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White Sox Outright Jacob Amaya

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Aug. 18: Amaya went unclaimed on waivers and has been assigned outright to Triple-A Charlotte, per James Fegan of Sox Machine.

Aug. 15: The White Sox announced Friday that they’ve designated infielder Jacob Amaya for assignment. His spot on the roster goes to fellow infielder Chase Meidroth, who has been reinstated from the 10-day injured list.

Amaya, 26, has appeared in 37 games for the South Siders this season. He’s played decent middle infield defense, primarily at shortstop, but has mustered an anemic .106/.139/.121 batting line in 73 trips to the plate. He’s out of minor league options, so the Sox didn’t have the ability to simply send him to the minors without first passing him through waivers.

This is the second DFA of the season for Amaya and his third DFA of the calendar year. The Sox passed him through waivers back in May, outrighted him to Triple-A, and then selected him back to the big league roster earlier this month. Amaya has seen time in parts of three big league seasons but struggled at the plate with the Marlins, Astros and ChiSox. He’s a career .147/.183/.161 hitter in 154 major league plate appearances but carries a more respectable .250/.348/.388 line in 1351 Triple-A plate appearances.

The White Sox will place Amaya on waivers within the next five days. If he goes unclaimed, he’ll have the right to reject an outright assignment to Triple-A in favor of free agency.

Athletics Release Gio Urshela

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The A’s have released veteran infielder Gio Urshela, whom they designated for assignment on Friday, per the transaction log at MLB.com. He’ll be able to sign with any team once he clears release waivers.

Urshela, 33, signed a one-year, $2.15MM contract in free agency this past offseason. He missed close to a month earlier this season due to a hamstring strain and struggled at the plate both before and after that IL stint. He batted .238/.287/.326 with no home runs, 14 doubles and a triple in 197 turns at the plate. His 20.3% strikeout rate was his highest (by a wide margin) since 2021.

It’s been a tough few years for Urshela, who experienced an out-of-the-blue breakout with the Yankees in his age-27 season back in 2019 and played well up through a strong 2022 showing with the Twins. For four seasons between the Bronx and Minneapolis, he posted a combined .290/.336/.463 batting line (118 wRC+) with 54 home runs, 90 doubles and five triples in 1643 plate appearances.

Urshela was traded from the Twins to the Angels following the 2022 season. He suffered a fractured pelvis a couple months into his Angels tenure, and he hasn’t looked the same since. While he was batting .299/.329/.374 at the time of the injury, he’s taken 658 major league plate appearances between the Tigers, Braves and A’s since returning and has mustered only a .246/.287/.351 slash (77 wRC+). His defensive grades at the hot corner have seen a downturn as well — particularly in 2025. Both Defensive Runs Saved (-6) and Outs Above Average (-2) feel he’s been well below average in just 421 innings of work.

Once Urshela clears release waivers, any team that signs him would only need to pay him the prorated league minimum for any time spent on the big league roster. That sum would be subtracted from what the A’s owe him, but they’ll remain on the hook for the vast majority of what’s left on this year’s salary.

Orioles Notes: Eflin, Bradish, Wells, Mountcastle

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The Orioles announced this morning that right-hander Zach Eflin underwent a lumbar microdiscectomy procedure. The season-ending back surgery was announced last week, and this morning’s procedure went as expected, per the team. Eflin is hopeful of having a “normal” offseason after about 12 weeks, but recovery from this type of procedure can take anywhere from four to eight months. Every instance is different, of course, and there’s no real way to tell just how long Eflin will be down until he begins the rehab process.

This was a disaster season for the 31-year-old Eflin, who’s been limited to 14 starts and 71 1/3 innings by a lat strain and this back issue — an injury he revealed has bothered him on and off for several years. He posted a dismal 5.93 ERA when on the field — miles away from the 3.54 mark he posted in 343 innings for the Rays and Orioles during the first two seasons of his current three-year, $40MM contract (2023-24).

Eflin said last week that he was very open to a return to the Orioles. Whether the team pursue that option remains to be seen, but the O’s will clearly be in the market for arms this offseason. Eflin is a free agent, as is righty Tomoyuki Sugano. Fellow right-hander Charlie Morton was traded to the Tigers (and is a free agent at season’s end, too). Grayson Rodriguez won’t pitch this season after undergoing a debridement procedure in his elbow. The O’s have Trevor Rogers, Dean Kremer, Cade Povich and Brandon Young all controlled through next year. Righties Tyler Wells and Kyle Bradish can hopefully contribute down the stretch after they wrap up their rehab from last year’s UCL procedures, but a return to full health and prior levels of performance can’t simply be assumed.

Bradish, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com, is expected to make one final rehab start before he returns from what will end up being about a 14-month absence due to Tommy John surgery. He’s made five minor league starts and pitched to a 4.67 ERA with a 28.6% strikeout rate and 7.8% walk rate in 17 1/3 innings thus far. Wells, who had internal brace surgery around the same time as Bradish had his own operation, has made four rehab starts and pitched 13 innings of 2.03 ERA ball with nearly identical strikeout and walk rates to those of his teammate (28.3%, 7.5%). Bradish is controlled three more years beyond the current season. Wells is controlled for two more years.

Elsewhere on the roster, Ryan Mountcastle is facing some roster uncertainty of his own. The longtime Baltimore first baseman missed more than two months with a hamstring injury, and he returned to a very different roster. The O’s sold off veterans Morton, Cedric Mullins, Ryan O’Hearn, Ramon Laureano, Seranthony Dominguez and Gregory Soto at the trade deadline. Prospects Coby Mayo and Samuel Basallo are now getting legitimate auditions to show they can be long-term contributors at Camden Yards.

The presence of both Mayo and Basallo has and will continue to cut into Mountcastle’s playing time. The 28-year-old Mountcastle chatted with Andy Kostka of the Baltimore Banner about his reduced role, stating that he took it in stride and will be eager to help Mayo or Basallo with any questions or insight they might seek down the stretch. “Whatever they need, whatever I can do to help, I’m willing to do it,” Mountcastle said.

Interim manager Tony Mansolino told Kostka that he’ll try his best to be “creative” and get at-bats for Mayo, Basallo, Mountcastle and catcher Adley Rutschman to the extent possible. Basallo will be backing up Rutschman behind the plate but also factor in at first base and designated hitter — Mountcastle’s two positions.

From a bigger-picture standpoint, it’s increasingly fair to wonder about Mountcastile’s future outlook with the team. He’s eligible for arbitration for the final time this winter and will get a raise north of $7MM. He’ll be a free agent after the 2026 season. The O’s, as previously mentioned, are going to need to invest in the rotation this winter and, in Mayo and Basallo, now have younger pre-arbitration options to step in at first base and DH. It’s easy enough to see Mountcastle being traded or, depending on how he finishes, perhaps even non-tendered.

Mountcastle struggled tremendously prior to landing on the injured list, hitting just .246/.280/.348 in exactly 200 plate appearances before his injury. He’s had limited playing time but looked excellent upon his return. He hit .387/.486/.806 in nine rehab games (31 plate appearances) and, since returning, is 8-for-29 with two homers, a double, a pair of walks and a hit-by-pitch. He’s slashing .276/.333/.517 in his first 33 plate appearances back on the big league roster and has even stolen a pair of bases (despite stealing just three in each of the past two seasons).

So far, anyway, the hamstring looks to be rehabilitated, and Mountcastle looks far better than he did early on. It bears reminding that from 2021-24, Mountcastle was a key factor in a terrific Baltimore lineup, hitting .260/.312/.447 with 86 home runs, 102 doubles and five triples. He’s a right-handed hitter who’s beat up left-handed pitching throughout his career and turned in slightly better-than-average results versus righties. He’s also a sound defensive first baseman. With a 2026 salary likely in the vicinity of $8MM, Mountcastle could be a nice short-term pickup for a team looking for a stopgap option at first base — if the Orioles elect to go with their up-and-coming bats at the position.

Submit Your Questions For This Week’s Episode Of The MLBTR Podcast

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On the MLB Trade Rumors podcast, we regularly answer questions from our readers and listeners. With the next episode set for Wednesday, we’re looking for MLBTR’s audience to submit their questions and we’ll pick a few to answer.

Only a few weeks remain in the 2025 regular season. Do you have a question about the stretch run? A move made at the deadline? The upcoming offseason? If you have a question on those topics or anything else baseball-related, we’d love to hear from you! You can email your questions to mlbtrpod@gmail.com.

Also, if you want to hear your voice on the podcast, send us your question in audio form and we might play it. iPhone users can find instructions on how to do so here.

In the meantime, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Braves Re-Sign Carlos Carrasco To Minor League Deal

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The Braves re-signed veteran righty Carlos Carrasco to a minor league contract after designating him for assignment last week, as first indicated on the transaction log at MiLB.com. Carrasco cleared waivers, briefly elected free agency, and now returns on a new minor league where he’ll serve as a depth arm for an injury-plagued Braves staff. Carrasco will head to Triple-A Gwinnett for the time being.

Carrasco opened the season with the Yankees after signing a minor league deal in the winter. He was roughed up for a 5.91 ERA in eight games (six starts) before being removed from the Yankees’ 40-man roster. He stuck around with their Triple-A club until an Atlanta team that was desperate for innings after a series of rotation injuries acquired Carrasco for cash prior to the trade deadline.

The 38-year-old Carrasco tossed a quality start against the Reds on deadline day but was tagged for six runs in 5 2/3 frames his next time out and six more runs in just two innings in his third start with the Braves. He wound up pitching 13 2/3 innings overall and logging a 9.88 ERA during his brief run with Atlanta. Combined with his earlier Yankees struggles, Carrasco has limped to a 7.09 ERA in 45 2/3 innings this season.

Carrasco made 29 solid starts for the 2022 Mets (3.97 ERA, 152 innings) but has now struggled greatly in three consecutive major league seasons. He’s pitched 239 1/3 MLB frames dating back to 2023 but logged only a 6.36 earned run average as his velocity, strikeout rate, walk rate and home run rate have all trended in the wrong direction.

The Atlanta rotation currently includes Spencer Strider, Erick Fedde, Bryce Elder, Hurston Waldrep and Joey Wentz, although Chris Sale is on the mend and expected to return soon. Sale tossed 56 pitches over four innings of one-run ball in his second Triple-A rehab start yesterday. He’s been out since mid-June due to fractures in his ribcage.

The Opener: Red Sox, Brewers, Cubs, Pitchers’ Duel

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Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day:

1. Red Sox roster moves incoming:

The Red Sox are nearing a deal with first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, who was designated for assignment by the Nationals last week. Once that deal is finalized, the Red Sox will need to make corresponding moves in order to accommodate the addition of Lowe to both the club’s 40-man and active rosters. That 40-man move could simply come by way of transferring infielder Marcelo Mayer to the 60-day injured list after yesterday’s announcement that he’ll miss the remainder of the season due to wrist surgery, but it’s also worth noting that bench bats like Abraham Toro and Ali Sanchez, whose roster spots could be at risk with Lowe set to join the club, do not have options remaining and would need to be designated for assignment if removed from the roster.

2. Series Preview: Brewers @ Cubs

The Brewers just saw their incredible 14-game winning streak come to an end, but they still hold an eight-game NL Central lead thanks to excellent pitching and timely hitting — not only from regulars like William Contreras and Christian Yelich but also surprise heroes like Andruw Monasterio. Their win streak has coincided with some weak play from the Cubs, who have scuffled to a 6-8 record so far in August and a 12-14 record since the All-Star break. Kyle Tucker and Pete Crow-Armstrong aren’t hitting like the superstars they were in the first half, and the bullpen has begun to show cracks after being carried by unexpected contributors like Brad Keller and Drew Pomeranz earlier this summer.

That leads into what could be the biggest series of the regular season for both clubs, with the Brewers headed to Wrigley Field for five games in four days — starting with a doubleheader today. Cade Horton (3.07 ERA in 16 outings) will face off against Freddy Peralta (2.90 ERA in 25 starts) in Game 1, followed by a second game with two as-of-yet unannounced starters. Tuesday’s game will feature southpaw Matthew Boyd (2.46 ERA in 24 starts) against longtime Brewers ace Brandon Woodruff (2.06 ERA in seven starts). The Brewers are slated to start rookie Jacob Misiorowski (3.89 ERA in eight starts) and righty Quinn Priester (3.48 ERA in 23 outings) for Games 4 and 5. Chicago has not yet announced its starters for those games. Former Brewer Colin Rea and ace Shota Imanaga would be on schedule, but the impending return of Jameson Taillon from the injured list could impact the club’s rotation at some point this week.

3. Pitchers’ Duel in Philadelphia:

The Mariners are in Philadelphia, and the their series against the Phillies will kick off with a particularly exciting pitching matchup. Seattle ace Logan Gilbert is scheduled to take the mound today amid a season where he’s posted a 3.31 ERA with a career-best 2.99 FIP across 17 starts. The Phillies counter with southpaw Ranger Suarez, who’s having a strong year himself ahead of reaching free agency this winter. Suarez sports a 3.28 ERA and 3.27 FIP across 18 starts, though he’s had a rough patch of late (6.59 ERA over his past five starts). With the Mariners just 1.5 games back of the Astros in the AL West and the Phillies tied with the Dodgers for the second playoff bye in the NL, it’s a high-stakes game — and series — for both clubs.

Red Sox Finalizing Deal With Nathaniel Lowe

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The Red Sox and first baseman Nathaniel Lowe are in the final stages of a contract, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.  MassLive’s Chris Cotillo reported earlier that Lowe and the Sox were in discussions and were “working on getting it done.”  Lowe is represented by SportsMeter.

The signing comes at little surprise, as reports linking the Sox to Lowe have been swirling since May, soon after Triston Casas was lost to what is likely to be a season-ending knee surgery.  Boston continued to show interest in Lowe prior to the trade deadline but no deal was reached with the Nationals.  After the Nats designated Lowe for assignment and placed him on waivers yesterday, Cotillo reported that the Sox were likely to make a play for the former Gold Glover, so it would appear that Lowe is now officially a free agent after clearing waivers.

Casas’ injury sparked quite a chain reaction in Boston’s season, as Rafael Devers’ subsequent refusal to play first base was one of the factors that led to Devers being traded to the Giants in June.  While the Sox looked around the market at Lowe and other trade options, the fill-in platoon of Abraham Toro and Romy Gonzalez performed respectably well, with Gonzalez in particular crushing left-handed pitching.  Since Lowe is a left-handed hitter, it stands to reason that Gonzalez will still get his share of at-bats when a southpaw is on the mound, and Toro could be the odd man out of the playing time equation.

The question now facing the Sox is what version of Lowe are they getting — the solid veteran who was a fixture as the Rangers’ first baseman from 2021-24, or the much-less productive Lowe who hit only .216/.292/.373 over 490 plate appearances with Washington.  These underwhelming numbers included a decent but uninspiring .235/.312/.421 slash line in 337 PA against right-handed pitching.

Even those splits represent an upgrade over Toro, plus there is more potential upside if the change of scenery returns Lowe to his past Rangers form.  The Red Sox are one of baseball’s better-hitting teams overall, though the club is more productive against left-handed pitching.  Boston’s collective 102 wRC+ against right-handers is tied for 15th among the 30 teams.

There is no financial risk for the Red Sox in adding Lowe since they’ll only be owing him the prorated portion of the MLB minimum salary.  That total will be subtracted from the roughly $2.33MM remaining on Lowe’s $10.3MM salary for the 2025 season, with the Nationals covering the remainder.  Lowe also has one final year of arbitration control remaining, but unless he goes on an absolute tear in Boston over the remainder of the season, the Sox are likely to non-tender him this winter rather than give him a raise on that $10.3MM figure.

It is safe to assume that the Red Sox probably just view Lowe as a stopgap for 2025, with Casas on the horizon for a return in 2026 and perhaps more of Boston’s up-and-coming prospects (i.e. Kristian Campbell, Jhostynxon Garcia) perhaps being viewed as first base candidates down the road.  Signing Lowe addresses one of the few weak links on a roster that shares the top AL wild card slot with the Mariners, and sits five games back of the Blue Jays for first place in the AL East.

Red Sox Notes: Abreu, Eaton, Giolito

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The Red Sox held a 3-1 lead through seven innings against the Marlins today, but a bullpen meltdown resulted in a 5-3 loss.  Beyond the setback in the standings, the Sox also had an injury scare when Wilyer Abreu had to leave the game prior to the top of the eighth inning due to what the club described as right calf tightness.

Speaking with MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith and other reporters postgame, Abreu called his injury “a little cramp” that he picked up while running the bases in the bottom of the seventh.  He didn’t feel a trip to the injured list was necessary, though Abreu speculated that he might miss Boston’s upcoming two-game series with the Orioles before returning Wednesday for the start of a series with the Yankees.

In a related move, the Red Sox are calling Nate Eaton up from Triple-A, as initially reported by Nate Parker of Beyond The Monster.  Eaton is a third baseman/outfielder who has appeared in 14 games for the Red Sox this season, and he can fill in as a depth option in the outfield either in the short term for the Baltimore series or perhaps for a longer stint if Abreu ends up on the IL.

To include Eaton on the active roster immediately, the Sox are playing with three catchers on the active roster, so Ali Sanchez could be designated for assignment.  Boston’s seemingly impending contract with Nathaniel Lowe is another factor in roster decisions, as the Red Sox would then have to make space for both Lowe and Eaton if the signing is completed by Monday.  It is possible Eaton could just stick around on the taxi squad rather than being actually added to the 26-man roster, until the team knows more about Abreu’s status.

Abreu hit his 22nd homer today, and is batting .253/.325/.486 over 395 plate appearances this season.  The large majority of Abreu’s playing time has come against right-handed pitching, though his .721 OPS in 64 PA against southpaws this season is a big improvement over his numbers against lefties in his previous two big league seasons.  Boston’s outfield picture has been crowded enough that Abreu has almost been forced to the bench when a left-handed pitcher is on the mound, yet it bodes well for his future as an everyday player if he can hit well against all pitchers and continue his elite glovework in right field.

In other Red Sox news, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow spoke with MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo and other media on Saturday, and implied that after the season, “we’ll have those conversations” with Lucas Giolito about a potential contract extension.  Giolito has a 3.63 ERA over 106 2/3 innings in 2025, overcoming a hamstring injury and some early-season struggles to post a 2.34 ERA over his last 73 innings.

Perhaps the key stat is the 106 2/3 innings, as reaching the 140-inning threshold would give Giolito control over his status for 2026.  The righty signed a two-year, $38.5MM deal during the 2023-24 offseason that consisted of an $18MM salary in 2024, a $19MM player option for 2025 that Giolito exercised, and then a $14MM club option for 2026 that came into play when Giolito didn’t opt out last winter.  If Giolito pitches at least 140 innings this season, the club option becomes a $19MM mutual option with a $1.5MM buyout attached, and mutual options are virtually never exercised by both sides.

In theory, the Sox could maintain their club option by purposefully keeping Giolito under that 140-inning mark, whether by skipping a start or limiting his in-game workload.  However, Breslow stated that “all of the decisions that we’re going to make are going to be driven by what gives us the best chance of winning games, getting into the postseason and making a deep postseason run,” rather than worrying about contracts.

“You hope that these situations are clear.  When you’re pushing for a playoff spot, they are,” Breslow said.  “We’re all incentivized to do whatever we can to win games.  The most important thing after that is actually just making sure he’s healthy and recovering and that we’re monitoring the workload so that he’s in a position to help us every five days.”

Naturally, no executive would ever publicly admit to limiting a player’s playing time for contractual reasons, yet Breslow’s stance carries a lot of common sense.  Giolito has been one of the better pitchers in all of baseball over the last 10 weeks, so it only helps the Red Sox to have him on the mound as often as possible.  If Giolito did hit the 140-inning mark and take the obvious route to free agency, he has pitched well enough that a qualifying offer could be a possibility, which would allow the Sox to recoup a compensatory draft pick if Giolito signed elsewhere.

Rays Sign Cooper Hummel To Minor League Contract

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The Rays have signed outfielder Cooper Hummel to a minor league deal, according to KPRC 2’s Ari Alexander.  The Astros designated Hummel for assignment earlier this week, and he elected free agency on Friday after clearing waivers and declining an outright assignment to Houston’s Triple-A affiliate.

Tampa Bay will be Hummel’s fourth different organization of the 2025 season, as he has previously been with the Yankees and Astros (on minors deals) and the Orioles (on a guaranteed contract).  The outfielder has been bouncing on and off rosters all year in a flurry of DFAs, outrights, and trips to free agency, and through it all has appeared in 37 games at the big league level.  One of those games was with the O’s and the rest were with the Astros, as Houston’s swath of outfield injuries led to some playing time once Hummel’s minor league deal was selected to Houston’s roster in mid-June.

Over 105 plate appearances, Hummel has hit only .170/.298/.273 with three home runs.  This represents the most MLB exposure Hummel has received since his 2022 rookie season, when he had 201 PA over 66 games with the Diamondbacks.  In between those two seasons, Hummel got into 10 games with the Mariners in 2023 and six games with Houston last year.

Between his ability to decline outright assignments and his lack of minor league options, Hummel is one of those players who seems somewhat stuck in a perpetual transaction cycle.  Despite his lack of production in the Show, Hummel has a very impressive .284/.418/.480 slash line across 1487 career PA at the Triple-A level.  He has played only as a corner outfielder this season, but he has some experience at first base and even at catcher, though Hummel hasn’t suited up behind the plate since 2023.

There’s no risk for the Rays in bringing aboard a depth outfielder with big league experience, but the Hummel signing could be a hedge against a possible trip to the injured list for Josh Lowe.  Some oblique tightness kept Lowe out of the lineup today, and while the injury isn’t thought to be too serious, adding Hummel gives Tampa some cover if Lowe indeed has to miss time.

MLBTR Chat Transcript

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Mark P

  • Let’s open up the Weekend Chat! We’ll delve into the bees, beads, and baseball after we get a few questions in the queue…

BhamBrave

  • What sort of deal is Marcel Ozuna looking at after this season?

Mark P

  • One year, worth maybe around $10MM or so?

    He’s entering his age-35 season, and is coming off a solid year that has seen him greatly increase his walk rate, even as his other numbers are basically all down from 2024.  (Though still above average.)  He’s a DH-only player, and his past off-the-field issues will also limit his market to some extent.

Kyle Schwarber

  • Do you think i’ll resign with Philly?

Mark P

  • Yes.  The Phillies have shown a tendency to retain their favored internal free agents, and Schwarber is beloved by everyone from ownership on down.

intl signings

  • What is a better strategy in the intl signing period- sign one top prospect using most of your pool or sign a few second tier guys and spread the risk ?  Should you alternate the two strategies ?

Mark P

  • It’s hard to say since the international market is such a crapshoot.  When dealing with prospects at such a young age, it’s so hard to view a kid as such a “sure thing” that it’s worth committing most of your pool towards a signing.  We’ve seen plenty of highly-touted int’l signings over the years fizzle out in the minors, let alone in the big leagues.

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