get two teenagers
  • But generally, yes, trading Salas+De Vries is a good recipe to get 99% of the league haha

LFGM

  • What do you see the Mets doing at the deadline? I look and I see a pretty complete team, but definitely need a BP arm

Steve Adams

  • Yeah, every contender is always in the mix for more bullpen help. Mets could use a lefty, in particular.

Seebs

  • What did they used to call and oblique injury? Between that and hamate bones it’s like players and trainers are inventing new maladies.  I’m old fashioned – give me hedge trimmer or coolers of deer meat injuries

Steve Adams

  • Haha, I’ve been working MLBTR since not terribly long after the days of Clint Barmes’ trip to the 15-day venison list, and I remember oblique and hamate injuries even back then.
  • Back in the 60s-70s, they probably called oblique injuries “big deal, your side hurts, play through it” and then released the guy after the season because his numbers tanked
  • Alrighty, I’ve got to call it this week. I’m on X @Adams_Steve if you have more questions.

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