Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Blue Jays Notes: Yesavage, Deadline, Hernandez

By | at

The Blue Jays promoted right-hander Trey Yesavage from Double-A to Triple-A, reports Keegan Matheson of MLB.com, furthering the chances that last year’s first-rounder could impact the major league club before season’s end. As Matheson outlines, the club has been particular in managing the East Carolina product’s workload and even had him come out of the bullpen in his last outing — though he still wound up working five innings of long relief.

Both manager John Schneider and GM Ross Atkins have previously suggested that Yesavage could be considered for a late promotion to the majors this season. Though he’s just in his first full professional season, Yesavage will have pitched across four minor league levels once he makes his first appearance with Triple-A Buffalo. He’s pitched 80 2/3 innings and logged a terrific 3.01 earned run average while setting down a whopping 42.3% of his opponents on strikes. His 9.5% walk rate is higher than average but not to the extent that it’s alarming.

Toronto beefed up its bullpen with deadline trades for veteran Seranthony Dominguez and controllable Louis Varland, adding a pair of impact arms to a group that had lacked some stability. Bringing Yesavage into the mix would plug in another power arm — potentially one who could pitch in high-leverage settings.

Yesavage, of course, could have been used in an entirely different manner — as a trade chip to bring in further talent at the deadline. The Athletic’s Mitch Bannon reports that the Jays were at least willing to discuss Yesavage and fellow top prospects Arjun Nimmala and Johnny King but ultimately held onto that trio. Both Yesavage and Nimmala, in particular, are consensus top-75 prospects in the sport. Yesavage ranks 26th on MLB.com’s updated list and 57th at Baseball America. Nimmala is 44th at BA and 51st at MLB.com.

Keeping Yesavage has obvious potential benefits not just in 2025 but for the 2026 rotation. He may be viewed as a bullpen option for the current campaign, but Yesavage’s long-term home will be in the rotation. With the Jays set to see Max Scherzer, Shane Bieber and Chris Bassitt all reach free agency at season’s end, Yesavage could be a prominent factor in the starting staff as soon as Opening Day 2026.

In that sense, getting a look at him versus big league opponents in 2025 takes on all the more importance. That’s especially true when considering that the Jays traded away pitching prospects Khal Stephen (Bieber), Kendry Rojas (Varland) and Juaron Watts-Brown (Dominguez) — all of whom could reach the majors in 2026. That sequence of trades noticeably bolstered the current roster but also further thinned a pitching pipeline that will be critical in the short-term. Beyond the looming departures of Bassitt, Scherzer and Bieber, the Jays will see Kevin Gausman and Eric Lauer become free agents post-2026. Jose Berrios has an opt-out opportunity following the 2026 season as well.

While that pitching situation will be a primary focus of the upcoming offseason, adding some offense to the lineup was viewed as a pivotal aspect of the 2024-25 winter. The Jays were tied to several marquee free agents and wound up landing Anthony Santander on a five-year contract that hasn’t panned out thus far, as the former Orioles slugger has been beset by shoulder troubles all season.

One alternative that the Jays pursued was a reunion with Teoscar Hernandez. A return to Toronto was very much in play — according to the outfielder himself.

“We actually came really close to a reunion so I can come back to Toronto,” Hernandez tells Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. “They were trying to do a couple of things, I’m not going to say what, but they were trying to do a couple things first.”

Though Hernandez understandably didn’t go into specifics, it seems fair to presume that one major item on the list was the eventual extension with Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who signed a 14-year deal in spring training. The Jays also wound up adding Santander on a heavily deferred five-year deal, signing Jeff Hoffman for three years, re-signing Yimi Garcia for two years and bringing Scherzer in on a one-year pact. Several of those moves have delivered less-than-ideal results, though it also bears highlighting that Lauer was a minor league signee who’s stepped in as a godsend for the pitching staff.

Hernandez, of course, ultimately re-upped with the Dodgers on a three-year, $66MM contract that — like the Santander deal — contains some deferred money. His return campaign in Los Angeles hasn’t been nearly as strong as his 2024 season. In 389 plate appearances, Hernandez is slashing .254/.289/.464 with 18 home runs.

The Opener: Hader, Severino, Dodgers, Padres, MLBTR Chat

By | at

Here are three things MLBTR readers should keep an eye out for today:

1. AL West injury updates:

Astros closer Josh Hader was unavailable to pitch last night, and manager Joe Espada revealed after the game that the left-hander was nursing some “discomfort” in his shoulder. Houston is now awaiting imaging results and will presumably provide an update later today. Needless to say, losing Hader for any amount of time would be difficult for the team to survive. Hader, who leads all relievers in Win Probability Added, is a huge reason why the Astros have been able to cling to their lead over the Mariners in the AL West – a lead that has fallen to just one game.

On a more positive note, Athletics manager Mark Kotsay told Jessica Kleinschmidt that injured starter Luis Severino was recently evaluated, and the results were more promising than expected. The A’s will provide more information when it is available, likely later today. Severino landed on the IL on Saturday (retroactive to August 6) with a left oblique strain, but the A’s were still waiting to determine the severity of the strain. While the A’s are not fighting for a postseason spot, they would certainly like to have their highest-paid player back in a stretched-thin rotation as soon as possible. Severino might not be having the 2025 season he hoped for when he signed his three-year, $67MM contract, but he still leads the A’s in starts, innings pitched, and FanGraphs WAR.

2. Can the Padres catch the Dodgers?

The Dodgers have now lost two straight, while the Padres have won three in a row, putting San Diego just one game back of the top spot in the NL West. If the Padres win tonight against the Giants, and if the Dodgers lose a sixth consecutive game against the Angels (dating back to last season), the Padres will pull into a tie with the Dodgers for first place in the division. The Dodgers have held sole possession of first place since June 14 and have been ahead of the Padres in the standings since April 27. According to MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell, San Diego has not been this close to catching L.A. post-All-Star break in 15 years. The Dodgers remain the heavy favorites to win the NL West for the 12th time in the last 13 years, but after an active trade deadline, the Padres are making things interesting.

3. MLBTR chat today:

The trade deadline is in the rearview mirror, and the stretch run has officially begun. There is no shortage of close postseason races, and it’s never too early to look ahead to the offseason and what free agency and the winter trade market might bring. MLBTR’s Steve Adams will be hosting a live chat this afternoon at 1pm CT to discuss it all. You can click here to ask a question in advance, join in live once the chat begins, or read the transcript once the chat is complete.

Josh Hader Undergoing Tests For Shoulder Discomfort

By | at

The Astros used Enyel De Los Santos and Bennett Sousa in the ninth inning of tonight’s 7-6 win over the Red Sox, which immediately raised eyebrows since closer Josh Hader hadn’t pitched since Friday and was seemingly fresh.  After the game, manager Joe Espada told reporters (including Matt Kawahawa of the Houston Chronicle) that Hader was unavailable due to what Espada described as “discomfort” in Hader’s left shoulder.

Hader was undergoing testing on his shoulder and more will be known once the results of those scans are in, but for now, the Astros and their fans can only hope that the closer has avoided a significant injury.  Losing Hader would be a massive hit to an Astros team trying to stay ahead of the surging Mariners in the AL West race.

Now in his second season of a five-year, $95MM free agent contract, Hader wasn’t quite as dominant as usual in 2024, as a spike in home runs and hard-hit ball rate led to a 3.80 ERA over 71 innings.  Things have been more normal this year, as Hader has a 2.05 ERA over 52 2/3 innings, and posted a set of impressive Statcast metrics to go along with his sparkling ERA.  Hader’s 7.8% walk rate is noteworthy, as it represents his first above-average number in that category since the 2019 season.  As always, Hader is generating a ridiculous amount of swing-and-miss, sitting in the 99th percentile of all pitchers in strikeout, whiff, and chase rates.

In his previous game on Friday, Hader threw a season-high 36 pitches over two innings of work, getting the win in the Astros’ ten-inning 5-3 result over the Yankees.  He has topped the 30-pitch threshold just four times in 48 games this season, and only seven times pitched more than a single inning.  With this in mind, it could be that Hader is just a little sore in the aftermath of that longer outing in New York, and needs a bit more recovery time.

Houston’s pen is deep enough in quality arms that the club should be able to withstand a brief absence for Hader, as any of Sousa, Steven Okert, Bryan King, or Bryan Abreu could step into the closer’s role.  The Astros have had one of the best bullpens in baseball this year, though obviously Hader has been a big factor in the relief corps’ excellence.

Red Sox Notes: Anthony, Garcia, Sandlin

By | at

The Red Sox and Roman Anthony agreed to an eight-year extension worth at least $130MM in guaranteed money earlier this week, fully cementing the young star as a key part of the team’s future.  The two sides had somewhat lightly discussed an extension prior to the season, as The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier writes that a “true back-and-forth about a framework” never happened, even after three different offers from the Sox shortened what started as “a considerable gap” in asking prices.

It seemed like the negotiations were going to be put on hold until after the season until chief baseball officer Craig Breslow contacted both Anthony and agent Mark Rodgers with a new offer on August 3.  As Breslow explained to Speier and other reporters, the team felt free to revisit talks with the chaos of the trade deadline now in the past, with the caveat that they obviously wanted Anthony’s focus to remain on the field.

“The balance that we needed to strike was trying to aggressively extend Rome and recognizing how important he is to our 2025 team and also our future with not presenting or creating a distraction when this team is playing so well…[We were] very clear with Mark and Roman’s camp that we had no interest in allowing this to become a distraction, and that if we could work through this quickly, that would be great, and if not, that was also OK,” Breslow said.

The talks were restarted between the team, Rodgers, and two other Frontline Athlete Management agents.  A couple of smaller details almost held up the proceedings entirely, but a deal was eventually reached.  The end result was the eight-year commitment that might be worth another $70MM, depending on whether or not Anthony hits any of the many escalator clauses attached within his contract.

Anthony is the fifth different Red Sox player to sign an extension since Breslow took over the front office in October 2023, as the executive has made a point of locking up cornerstone players.  Garrett Crochet was signed to a six-year, $170MM deal after being acquired from the White Sox this past offseason, and Boston has also signed homegrown youngsters Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela, Kristian Campbell, and Brayan Bello to long-term deals.

These contracts are a testament to both upper management’s belief in this young talent and the depth of the Red Sox farm system.  The pipeline isn’t even dry yet, as another intriguing prospect could still be called up to address the team’s need at first base.  Jhostynxon Garcia has been a career outfielder in the minors but he is working out at the position at Triple-A.  Worcester manager Chad Tracy said Garcia could potentially see some game action at first base within the next week.

“If that’s the only way we can speed him up, then we might have to do it,” Tracy told Speier.  “We take into consideration, ultimately, if he makes a mistake and it’s costly, oh well, at least it’s not at Fenway….At the same time, you also don’t want to throw a player out there to the wolves who you feel like is not ready and have him standing out there with his shoulders down feeling like he’s costing the team.”

Hitting-wise, Garcia seems very ready for the Show, as he has batted .303/.370/.581 with 16 home runs over his first 262 Triple-A plate appearances.  Given the crowded Red Sox outfield, a move to first base would allow “the Password” a much smoother path to the bigs before 2025 is over.  The presence of Romy Gonzalez and Abraham Toro (Boston’s current first base platoon) would provide cover to help alleviate any pressure on Garcia, and his bat could be an intriguing x-factor for the Red Sox in the playoff race.

Along these same lines, starter prospect David Sandlin has been pitching out of the Worcester bullpen with an eye towards a possible relief role on the MLB roster.  Sandlin has made only four appearances total at the Triple-A level, but if he looks good in his new assignment, the hard-throwing righty could be in line for another quick promotion up to the Show.  Speier reports that Sandlin was a popular trade ask for rival teams heading into the deadline, speaking to how much interest the right-hander has generated due to both his pitching arsenal and his results in Double-A in 2025.

A’s Move Austin Wynns To 60-Day IL, Reinstate Brady Basso From 60-Day IL

By | at

The Athletics announced that left-hander Brady Basso was optioned to Triple-A after being reinstated from the 60-day injured list.  To create 40-man roster space, Austin Wynns was moved from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL, which means that the catcher’s 2025 season is officially over.

Wynns was acquired in a trade with the Reds in June, as the A’s needed some catching help when Shea Langeliers was sidelined by an oblique strain.  Wynns appeared in 22 games for the Athletics before an abdominal strain sent him to the 15-day IL earlier this week, and the injury has already been deemed serious enough to close the book on his seventh Major League season.

The backstop will finish with a .291/.321/.544 slash line over 110 plate appearances, with the big majority of that production coming over a scorching-hot stretch with Cincinnati.  Wynns hit .400/.442/.700 over 43 PA with the Reds, as opposed to a .222/.242/.444 slash in 67 PA with the A’s that bears a much closer resemblance to his overall career numbers.

While we’re dealing with small sample sizes here, the fact that Wynns has an .883 OPS over his last 130 trips to the plate at the MLB level should help him land another minor league contract this offseason.  The Athletics have arbitration control over Wynns for 2026 so it is possible the team might consider keeping him aboard as a veteran catching option behind Langeliers.  If he is non-tendered, Wynns will be on the move again after already suiting up for six different teams during his seven years in the bigs.  Wynns has hit .239/.282/.362 with 19 homers over 783 career plate appearances, with the bulk of that playing time coming as a backup with the Orioles from 2018-21.

A 16th-round pick for the A’s in the 2019 draft, Basso made his Major League debut last season and posted a 4.03 ERA over 22 1/3 innings, starting the last four of his seven total appearances.  Basso hasn’t been able to follow up due to a shoulder strain that arose during Spring Training, and then resurfaced in June to interrupt a minor league rehab assignment.  Basso has logged two appearances with Triple-A Las Vegas since restarting his rehab work earlier this week.  If healthy, the southpaw will likely get another look on the Athletics’ roster before the 2025 season is through.

Twins Deadline Notes: Phillies, Duran, Jax, Paddack, Reds

By | at

It wasn’t really a shock that the Twins became deadline sellers, as the club’s downturn in June and July pretty much closed the door on Minnesota’s chances of contending.  However, the sheer scope of the Twins’ selloff was eye-opening, as the club swung nine different trades within four days of the July 31 deadline and sent 11 different players to eight separate clubs.  Several behind-the-scenes details about the trades the Twins both did and didn’t make have filtered out since July 31, and Bobby Nightengale Jr. of the Minnesota Star Tribune adds a few more notes about the front office approached this pivotal four-day period.

Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax were both pursued by several teams, though “the Dodgers didn’t show much interest in” either reliever, Nightengale writes.  This runs somewhat contrary to a pre-deadline report that linked Los Angeles to the duo, though it could be that the Dodgers simply weren’t interested in paying what ended up being a high price tag for either pitcher.  Though the Dodgers were known to be considering pretty much every reliever on the market, the reigning World Series champs’ biggest bullpen splash ended up being another Twin in Brock Stewart.  Though Stewart is arbitration-eligible through 2027, his “trade value was more commensurate with a rental reliever because of his injury history,” according to Nightengale, which is why Minnesota obtained outfielder James Outman (something of a spare part in L.A.) rather than prospects.

The Twins wanted two top-100 prospects for Duran, an asking price commensurate with the closer’s quality and the fact that he is arb-controlled through 2027.  It was a big enough ask to dissuade the Mariners, who “were deep into talks with the Twins” and may have been the runners-up in the Duran talks.  The Phillies refused to give up Andrew Painter for Duran or anyone, and ended up landing Duran for catching prospect Eduardo Tait and young starter Mick Abel.

Technically, this trade package didn’t meet Minnesota’s ask, since Abel was no longer part of top-100 rankings heading into the 2025 season.  Still, Abel has been a regular on such rankings for the previous four years, was selected 15th overall by the Phils in the 2020 draft, and is a big league-ready starter after making his MLB debut this season.

Tait and Leo De Vries (acquired by the A’s from the Padres in the Mason Miller blockbuster) were the only consensus top-100 prospects who changed teams at this year’s deadline, speaking to the high value that clubs place on these top prospects.  Nightengale writes that Minnesota felt Tait “had the highest upside” of any of the players that the Mariners offered for Duran, and preferred Tait to another top Phillies prospect in shortstop Aidan Miller.  This would seem to imply that Philadelphia was also willing to include Miller as the top prospect in the package, which tracks with past reports indicating that Painter and perhaps Justin Crawford were the only real untouchables within the Phils’ minor league system.

Duran was dealt on July 30 and the Twins then swung another trade with the Phillies the next day, moving Harrison Bader for two lower-level prospects (outfielder Hendry Mendez and right-hander Geremy Villoria).  The Twins and Phillies had previously talked about combining Duran and Bader into a single deal, but Nightengale writes that Minnesota wanted to move Duran separately.

This left Bader as one of the seven trades Minnesota swung on the July 31 deadline day itself, including the deal that sent Jax to the Rays for Taj Bradley.  Since Jax is also arb-controlled through 2027, the Twins initially wanted a prospect package “similar to the one they received in the Duran deal.”  This could explain why “Jax’s market didn’t pick up until the last day,” Nightengale notes, and perhaps why teams like the Dodgers were balking.  Rather than getting a prospect back for Jax, the Twins instead got an experienced MLB starter who is controlled through 2029, and as the club is betting that Bradley has a higher ceiling of performance.

Minnesota’s trading flurry began when Chris Paddack and Randy Dobnak were sent to the Tigers on July 28 in exchange for catching prospect Enrique Jimenez.  Paddack was known to be receiving interest from the Rays and Yankees, and Nightengale adds that the Reds were another club at least exploring the right-hander’s market.  With Paddack off the board, Cincinnati pivoted to land another rental starter in Zack Littell as part of a three-team trade involving the Rays and Dodgers.

Shane McClanahan Undergoes Season-Ending Arm Procedure To Address Nerve Problem

By | at

Shane McClanahan’s 2025 season is officially over, as Rays manager Kevin Cash told reporters that the southpaw underwent a surgery on his throwing arm today, intended to try and fix a long-lingering nerve problem.  The procedure officially closes the book on whatever chance there was that the southpaw could return to the majors before season’s end.

Troublingly, Cash indicated that there isn’t any guarantee that the surgery will solve the issue once and for all.  “[The doctor] is not sitting there saying ’he’s fixed.’  That’s not the case,” Cash told media, including Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.  “It’s, ’this is one step, and we’ll see how this goes.’  And hopefully we get good results.  And if we don’t, then let doctors decide what else is needed, if anything.”

The uncertain nature of nerve-related injuries has now led to months of frustration for McClanahan, and cost him another year of his promising career.  It was almost exactly two years ago that McClanahan underwent a Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for all of 2024, though it seemed like he emerged from that rehab in good shape, as he tossed seven scoreless innings in Spring Training and looked well on his way being part of the Opening Day rotation.

However, late in camp, the nerve problem in McClanahan’s left triceps emerged.  He began the year on the 15-day injured list, and was shifted to the 60-day IL near the end of April.  McClanahan was feeling well enough to begin a minor league rehab assignment in July and pitched in three games before his rehab was shut down due to biceps tendinitis.

During a radio interview on Friday, Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander said McClanahan’s nerve problem was “still in play just enough” to keep the left-hander from resuming his throwing progression, with “no huge setbacks, but also no huge progress or breakthroughs.”  Neander also made note of the unique nature of the injury, saying “this is a new one to all of us really, and in many regards to the baseball community.  So we’re learning as we go.”

McClanahan’s best-case scenario is now a clean bill of health for Opening Day 2026.  While this gives McClanahan six months of recovery time until the start of Spring Training, it is clear that no timeline will be established until McClanahan is examined post-surgery.

Losing McClanahan in 2023 was a big blow to a Rays team that reached the postseason, but was swept out of the wild card series by the eventual World Series champion Rangers.  Tampa Bay went 80-82 in 2024 and, at 57-62 entering today’s action, is on pace for another losing record, as some early-season success was undone by a brutal slump in July.  One can only guess as to how the last three seasons might’ve differed for the Rays if they’d had a pitcher who was emerging as the ace of the rotation.

In a rare case of a player getting his first taste of MLB action in the playoffs, McClanahan’s first four games came during the 2020 postseason, as he posted an 8.31 ERA in 4 1/3 relief innings for a Rays team that reached the World Series.  McClanahan made his official debut in 2021, and hit the ground running in 2021 by finishing seventh in AL Cy Young Award voting.  He was then named an All-Star in both 2022 and 2023, and the 2022 campaign (McClanahan’s only full big league season) saw him finish sixth in AL Cy Young Award voting.  Over 404 2/3 regular-season innings, McClanahan has a 3.02 ERA, 46.8% grounder rate, 28% strikeout rate, and 7.1% walk rate.

Tampa signed McClanahan to a two-year, $7.2MM deal in January 2024 that allowed the two sides to avoid arbitration for the lefty’s first two years of eligibility.  As a Super Two player, McClanahan is arb-eligible both this winter and during the 2026-27 offseason, though his 2026 salary won’t be very high given his two years on the IL.  Injury uncertainty notwithstanding, there would seem to be very little chance the Rays would non-tender McClanahan given his modest price tag, and his upside if he is able to return healthy for 2026.

Cherington: Pirates Expect To Pursue Infield Help In Offseason

By | at

The Pirates’ 2026 infield figures to look considerably different than the group that’s been trotted out for much of the season. Pittsburgh succeeded in shedding all of the money owed to third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes beyond the current season when they shipped him to the Reds prior to the trade deadline, and veteran Isiah Kiner-Falefa is a free agent at season’s end. The Bucs have plenty of young infielders who could step up and get looks next year, but general manager Ben Cherington acknowledged this weekend that some offseason additions could be on the horizon (link via Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review).

Though he didn’t make any definitive declarations, Cherington noted that he “would expect we would” add to the infield in some capacity. That comment came amid a broader discussion of Jared Triolo’s defensive versatility. Triolo isn’t hitting at all this season but has played quality defense at first base, second base and third base while even showing the ability to handle shortstop on occasion. Cherington suggested that Triolo “at least … part of a shortstop solution” as an option the Pirates could consider.

Triolo’s ability to play anywhere at a relatively high defensive level is a nice perk, but if he’s to be a real part of the Bucs’ solution around the infield, he’ll need to show more offense. The 27-year-old instilled hope in Pirates fans with a .298/.388/.398 slash in 209 plate appearances as a rookie in 2023, but that production was propped up by a colossal .440 average on balls in play. Triolo has predictably regressed since that time, recording just a .204/.290/.304 line (67 wRC+) in a much larger sample of 641 plate appearances.

Developing hitters has been an immense struggle for Pittsburgh — a problem that spans multiple front office leaders and multiple iterations of the dugout staff. The emergence of recurring back injuries for Hayes has played a part in that, but he’s just one of several notable Pirates position prospects who simply haven’t been able to hit in the majors.

Henry Davis, Liover Peguero, Travis Swaggerty, Endy Rodriguez and Ji Hwan Bae have all struggled upon reaching the majors. Nick Gonzales has been a bit better than league average at the plate this season, which makes him one of the system’s most prominent success stories in recent years. Other top prospects like Termarr Johnson and Lonnie White Jr. have seen their stock take a major hit as their bats have slowed in recent minor league seasons.

The lack of development among the team’s young position players leaves the Pirates with glaring needs up and down the roster. Among Pirates hitters with at least 100 plate appearances this season, only Gonzales (104 wRC+) and Spencer Horwitz (102 wRC+) have provided even average offensive output. Oneil Cruz was hot earlier in the season but has fallen off considerably since early June.

It leaves the left side of the infield, in particular, wide open. Kiner-Falefa spoke to Gorman and indicated an openness to returning, perhaps with more time at the hot corner, but said he’ll leave any such discussions to his agent and Cherington in the offseason.

The Pirates do have some hope on the horizon —  and meaningful hope, at that. Nineteen-year-old Konnor Griffin currently ranks as the No. 1 prospect in the entire sport over at Baseball America. Last year’s No. 9 overall pick has split the season between Class-A and High-A, hitting a combined .332/.410/.532 with 16 home runs and 53 steals in 438 plate appearances — all against older and more advance competition. It seems unlikely that he’d be pushed to the majors early next year, but later on in the 2026 season and certainly in 2027, Griffin could be an option at shortstop if he can remain healthy and if the Pirates can finish off his development in a way that’s eluded them with countless other prospects.

Pittsburgh was never going to make a play for a multi-year option at shortstop in free agency anyhow. As MLBTR’s Contract Tracker shows, the Bucs haven’t signed any free agent to a multi-year deal since giving a three-year contract to righty Ivan Nova back in December of 2016. In general, it’s a light class for free agent infielders anyhow, with Bo Bichette and Alex Bregman standing head and shoulders above the rest of the group (and, obviously, miles out of the Pirates’ financial comfort zone). Eugenio Suárez will be a free agent as well, but he’ll be well beyond the Pirates’ comfort levels.

That said, exploring the trade market will be a feasible option. The Pirates are deep in young pitching. Paul Skenes and Bubba Chandler won’t be going anywhere, but Pittsburgh also has names like Mike Burrows, Braxton Ashcraft, Thomas Harrington, Johan Oviedo, Hunter Barco and, of course, veteran Mitch Keller as options to potentially bring in some infield talent at either left-side position. Any help would be sorely needed.

Pirates shortstops this season have combined for an awful .246/.292/.315, translating to a 69 wRC+ (i.e. 31% worse than league-average at the plate) that ranks 27th in MLB. Third base has been even worse. Hayes, Kiner-Falefa and Triolo have combined to hit .229/.280/.299 while manning the hot corner. No team in baseball has a lower wRC+ from their collective group of third basemen than Pittsburgh’s 60. The Reds — the team that acquired Hayes — are next-lowest at 65.

Dodgers Outright Luken Baker

By | at

First baseman Luken Baker has been sent outright to triple-A Oklahoma City, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. That indicates he cleared waivers after the Dodgers designated him for assignment last week.

Baker, 28, is a fairly limited player. His only defensive position is first base and he’s not a burner on the basepaths. He has demonstrated some notable skills with the bat but he is having a down year.

Over the 2023 and 2024 campaigns, Baker stepped to the plate 832 times at the Triple-A level. He hit 65 home runs in that time. His 22.4% strikeout rate was around average and his 15.1% walk rate was quite strong. That led to a combined .278/.388/.619 batting line and 147 wRC+.

However, he hasn’t been able to bring much of that up to the big leagues. He has only been given 189 major league plate appearances, with a .206/.317/.338 line in those. This year, he’s been struggling in the minors as well, with a .197/.311/.399 line. Part of that might be a .233 batting average on balls in play. His 13.7% walk rate is still strong and he has hit ten long balls.

Even if there is some bad luck, the trend lines aren’t great for Baker. He’s a 28-year-old who still hasn’t clicked in the show. He is in his final option year, meaning he’ll be out of options in 2026. The Cards tried to pass him through waivers a week ago, even though they didn’t need to open a roster spot. The Dodgers grabbed him but quickly put him back on waivers. The 29 other clubs all passed on the chance to grab Baker off the wire.

Baker has less than three years of service time and this is his first career outright. That means he doesn’t have the right to elect free agency. He’ll have to report to the Comets and will provide the Dodgers with some non-roster depth. His path back to the big leagues isn’t great, with the Dodgers having Freddie Freeman at first and Shohei Ohtani in the designated hitter spot. Baker will qualify for minor league free agency at season’s end if not added back onto the 40-man.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Curry, Imagn Images

Poll: Who Had The Best Deadline In The AL East?

By | at

The trade deadline has come and gone. While trade season was slow to get started this year, when all was said and done, there were several dozen trades made in a flurry of movement over the final few days before the deadline arrived. The full impact of these trades won’t be known for years to come, but that doesn’t mean we can’t analyze the deals and decide whose haul looks the best right now. Starting last week, MLBTR began running a series of polls asking which club in each division had the best deadline. So far, the Phillies, Reds, Padres, Mariners, and Twins have each come out on top in their respective divisions. Today, we’ll be finishing the series with the AL East. Here’s a look at each of the five clubs, listed from best to worst record in 2025:

Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays bolstered their bullpen, their offense, and their catching depth ahead of the trade deadline, but their biggest move was a high-risk, high-reward deal to upgrade the top of their rotation. Seranthony Domínguez and Louis Varland give manager John Schneider two more hard-throwing late-inning options, and while Domínguez is a rental, Varland is under team control through 2030. Ty France has played almost every day since he came over from the Twins alongside Varland, alternating between first base and DH. It’s been several years since he was much more than a league-average bat, but he’s hit well so far with Toronto. Former Padres prospect Brandon Valenzuela offers catching depth at Triple-A.

The crown jewel of general manager Ross Atkins’s deadline was 2020 AL Cy Young winner Shane Bieber, who is nearing his return from the Tommy John surgery that’s kept him out since last April. The Blue Jays will hope he can be the ace they’ve been lacking all season. In a best-case scenario, the Jays acquired the pitcher who will start game one of their first playoff series as they try to break out of a long postseason losing streak. In a worst-case scenario, they gave up a promising pitching prospect (Khal Stephen) in exchange for a guy who won’t be able to pitch like he did before his injury. Bieber has a $16MM player option for 2026 with a $4MM buyout.

In exchange for Bieber, Domínguez, Varland, France, and Valenzuela, Toronto parted with young major leaguers Alan Roden and Will Wagner, as well as pitching prospects Stephen, Kendry Rojas, and Juaron Watts-Brown. That’s no small price to pay, but the Blue Jays are hoping they added enough to help them secure their first AL East title in a decade.

Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox made the biggest trade of the season in June, sending All-Star slugger Rafael Devers (and the nine years left on his contract) to the Giants in exchange for Kyle Harrison, Jordan Hicks, James Tibbs III, and Jose Bello. Yet, they were rather quiet ahead of the trade deadline. They reportedly expressed interest in a wide variety of players, including Jhoan Duran, Eugenio Suárez, Yandy Díaz, Nathaniel Lowe, Josh Bell, and Dalton Rushing, as well as front-line starters Dylan Cease, Mitch Keller, Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, Sandy Alcantara, and, until late on deadline day, Joe Ryan. However, all they ultimately added was a back-end starter, Dustin May, and a left-handed long reliever, Steven Matz. They did not pick up any bats. May has a 4.93 ERA and 4.31 SIERA in 20 games (19 starts) this year, including a poor first outing with Boston last week. Matz has pitched well in his first season as a full-time reliever, putting up a 3.22 ERA and 3.53 SIERA in 58 2/3 frames. He has yet to allow a run in three outings with the Sox. Both will be free agents at the end of the year.

Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow’s seeming failure to add a more talented starting pitcher, the kind Boston would feel confident starting in a playoff series, looked all the worse after the news broke that Tanner Houck would undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the remainder of the season. That being said, the Red Sox have continued to play well since the deadline. They now hold the second Wild Card spot and boast the highest run differential in the American League. While they didn’t add much to help them make a playoff push, the flip side is that they didn’t have to give up much either. For instance, they held onto Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu, two players the Twins were reportedly seeking in exchange for Ryan – and two players who have been key contributors for the Red Sox all year.

New York Yankees

The Yankees were one of the league’s busiest buyers at the deadline, adding three notable bullpen arms and several complementary pieces for the lineup. All-Star closers David Bednar and Camilo Doval arrived in New York, alongside fellow righty Jake Bird, to join a bullpen that already featured Devin Williams and Luke Weaver. All three have had their struggles since they joined the team (as has Williams), but at its best, this Yankees bullpen still has the potential to be the best in the American League. Bednar is enjoying another dominant season after putting his poor 2024 behind him, and Doval, too, has bounced back from a disappointing 2024 campaign to post strong numbers in 2025. Bird was optioned to Triple-A after just three appearances for his new club, but he’s an experienced big league reliever with intriguing stuff. At worst, he’s a durable depth piece with options remaining, and at best, he’s a whole lot more. All three bullpen additions are under team control beyond this season: Bednar for one more year, Doval for two, and Bird for three.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. can only play one position at a time, and when that position became second base again, the Yankees needed a real solution at third. Ryan McMahon is that solution, and utility men José Caballero and Amed Rosario (when healthy) can help him out with a left-handed pitcher on the mound. GM Brian Cashman also brought righty-batting outfielder Austin Slater aboard to join Caballero and Rosario in balancing out a lefty-heavy lineup. Unfortunately for the Bombers, Rosario and Slater have both already hit the IL. Rosario is expected back from a minor shoulder sprain shortly, but Slater will be out for most of the regular season with a hamstring strain. Even so, the Yankees aren’t exactly missing Oswald Peraza, whom they flipped to the Angels; the former top prospect struggled badly for the past three years and desperately needed a change of scenery.

Tampa Bay Rays

The Rays started July with a top-10 record in MLB and sole possession of the first AL Wild Card spot. By deadline day, they had fallen below .500. Of course, it’s hard to say if that changed their deadline plans at all. As usual, the Rays did a bit of selling and a bit of buying. They dealt two key members of their starting rotation, Taj Bradley and Zack Littell, and two members of their regular starting lineup, utility man Caballero and catcher Danny Jansen. Yet, they also added a rental starter, Adrian Houser; two new catchers, Nick Fortes and Hunter Feduccia; and two relievers, Griffin Jax and Bryan Baker. Jax and Houser were two of the more sought-after players on the market, Houser due to his cheap contract and surprisingly dominant numbers with the White Sox, and Jax because he’s one of the game’s best relievers under team control for several more years.

Also noteworthy are the players the Rays chose not to trade. A few days before the deadline, they were said to be open to trading Yandy Díaz and Brandon Lowe, but they ultimately held on to both veterans. The Rays also kept closer Pete Fairbanks. A week before the deadline, a report suggested they would “strongly prefer” to keep Fairbanks, but it’s not as if he wasn’t drawing interest. Lowe, Díaz, and Fairbanks are three of the tight-fisted Rays’ more expensive players. Fairbanks and Lowe only have one year of team control remaining after 2025, while Díaz is signed through 2026 with a club option for 2027. The team’s decision to keep them around seems to suggest they’re hoping to contend this year, even after parting with the likes of Bradley, Littell, Caballero, and Jansen.

Baltimore Orioles

They weren’t quite as active as the Twins, but the Orioles took advantage of a seller’s market to make the most of their disappointing situation. They traded 2025 All-Star Ryan O’Hearn, the surprisingly productive Ramon Laureano, long-tenured center fielder Cedric Mullins, utility infielder Ramon Urías, veteran starter Charlie Morton, and relievers Domínguez, Baker, Andrew Kittredge, and Gregory Soto. In exchange, they brought back Boston Bateman, Brandon Butterworth, Cobb Hightower, Victor Figueroa, Tyson Neighbors, and Tanner Smith (O’Hearn/Laureno); Raimon Gomez, Anthony Nunez and Chandler Marsh (Mullins); Twine Palmer (Urías); Micah Ashman (Morton); Juaron Watts-Brown (Domínguez); Wilfri De La Cruz (Kittredge); Wellington Aracena and Cameron Foster (Soto); and a 2025 Competitive Balance (Round A) draft selection, No. 37 overall (Baker).

According to MLB Pipeline, Bateman slots in as their No. 9 prospect, while Watts-Brown slots in at No. 13, De La Cruz at No. 24, Hightower at No. 26, and Aracena at No. 29. Only time will tell how well these trades work out for the Orioles, but it’s hard to deny they made the right call to sell when they did, and they succeeded in dealing almost all of their healthy impending free agents. Meanwhile, they didn’t part with any pieces that could contribute significantly in 2026 and beyond. Fans can hope that GM Mike Elias will use the money he saved and prospects he added at the deadline to improve the O’s roster over the offseason and bring winning baseball back to Baltimore next year.

Entering the season, many thought the AL East would be the most talented and competitive division in the league. It could very well still produce three playoff teams and four clubs above .500, but not many would have guessed the division would shake out quite like this, with the Blue Jays leading at the deadline and the Orioles selling off parts. There are still seven weeks left for the AL East to continue surprising us, and the moves each team made at the deadline could play a big part in all that. So, which of these five do you think had the best deadline? Have your say in the poll below:

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