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Braves Place Grant Holmes On Injured List With Elbow Inflammation

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July 27: The Braves announced this morning that they’ve placed Holmes on the injured list with right elbow inflammation. Right-hander Daysbel Hernandez was recalled to take his spot on the MLB roster.

July 26: Braves manager Brian Snitker told reporters (including David O’Brien of The Athletic) that right-hander Grant Holmes is suffering from elbow tightness after exiting his start against the Rangers today after just four innings. Holmes will get his elbow looked at to determine the severity of the issue, but Snitker noted that he’s expected to go on the injured list.

That’s a major blow to an Atlanta rotation that is already struggling to piece together starts. Holmes will join Chris Sale, Reynaldo Lopez, Spencer Schwellenbach, and AJ Smith-Shawver on the injured list, giving the club a full rotation of injured hurlers. None of that quartet is expected back any time soon, meaning that Snitker will need to make do with the trio of Spencer Strider, Joey Wentz, and Bryce Elder as the only capable starters on his active roster. Long reliever Dane Dunning has at least some starting experience and could be called upon to make a spot start or serve as the bulk arm in a bullpen game.

Outside of the active roster, options are relatively slim at this point. 40-man pitchers like Didier Fuentes, Hurston Waldrep, and Davis Daniel could be called upon to make starts if needed, and if the Braves are willing to create room on the 40-man they could also turn to a non-roster veteran like Ian Anderson or Jose Suarez. Perhaps the Braves could look to add a pitcher to help eat innings down the stretch (such as recently-DFA’d right-hander Erick Fedde), as they did when they acquired Dunning in a swap with the Rangers earlier this month. Such a move is unlikely to land an arm of any real quality, however, as contenders around the league are hungry for pitching help of their own and the Braves aren’t likely to pay a significant price for talent in a season where they’re ten games out of a playoff spot and are buried in the NL East by 15 games.

It’s a bleak outlook overall, and none of those potential replacement figure to offer anything close to the production the Braves have been able to rely on from Holmes this year. A first-round pick by the Dodgers all the way back in 2014, Holmes didn’t make his MLB debut until last year when he joined Atlanta. Since then, he’s been one of the most reliable pieces of the club’s pitching staff with a 3.71 ERA and 3.91 FIP across 179 1/3 innings of work both in the rotation and out of the bullpen. That includes a 3.81 ERA and 4.35 FIP in 111 innings of work as a starter for the club this year.

The 29-year-old Holmes seems very likely to remain firmly in the team’s plans for quite some time after his work the past two years, though those plans could be thrown into question depending on the severity of Holmes’s injury. It’s not uncommon for a bout of elbow tightness to result in little more than a precautionary 15-day stint on the injured list, but given the long recovery times associated with more significant elbow injuries, any issue in that area is cause for concern. It’s impossible to know what sort of timetable for return Holmes might have until the Braves offer an update on his status in the coming days, so until then fans in Atlanta will have to simply hope for the best.

Orioles Sign Jose Espada To Minor League Contract

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The Orioles have signed right-hander Jose Espada to a minor league contract, per a report from Rich Dubroff of Baltimore Baseball.

Espada, 28, was a fifth-round pick by the Blue Jays back in 2015. He worked his way through Toronto’s minor league system until he was plucked from the organization by the Red Sox in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 Draft prior to the 2021 season. He pitched well for Boston’s High-A affiliate but departed for minor league free agency after the season, at which point he signed with the Milwaukee Milkmen of the independent American Association. Espada pitched to a 3.61 ERA in eight starts for the Milkmen before he was scooped up by the Padres partway through the 2022 season.

The right-hander excelled at High-A in San Diego and went on to debut at Double-A the following year. After 64 innings of 2.81 ERA ball at the level, Espada was promoted to Triple-A. He continued to pitch well for the club’s affiliate in El Paso even despite the difficult offensive environment of the Pacific Coast League, and was rewarded with his big league debut when he threw a scoreless inning for the club in late September. He departed affiliated ball for a second time over the offseason, this time signing with Nippon Professional Baseball’s Yakult Swallows in Japan. He posted a 5.00 ERA in 27 innings of work for the Swallows last year and returned stateside in 2025 on fresh minor league pact with the Padres.

In the months since then, Espada has posted a 3.38 ERA in 37 1/3 innings of work across 29 appearances split between the Double- and Triple-A levels. Espada was released by the Padres organization last week, however, and now has signed on with a new club in Baltimore. He struck out 37.1% of his opponents with San Diego’s affiliates this year, but walked 12.2%. He’ll now get the opportunity to serve as non-roster depth in the Orioles system and attempt to prove himself worthy of another opportunity in the big leagues, which could be easier to come by in Baltimore if the Orioles continue selling bullpen pieces after already parting ways with Bryan Baker and Gregory Soto.

Top 50 Trade Candidates For The 2025 Deadline

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We’re now less than a week from Thursday evening. The activity should begin really ramping up in the two days preceding the deadline, but the bubble teams that waited until the end of the month to finalize a direction are out of time. Since we began writing this list on Thursday morning, we’ve already seen three players who were locks to be on here — Josh Naylor, Gregory Soto, and Ryan McMahon — change hands. Naylor and McMahon would have landed comfortably within the top 10.

As is the case for all our trade candidate lists, we’re trying to strike a balance between the player’s appeal and the likelihood that they’ll move. This isn’t purely a ranking of trade value or talent. There are players in the back half of the list who’d vault to the top if it were clear that they’d be traded. It’s an inherently subjective exercise.

This is a league-wide summary, but we also drilled down more specifically into each team with our new Deadline Outlook series for Front Office subscribers that rolled out over the past few weeks.

Stats through play on July 26.

1. Eugenio Suárez, 3B, Diamondbacks ($15MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)

Suárez is the best rental bat available. He leads the majors with 87 RBI and trails only Shohei Ohtani among NL hitters with 36 homers while running a .249/.321/.587 slash line. The D-Backs are resigned to selling after being swept by the Astros this week and already made on big trade. While they could hold Suárez and make a qualifying offer, they’ll be able to find a stronger trade return — ideally one that nets upper level starting pitching with club control. The Mariners, Cubs, Yankees, Mets, Reds and Phillies have been tied to Suárez and it stands to reason that Arizona has heard from plenty more teams on the best power hitter who’ll change hands.

2. Mitch Keller, RHP, Pirates ($15MM in 2025, $16.5MM in 2026, $18MM in 2027, $20MM in 2028)

Keller is a steady mid-rotation starter who is signed for another three years. His salaries ranging from $15-20MM are notable but good value compared to a free agent market where aging or reclamation starters often command eight figures. Keller is sitting on a career-best 3.53 earned run average while averaging nearly six innings per start. His 18.7% strikeout rate is down from peak levels, but he’s averaging 94 MPH on his fastball while showing plus command. Keller fits as a #3 arm and playoff-caliber starter on a contender. While Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported last night that the Pirates are uncertain about moving him, he’s still their best realistic trade chip to add controllable hitting talent. The Yankees, Blue Jays, Cubs and Mets have all been tied to the 29-year-old righty.

3. Sandy Alcantara, RHP, Marlins ($17MM in 2025, $17MM in 2026, $21MM club option/$2MM buyout for 2027)

The former Cy Young winner has had a wobbly first season back from Tommy John surgery. His 6.66 ERA and 16.7% strikeout rate through 104 innings aren’t close to his peak level. The lack of whiffs is a real cause for concern, but Alcantara’s fastball is back above 97 MPH on average. He’s coming off his best start of the season — seven innings with one unearned run and four strikeouts against San Diego — in what could be the final time he takes the mound as a Marlin. Alcantara is signed relatively affordably for another season and a half with a ’27 club option that could be a bargain if he manages to get on track.

4. David Bednar, RHP, Pirates ($5.9MM in 2025, arbitration-eligible through 2026)

Bednar had a terrible 2024 and started this season poorly enough that the Pirates optioned him to Triple-A. He’s been nothing short of dominant since coming back up on April 19, posting a 1.54 ERA with a 35.3% strikeout rate across 35 innings. He’s averaging north of 97 MPH on his heater and looks like the two-time All-Star closer he was at his peak. Bednar might be a hair behind the best relievers in MLB but he’s a near-lock to get moved and remains controllable for a season beyond this one.

5. Edward Cabrera, RHP, Marlins ($1.95MM in 2025, arbitration-eligible through 2028)

There aren’t a ton of available pitchers who have a top-of-the-rotation ceiling. Teams could see Cabrera as an exception. He’s a 27-year-old former top prospect with a 97 MPH fastball. Cabrera’s command has let him down in the past, but he owns a career-low 8.1% walk rate this season. Following a shaky April, he sports a 2.47 ERA with a 25.7% strikeout rate while walking fewer than 7% of opponents over his past 13 starts. His sub-$2MM salary and three and a half remaining seasons of arbitration control only add to the appeal. The Marlins aren’t under any financial pressure to move him. They’re nevertheless willing to hear teams out because of his lack of track record and a history of pre-2025 shoulder injuries that have prevented him from reaching 100 MLB innings in a season.

6. Zac Gallen, RHP, Diamondbacks ($13.5MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)

Gallen is another of Arizona’s impending free agents. He’d also be a qualifying offer candidate if not traded but seems unlikely to re-sign. The 29-year-old righty hasn’t had a good season. He has allowed 5.58 earned runs per nine across 21 starts and surrendered an NL-most 23 home runs. His strikeouts have dipped to a league average 22.2% rate, the lowest of his career. Teams could bet on the multi-year track record. Gallen had been a #2/3 type starter throughout his career up to this year. In a market light on starting pitching, there’ll be teams that believe he’s a tweak away from putting things back together.

7. Ryan O’Hearn, 1B/OF, Orioles ($8MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)

O’Hearn once looked like the best rental bat available. He has certainly fallen behind Suárez and probably back of Naylor in that regard. O’Hearn hasn’t done much since the beginning of June (.208/.315/.328), but he mashed for the first two months of the season. He still carries a strong .280/.374/.451 line with 12 homers on the year. He takes walks, hits the ball hard, and has dramatically cut his strikeout rate over the past two seasons. O’Hearn is playing on a bargain $8MM salary and almost guaranteed to move with the Orioles out of contention and needing to get a look at Coby Mayo.

8. Merrill Kelly, RHP, Diamondbacks ($7MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)

Kelly is yet another of Arizona’s impending free agents of significance. He has had a better season than Gallen, working to a 3.32 ERA across 122 innings. The 36-year-old righty has punched out 24% of batters faced against a solid 7.6% walk rate. It’s his third season in the past four years with an earned run average in the low-3.00s. If the D-Backs go scorched earth, Kelly would be a sensible target for teams seeking a #3 type starter. Kelly has already signed two affordable contracts over a seven-year run in Arizona. His age would probably limit him to two years on his next deal. He seems likelier than Gallen to be in Arizona’s price range on an extension.

9. Dylan Cease, RHP, Padres ($13.75MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)

Cease has come up in plenty of rumors over the past few days, with the Cubs and every contender in the AL East among those interested. Trading one of their two best healthy starters would be a big decision for a club occupying a playoff spot. The Padres have never shied away from acting boldly, though, and they’re seemingly open to moving the impending free agent Cease while reallocating money and prospects elsewhere on the roster (e.g. controllable starting pitching, left field). This hasn’t been a banner year for the 29-year-old righty, who carries a 4.59 ERA over 113 2/3 innings. He’s still striking out nearly 30% of opponents while averaging north of 97 MPH on his fastball, so there’ll be plenty of teams willing to bet on him returning to his typical #2 caliber form for the stretch run.

10. Seth Lugo, RHP, Royals ($15MM in 2025, $15MM player option for 2026)

The Royals still seem to be on the fence about moving Lugo, who’ll decline his $15MM player option for next season unless he gets hurt. Kansas City could hold him for a potential long shot playoff push, then make him a qualifying offer or try to sign him to a new multi-year deal. Alternatively, they could cash him in for controllable hitting talent (especially in the outfield). Lugo has mostly matched last year’s Cy Young runner-up performance. He owns a 2.95 ERA with slightly better than average strikeout and walk rates across 19 starts. He doesn’t have typical ace stuff, but it’s tough to argue with a 2.98 earned run average in 52 starts since he signed with Kansas City. Teams would view him as a no-doubt playoff starter. Midseason trades of players who can opt out at year’s end are complicated, but Lugo’s salary is affordable enough that teams should be able to make it work if K.C. sells.

11. Luis Robert Jr., OF, White Sox ($15MM in 2025, $20MM club options/$2MM buyouts for 2026-27)

Robert has underperformed offensively for most of the season. He’s still a plus center fielder who steals bases and crushes left-handed pitching (.294/.422/.544 on the year). Robert has been terrible against right-handers, but he has gone on a well-timed hot streak just before the deadline. The Sox aren’t going to get the huge return they once envisioned, but they should pull the trigger on a trade this month. Robert is controllable via $20MM club options for two more seasons that are borderline at best. He’s probably more of a complementary piece on a contender, yet he has the highest ceiling of any center fielder who is likely to move.

12. Ryan Helsley, RHP, Cardinals ($8.2MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)

Helsley isn’t having his best season but remains a high-end reliever. He’s pitched to a 3.00 ERA with a 26.1% strikeout rate against an 8.9% walk rate while tallying 21 saves in 26 chances. The five blown saves are more than he had all last season, and his strikeout rate has dipped for a third straight year. The Cards would’ve gotten a bigger return had they dealt Helsley over the winter, but he’ll still command plenty of interest. Helsley himself said this week that while he’d love to stay with the Cardinals, he thinks there’s about a “90 percent chance” he’s traded.

13. Willi Castro, INF/OF, Twins ($6.4MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)

Castro is a switch-hitting utilityman who should appeal to a number of teams. He’s hitting .254/.342/.423 with 10 homers and league average strikeout and walk numbers. Castro isn’t a great defender anywhere, but he can play second base, third base, and both corner outfield spots (and handle shortstop in a pinch). He’s a better hitter against left-handed pitching but more than holds his own from either side of the plate. As a versatile and affordable impending free agent on a Minnesota team that looks like a seller, he should be on a lot of teams’ target lists. The Yankees are reportedly among the clubs with interest.

14. Dennis Santana, RHP, Pirates ($1.4MM in 2025, arbitration-eligible through 2026)

Not a lot has gone right for the Pirates in recent years, but last June’s waiver claim of Santana has panned out brilliantly. The hard-throwing righty had flashed potential at various points but never put it all together until joining the Buccos. Since landing in Pittsburgh, the 29-year-old righty has pitched 87 2/3 innings of 1.95 ERA ball with a 25.3% strikeout rate and 6% walk rate. That includes a sterling 1.45 ERA and 5.5% walk rate this season. Santana isn’t piling up strikeouts this year (21.3%), but his 13.1% swinging-strike rate is a plus mark that suggests more punchouts could be in the tank. Because of his modest pre-Pirates track record, he’s making only $1.4MM this year — and he’s controllable through the 2026 season.

15. Raisel Iglesias, RHP, Braves ($16MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)

Atlanta’s closer got out to an awful start in 2025 and had one recent blow-up, but he’s still looking far more like his vintage self lately than his baseline numbers would indicate. Iglesias’ 4.99 ERA is an eyesore, but since June 1 he’s turned in 15 2/3 innings with a 2.30 ERA and 21-to-3 K/BB ratio. All four of the runs he’s allowed in that time came in one ugly outing against the Yankees on July 19. His $16MM salary is steep — there’s about $5.6MM of it yet to be paid out — but the 35-year-old increasingly appears to be rounding into form at the right time for a Braves club that seems quite likely to sell off its impending free agents.

16. Marcell Ozuna, DH, Braves ($16MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)

Speaking of Braves impending free agents — Ozuna also seems quite likely to go. He’s earning the same salary and thus has the same ~$5.6MM to be paid out. His season has been the inverse of Iglesias’, however. After a strong start to the year, Ozuna’s bat cratered beginning in June. He’s hitting just .174/.266/.297 across his past 159 plate appearances and has lost his starting role in Atlanta. Ozuna was hobbled by some hip troubles earlier in the year but said recently he’s healthy now. It’s possible, though, that his mechanics were impacted by that hip issue and he’s still working to correct some things. Ozuna’s track record is well known, and in a thin market for bats he should still draw interest, particularly if Atlanta is willing to pay down some of his salary.

17. Charlie Morton, RHP, Orioles ($15MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)

Morton’s atrocious April has tanked his season numbers and resulted in a brief move to the bullpen. The veteran righty has been far better since returning to the rotation on May 26, rattling off a 3.81 ERA with a 24.5% strikeout rate over his past 10 starts. He looks like the mid-rotation Morton of the past few seasons, and his stuff has held steady despite his age. He’s now the top trade chip of Baltimore’s trio of rental starting pitchers. His $15MM salary will be an impediment to some teams, but Baltimore could pay that down a bit to get a mid-level prospect in return.

18. Ramon Laureano, OF, Orioles ($4MM in 2025, $6.5MM club option for 2026)

Laureano has been a nice pickup for Baltimore on a $4MM free agent deal. He has drilled 14 homers with a .273/.332/.512 slash line in 268 plate appearances. This is the best he’s looked since his strong first two seasons with the Athletics. He’s a right-handed hitter who has generally been better against lefty pitching over his career. He’s hitting pitchers of either handedness this season, and there’s a cheap club option for next year that adds to the appeal. Baltimore should take the opportunity to flip him to a club that needs a left fielder.

19. Harrison Bader, OF, Twins ($4MM in 2025 plus $1.5MM buyout on mutual option for 2026)

Bader’s glove remains as excellent as ever, and he’s arguably in the midst of a career season at the plate. In 291 turns at the dish, he’s slashed .250/.333/.434 (115 wRC+) with a dozen homers — already matching his total from last year in a much larger sample of 437 plate appearances. Bader has played primarily left field in deference to Byron Buxton but is a plus-plus defender all over the outfield. He’s 9-for-13 in stolen bases. He should appeal to any team looking for center field help or a right-handed bat to complement a set of lefty-swinging outfielders. The mutual option on his contract is a moot point; it’s been more than a decade since both team and player exercised a mutual option anywhere in MLB. He’ll be a free agent.

20. Jeffrey Springs, LHP, Athletics ($10.5MM in 2025, $10.5MM in 2026, $15MM club option/$750K buyout for 2027)

The A’s traded a Competitive Balance draft pick (Round A), righty Joe Boyle and a pair of prospects for three years of control over Springs this past offseason. He broke out as a strong reliever with the 2021 Rays and, upon moving to the rotation in 2022, pitched like a borderline ace for 151 innings before requiring Tommy John surgery early in ’23. Springs looked great in his late-season return last year, but he’s pitched more like a fourth starter in ’25, with a 4.13 ERA, 18.9% strikeout rate and 7.8% walk rate in 120 innings. Even if he’s “only” a mid-rotation or back-end arm, he’s still priced well below market value and has two full seasons of control following the 2025 season. The A’s need pitching, but they also need younger, more controllable arms to align with their impressive collection of young bats. Trading Springs could net just that while clearing payroll to shop in the middle tiers of the free agent pitching market.

21. JP Sears, LHP, Athletics (pre-arbitration, controllable through 2028)

Sears is a more affordable A’s starter whom the club controls for three seasons beyond this one. They’d need a stronger return to move him than they would to deal Springs. Still, he’s a 29-year-old lefty who has leveled off as a fourth/fifth starter. Sears hasn’t missed a start in the past three seasons and has plus command. He sits in the low-90s with below-average whiff rates and gives up a lot of home runs — an already existing issue exacerbated by the temporary move to a hitter-friendly park in Sacramento.

22. Zack Littell, RHP, Rays ($5.72MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)

The Rays find themselves on the bubble and could straddle between buying and selling. If they do, Littell is their most straightforward trade candidate. They could weather his loss in the rotation, particularly if Shane McClanahan can make a late-season return from various arm injuries, while getting something in return for an impending free agent. Littell has elite control that allows him to find success despite subpar whiff and home run rates. He wouldn’t be a consideration for a qualifying offer and might not crack Tampa Bay’s playoff rotation if they qualify. Flipping him to another contender that needs a more stable fourth/fifth starter for a modest return makes sense.

23. Adrian Houser, RHP, White Sox ($1.35MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)

The Sox signed Houser to a cheap one-year deal in May after he’d opted out of a minor league contract with Texas. He has turned in a 2.10 ERA over 11 starts, averaging more than six innings per appearance along the way. Houser has managed nine quality starts despite a below-average 17.1% strikeout rate. Teams aren’t going to buy the journeyman righty as a newfound ace, but he has pitched well enough to net the Sox a lottery ticket prospect.

24. Michael Soroka, RHP, Nationals ($9MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)

Soroka’s return to a starting rotation this year hasn’t been entirely smooth. He’s sitting on a 4.85 ERA and averaging barely over five innings per start. That said, he’s gotten stronger as the season has worn on, pitching to a more respectable 4.21 ERA over his past nine trips to the hill. Much of the damage in that span came in one seven-run shellacking at the hands of the Red Sox. Over his past nine turns, he’s also fanned 28% of his opponents. Soroka was excellent as a reliever after the White Sox put him in the ’pen last summer, and a contending team could look to do the same this time around — though some teams may still covet him as a back-end starter with a tinge of upside.

25. Cedric Mullins, OF, Orioles ($8.725MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)

One of the few viable center fielders on the market, the 30-year-old Mullins got out to the best start of his career with a torrid April but has slumped through three sub-par months since, leaving him with a pedestrian .215/.293/.396 batting line (93 wRC+) on the season. Even with the downturn at the plate, Mullins has a nice blend of power and speed — 13 homers, 14 steals — in addition to a track record as at least an average hitter (with 30-30 upside at his 2021 peak).

26. Pierce Johnson, RHP, Braves ($7MM in 2025, $7MM club option/$250K buyout for 2026)

Atlanta is reportedly prioritizing moving their three rentals — Igleisas, Ozuna and middle reliever Rafael Montero. Johnson may be their biggest exception in a willingness to listen on players who are controllable past this season. He’s a 34-year-old reliever in the middle of his best season: a 2.70 ERA with a 27% strikeout rate and a career-low 7% walk percentage. The veteran righty has a multi-year track record as a solid seventh/eighth inning type. Next year’s affordable club option should make him a nice trade chip, and while Atlanta could hold him and exercise the option themselves, it makes more sense to flip him to a team that could get two playoff races out of him.

27. Seranthony Dominguez, RHP, Orioles ($8MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)

One of the hardest-throwing relievers on the market, the 30-year-old Dominguez is averaging 97.7 MPH on his four-seamer and 97.9 MPH on his sinker. He’s punched out 31% of his opponents while working to a 3.32 ERA and collecting 13 holds and a pair of saves. Dominguez has had command troubles at times in the past, but his location has been particularly scattershot in 2025, when he’s posted a 14% walk rate and tossed nine wild pitches. He can be erratic, but a new team would have two months to get his command back on track — Dominguez had a much more manageable 9% walk rate from 2023-24 — and this is the type of power arm that contenders covet to get pivotal postseason outs. Baltimore already moved lefty Gregory Soto, and Dominguez is sure to follow.

28. Danny Coulombe, LHP, Twins ($3MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)

On the surface, a soft-tossing 35-year-old lefty reliever doesn’t sound like a huge difference-maker … but Coulombe’s 0.90 ERA, 25.6% strikeout rate and 6.8% walk rate in 30 innings all suggest otherwise. Even though he averages just over 90 MPH on his four-seamer, Coulombe boasts a terrific 13.8% swinging-strike rate. His splits against righties and lefties are practically identical. No one’s hitting him this year, and he’s quietly been terrific since 2020 (2.36 ERA in 160 1/3 innings). He may not be a big name, but he’s been a big performer for several years now and can help any contender’s bullpen.

29. Phil Maton, RHP, Cardinals ($2MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)

Maton is one of the likeliest players in the league to be dealt. He’s an impending free agent setup man who’d fit every team’s budget on a bargain $2MM salary. He carries a 2.35 ERA with excellent strikeout (30.4%) and ground-ball (50.6%) rates. The league has never valued Maton as highly as his statistical track record probably merits. His fastball barely gets above 90 MPH, but he shows year after year that he’s capable of missing bats and avoiding hard contact behind a mid-70s curveball.

30. Kyle Finnegan, RHP, Nationals ($6MM in 2025 [$4MM deferred], free agent at season’s end)

The Nationals opted not to trade Finnegan at last year’s deadline, and he struggled through a brutal second half before being non-tendered in the offseason. The Nats wound up re-signing him after a market to Finnegan’s liking never truly materialized. He’s run into a brutal stretch recently, with 10 runs allowed over his past 2 2/3 innings, but prior to that he’d turned in a 2.36 ERA. Finnegan has never missed bats like you’d expect from someone with his velocity (96.2 MPH average fastball in ’25 but 97.2 MPH from 2022-24). Other clubs surely feel he’s better suited in a middle relief or setup capacity than in the highest-leverage spot in a bullpen, as the Nats have used him. An affordable power arm with some late-inning track record for a last place team feels like someone who should change hands this time around.

31. Ke’Bryan Hayes, 3B, Pirates ($7MM annually in 2025-27, $8MM annually in 2028-29, $12MM club option/$6MM buyout in 2030)

A little over three years ago, Hayes signed a $70MM extension that was then the largest investment in Pirates history. They certainly expected it to age better than it has. Hayes was then and remains one of the best defensive third basemen in the game. He’d been a slightly below-average hitter for his first few seasons, but his bat has completely tanked over the past two years. Hayes had a .573 OPS last season and has a similarly bleak .240/.285/.297 slash line this year. He spent time on the injured list each season between 2022-24 due to recurring back injuries.

Hayes hasn’t needed any time on the IL this year, but it’s increasingly difficult to see much untapped offensive upside. He’s in his age-28 season and has managed a combined six home runs over the past two seasons. Pittsburgh slightly frontloaded his extension, so he’ll make between $7-8MM per season for the next four and a half years. That’s a manageable amount and arguably still has some surplus value based on the strength of his glove, but it appears the Pirates are willing to move on as they continue to search for ways to improve the offense.

32. Taj Bradley, RHP, Rays (pre-arbitration, controllable through 2029)

While a Littell trade would be the simplest move if the Rays deal from their rotation, they’ve reportedly made Bradley available as well. The 24-year-old righty and former top prospect has had an inconsistent season, posting a 4.61 ERA with slightly worse than average peripherals over 111 1/3 innings. He failed to get past the second inning while allowing four runs against the White Sox his last time out. That cost him his spot on the active roster, as the Rays demoted him to Triple-A to clear a rotation spot for Joe Boyle. The Rays still control Bradley for three and a half seasons, so they’re not facing any urgency to move him even if they’ve soured on his long-term future. In a market with limited controllable starting pitching available, they should get plenty of calls from teams hoping he can unlock mid-rotation upside.

33. Emmanuel Clase, RHP, Guardians ($4.5MM in 2025, $6MM in 2026, $13MM club options/$2MM buyouts for 2028-29)

A 10-game losing streak shortly before the All-Star Break dropped the Guardians out of playoff position. They’ve played well over the past couple weeks to pull back into the mix, currently sitting 2.5 back of the final Wild Card spot. They’re hardly surefire sellers, especially with one of the easier schedules the rest of the way. They’re nevertheless at least willing to hear teams out on Clase, which is in line with their general operating procedure. He’s arguably the sport’s best reliever and is signed at bargain rates for the next season and a half with manageable club options for another two years after that. The Guardians could view Cade Smith as a closer in waiting. It’d take a massive haul, but it’s at least worth considering whether another club is willing to blow them away with controllable outfield or starting pitching talent.

34. Jhoan Duran, RHP, Twins ($4.125MM in 2025, arbitration-eligible through 2027)

35. Griffin Jax, RHP, Twins ($2.365MM in 2025, arbitration-eligible through 2027)

Duran and Jax have been tied together in trade rumors as late-inning weapons in Minnesota. It’s highly unlikely that the Twins would trade both — even moving one is far from guaranteed — but they’re at least hearing teams out to see if anyone is willing to meet their ask of multiple top prospects. The 27-year-old Duran throws harder than anyone aside from Mason Miller and has a 1.90 ERA with 16 saves in 18 chances.

Jax, a 30-year-old setup man, isn’t as consistently dominant as Duran but misses even more bats. He has punched out 37% of opponents this year after fanning 34% of batters faced a season ago. A .375 average on balls in play against him has led to an even 4.00 ERA across 45 innings. Teams, including the Twins, will expect that to level out and continue to view Jax as an elite back-end arm.

36. Jake Bird, RHP, Rockies (pre-arbitration in 2025, controllable through 2028)

The Rox are more open to selling controllable pieces than they’ve been in years past. That’s been reported for weeks and was proven true by the McMahon trade. Bird, a 29-year-old middle reliever with three and a half seasons of arbitration control, should bring back a solid return. He has struck out 27% of opponents this season and gotten strong ground-ball rates throughout his career. Bird carried a 2.06 earned run average as recently as a month ago. That has climbed to 4.05 thanks to a brutal stretch of 14 earned runs allowed in his last 9 2/3 innings. It’s an inopportune time for him to struggle, but the excellence of his first three months should still have him on contenders’ radars.

37. Jesus Sanchez, OF, Marlins ($4.5MM in 2025, arbitration-eligible through 2027)

Sanchez has been a league average right fielder for the past couple seasons. He’s a solid but unexceptional hitter who plays competent defense but isn’t a fit for more than stopgap work in center field. The lefty-hitting outfielder owns a .261/.324/.419 line with nine homers in 321 plate appearances this year. He’s controllable for two seasons beyond this one but his arbitration salaries won’t be particularly strong bargains.

38. Anthony Bender, RHP, Marlins ($1.42MM in 2025, arbitration-eligible through 2027)

The Marlins are playing well of late but should still be open to offers on Bender, a 30-year-old setup man. His 1.87 ERA over 43 1/3 innings isn’t supported by this year’s below-average strikeout (19.7%) and walk (10.4%) rates, but he’s only a season removed from striking out 26% of opposing hitters. Bender gets ground-balls, has a plus sweeper, and sits close to 97 MPH on his fastball. He hasn’t accrued much in arbitration earnings because a back injury and subsequent Tommy John surgery wiped out almost all of his 2022-23 seasons. He should be a controllable matchup piece in the middle innings for a contender.

39. Andrew Kittredge, RHP, Orioles ($9MM in 2025, $9MM club option/$1MM buyout in 2026)

Kittredge lost the first two months of the season to a left knee injury that required minor surgery. He has been healthy since May and turned in a 3.81 ERA while striking out just under a quarter of opponents in 28 1/3 innings. He’s playing on a $9MM salary and has a matching club option that isn’t unreasonable. Baltimore should move the 35-year-old righty even though he’s not strictly a rental. Kittredge has plenty of leverage experience and is a season removed from leading the National League in holds for St. Louis.

40. Zach Eflin, RHP, Orioles ($18MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)

Eflin would have been a highly sought after rental starter a couple months ago. That’s not so much the case anymore, though the O’s will be motivated to find a taker for at least a portion of what remains on his hefty $18MM salary. Eflin tossed three straight quality starts to begin the season before suffering a lat strain. He was bombed for an ERA north of 7.00 in nine appearances after his return, then suffered a back injury that sent him to the IL again. He made his return on Wednesday and held the Guardians to two runs with five strikeouts in as many innings. For what’d be a modest prospect return, a contender should take a flier on a pitcher who had an ERA around 3.50 in each of the previous two seasons.

41. Adolis Garcia, OF, Rangers ($9.25MM in 2025, arbitration-eligible through 2026)

Garcia’s numbers have tanked since his career-best 2023 season. He has been a below-average hitter in consecutive seasons. That includes a .228/.271/.397 line across 399 plate appearances this year. Texas has limited payroll flexibility under the luxury tax and could try to shed the remaining portion of Garcia’s $9.25MM salary to clear space for a run at a bigger bat.

42. Mike Tauchman, OF, White Sox ($1.95MM in 2025, arbitration-eligible through 2026)

Tauchman is a strong-side platoon corner outfielder. He’s signed for less than $2MM and hitting .283/.370/.462 with six homers across 211 plate appearances for a rebuilding Sox team. Tauchman has reached base at greater than a .350 clip in three consecutive seasons. He should fetch the Sox a lottery ticket prospect and comes with another season of arbitration control.

43. Luis Severino, RHP, Athletics ($15MM in 2025, $20MM in 2026, $22MM player option for 2027)

Severino’s franchise-record free agent contract has not started well. The veteran righty has publicly expressed his displeasure with the A’s playing at a minor league home park — a bizarre stance for a player who was aware of the stadium situation when he signed there for more money than most expected last offseason. There’s been a lot of attention to Severino’s dramatic home/away ERA splits. He’s allowing 6.68 earned runs per nine in Sacramento versus a 3.03 mark on the road. That superficial analysis doesn’t account for Severino’s well below-average 15.2% strikeout rate away from home. The A’s would probably welcome the opportunity to move on, but his escalating salaries and the ability to opt out after next season make this a tough contract to trade.

44. Alek Thomas, OF, Diamondbacks (pre-arbitration, controllable through 2028)

The Diamondbacks may be more focused on rentals, but they could also trade a controllable outfielder if it allows them to net upper minors pitching. Thomas, 25, is a former top prospect who hasn’t developed as hoped offensively. He’s hitting .246/.294/.366 with five homers and a career-worst 26.4% strikeout rate in 292 plate appearances. Thomas is viewed as a strong defensive center fielder and is under club control for another three seasons. Teams could view him as a developmental project at the plate who’d at least come with a solid floor for his glove.

45. Max Kepler, OF, Phillies ($10MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)

Signing Kepler to a $10MM free agent deal has been a disappointment for the Phillies. He’s hitting .201/.300/.362 with 11 homers in 338 plate appearances. The left-handed hitting Kepler expressed some dissatisfaction with his lack of opportunities against lefty pitching. He hasn’t hit right-handed pitching well this year either, so the Phils are searching for an upgrade in left field. Even if they don’t land one on the trade market, former first-round pick Justin Crawford looms in the upper minors. They could try to get out from the final few million dollars of Kepler’s contract.

46. Robert Suarez, RHP, Padres ($10MM in 2025, can opt out of annual $8MM salaries for 2026-27)

MLB’s saves leader with 29, Suarez is at the back of a fantastic San Diego bullpen. His 3.46 ERA across 41 2/3 innings is more solid than dominant, but that’s mostly due to a pair of blow-ups in a relatively small sample. Suarez is reliable on most nights and has plus velocity with strong strikeout and walk numbers. A trade is a long shot but would follow a similar logic to the reason to listen on Cease. He’s likely to become a free agent — though he has the safety net of two years and $16MM if he suffers a late-season injury — and San Diego could flip him for help elsewhere on the roster and a few million dollars in cost savings. One of Jeremiah Estrada or Jason Adam could step into the ninth inning in that situation.

47. Shane Bieber, RHP, Guardians ($10MM in 2025, $16MM player option/$4MM buyout for 2026)

Cleveland is reportedly open to offers on Bieber, who has yet to make his big league return from last season’s Tommy John procedure. He’s on a rehab assignment and could be back for the final month or so of the year. He’s a wild card in terms of both health and performance. The former Cy Young winner had looked more like a #3 starter in his last full healthy season in 2023, but he’d reeled off a pair of brilliant starts to begin last year before his elbow blew out.

48. Brendan Donovan, 2B/OF, Cardinals ($2.85MM in 2025, arbitration-eligible through 2027)

The Cardinals are reportedly willing to listen on Donovan, who is controlled for two more seasons. The Dodgers are among the teams that have shown interest. The asking price is predictably high, as one would expect for a versatile left-handed hitter with a .293/.360/.428 slash line. Donovan has been a well above-average bat in all four seasons of his career.

49. Steven Kwan, OF, Guardians ($4.175MM in 2025, arbitration-eligible through 2027)

If the Guardians made him available, Kwan would be a top target for teams in need of an outfielder. He’s probably the sport’s best defensive left fielder. He walks more often than he strikes out and is an ideal leadoff hitter. Kwan carries a .287/.352/.410 slash through 424 plate appearances this season. He’s cheaply controllable for another two years. The Guardians would demand a monster haul to consider moving him.

50. Joe Ryan, RHP, Twins ($3MM in 2025, arbitration-eligible through 2027)

If the Twins are seeking multiple top prospects for Duran and Jax, one can only imagine the asking price on Ryan. He’s a high-end #2 starter who is cheaply controllable for two and a half seasons. Ryan is in the middle of a career season: a 2.63 ERA with a 29.2% strikeout percentage and a 5.1% walk rate across 116 1/3 innings. Even if the Twins feel they’re out of contention, they won’t be keen on parting with a pitcher who should anchor their 2026-27 rotations.

Others To Watch

A’s: Mason Miller, Sean Newcomb, Tyler Soderstrom, Luis Urias

Angels: Tyler Anderson, Kenley Jansen, Yoan Moncada, Luis Rengifo, Taylor Ward

Astros: Chas McCormick

Braves: Aaron Bummer

Brewers: Nestor Cortes, Jose Quintana

Cardinals: Erick Fedde (currently in DFA limbo), Nolan Gorman, John King, Steven Matz, JoJo Romero, Jordan Walker

Diamondbacks: Jalen Beeks, Kevin Ginkel, Randal Grichuk, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Jake McCarthy, Shelby Miller

Dodgers: Dustin May

Guardians: Carlos Santana, Paul Sewald (currently on IL), Cade Smith

Marlins: Calvin Faucher, Nick Fortes, Ronny Henriquez, Dane Myers, Cal Quantrill

Nationals: Josh Bell, Andrew Chafin, Jose A. Ferrer, MacKenzie Gore, Nathaniel Lowe, Amed Rosario

Orioles: Keegan Akin (currently on IL), Ryan Mountcastle (currently on IL),  Trevor Rogers, Gary Sanchez (currently on IL), Tomoyuki Sugano, Ramon Urias

Phillies: Nick Castellanos

Pirates: Oneil Cruz, Bailey Falter, Caleb Ferguson, Andrew Heaney, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Tommy Pham, Bryan Reynolds

Rangers: Jon Gray, Jonah Heim

Rays: Yandy Diaz, Danny Jansen, Brandon Lowe, Christopher Morel, Pete Fairbanks

Red Sox: Walker Buehler, Jarren Duran, Masataka Yoshida

Rockies: Thairo Estrada, Jimmy Herget, Victor Vodnik

Royals: Kris Bubic, John Schreiber

Twins: Ryan Jeffers, Trevor Larnach, Chris Paddack, Brock Stewart, Christian Vazquez

White Sox: Andrew Benintendi, Aaron Civale, Grant Taylor

Yankees Acquire Amed Rosario

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The Yankees are poised to acquire infielder Amed Rosario from the Nationals, per a report from Jack Curry of YES Network. New York will send right-hander Clayton Beeter and outfielder Browm Martinez to the Nationals in exchange for Rosario’s services. Both clubs subsequently announced the deal. Both Rosario and Beeter were already on their club’s 40-man roster, meaning no further roster maneuvering was necessary to complete the transaction.

A former top prospect who spent the first four seasons of his career with the Mets, Rosario returns home to New York but will now suit up for the Bronx down the stretch. The 29-year-old has now been moved at the trade deadline in three consecutive seasons and figures to offer the same value to the Yankees that he offered to the Dodgers and Reds in recent years: a versatile, right-handed bat capable of crushing left-handed pitching. Rosario’s overall slash line of .270/.310/.426 (105 wRC+) this year is solid but not especially exceptional, but a look under the hood reveals an excellent 126 wRC+ in 93 trips to the plate against southpaws this season. That’s par for the course for Rosario, who has posted a 120 wRC+ against lefties for his career across nine seasons in the big leagues.

A Yankees team that ranks as the best offense in baseball against left-handed pitching (120 wRC+) this year may not seem like an obvious candidate for a lefty masher like Rosario, but a great deal of that production comes from Aaron Judge and his absurd 219 wRC+ against left-handed pitching. Even setting aside the fact that Judge is headed for the injured list due to a flexor strain in his elbow, lefty hitters in the lineup like Trent Grisham (78 wRC+), Ben Rice (89 wRC+), and Jazz Chisholm Jr. (76 wRC+) all have below-average numbers against same-handed pitching this year. Rosario has handled every position on the diamond except for first base and catcher during his career, so he should be able to spell a number of those players against lefties as needed.

His most likely platoon partner appears to be fellow deadline acquisition Ryan McMahon, however. McMahon appears ticketed for a regular role as the club’s third baseman, but has an anemic 58 wRC+ against left-handed pitching. Plugging Rosario (who has spent parts of nine seasons at shortstop in addition to 30 career starts at the hot corner) into the lineup at third in McMahon’s place against lefties would afford the Yankees an extremely effective platoon at the position, turning a longtime soft spot in the club’s lineup into a clear strength. The moves to add McMahon and Rosario seem likely to take the Yankees out of the market for further infield help. They had been tied previously to prominent names on the trade market like Eugenio Suarez and Willi Castro, but now seem much more likely to focus their deadline efforts on improving a pitching staff beleaguered by injuries over the final days leading up to the deadline.

As for the Nationals, the club makes its first sell-side trade of the summer and in doing so adds a pair of prospects who could contribute in the future. Clayton Beeter is the bigger name of the two, a top 20 prospect in New York’s system according to MLB Pipeline who has already made five career appearances in the big leagues. A second-round pick by the Dodgers in 2020, Beeter has surrendered eight runs on nine hits and five walks while striking out six across 7 1/3 innings of work in the majors so far but has looked impressive at Triple-A for the Yankees over each of the past two seasons, with a 2.56 ERA over 56 1/3 innings of work at the level since the start of the 2024 campaign.

Beeter has struck out a very impressive 35.1% of opponents at the level this year, although his 17.0% walk rate suggests some serious issues with Beeter’s command. Even so, a controllable relief arm who’s already on the cusp of the big leagues and is capable of throwing multiple innings is an intriguing addition for a Nationals club that has the worst bullpen ERA in the major leagues this year. In addition to Beeter, the Nats have also acquired Martinez. The 18-year-old outfielder signed with the Yankees out of the Dominican Republic and made his pro debut last year. He’s yet to make his stateside debut but has slashed an incredible .404/.507/.632 in 18 games in the Dominican Summer League this year. Browm is surely years away from the majors and is unranked within the Yankees’ system, but could be an exciting prospect for the Nationals if he can continue to prove himself after he begins his stateside career.

Going forward, the Nationals figure to continue listening on a number of other trade candidates on their roster. Right-handers Kyle Finnegan and Michael Soroka are perhaps the most noteworthy potential rentals the club could move, but Josh Bell and Andrew Chafin are also pending free agents. Perhaps the Nationals will listen on some more controllable pieces like first baseman Nathaniel Lowe as well, although it would be a shock to see the club move someone more valuable like prized left-hander MacKenzie Gore.

Royals Acquire Randal Grichuk

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The Diamondbacks’ sell-off continues this evening as they’re trading outfielder Randal Grichuk to the Royals, according to a report from Steve Gilbert of MLB.com. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports that right-hander Andrew Hoffmann is headed to Arizona in exchange for Grichuk’s services. John Gambadoro of 98.7 FM Phoenix reports that Hoffmann, who is already on the 40-man roster, will be assigned to Triple-A Reno by the Diamondbacks once the trade becomes official. Both teams subsequently announced the trade.

Grichuk, 34 next month, is a veteran of 12 MLB seasons who has spent the past two years in Arizona. While he played mostly center field for the Cardinals and Blue Jays in his younger days, more recently Grichuk has fashioned a role for himself as a corner outfielder who primarily chips in against left-handed pitching. That’s certainly a piece the Royals could make use of, as they’ve gotten the least production from their outfield in the majors by measure of wRC+ (64) and fWAR (-2.4) this year. Kansas City has also been well below average (74 wRC+) against left-handed pitching this year; only six teams have been less productive at the dish against opposing southpaws.

The Royals are relying on an outfield mix of Jac Caglianone, Kyle Isbel, and John Rave this year with MJ Melendez and Tyler Tolbert occasionally chipping in as well. Tolbert’s 77 wRC+ leads that quintet of players as things stand, meaning that even as Grichuk’s production has dipped substantially this year he’ll still be a major upgrade for the Kansas City offense. Grichuk is hitting .243/.280/.462 with a wRC+ of 99 in 186 plate appearances this year. That jumps up to a 102 wRC+ when looking at his work against lefties, which should be more than enough to make him a regular fixture of the club’s lineup against southpaws. While Arizona’s crowded outfield mix means that Grichuk only saw token usage against right-handers during his time with the Diamondbacks, the Royals’ weak outfield mix and Grichuk’s decent 92 wRC+ could mean an uptick in playing time for the veteran against same-handed pitchers as well.

The deal is the latest sign that the Royals view themselves as potential contenders at this point in the season. The club is 51-53 at the moment, two games below .500 and 3.5 games out of an AL Wild Card spot. Fangraphs gives the club a 13.0% chance of reaching the playoffs based on their current projections, but with other bubble teams like the Rays, Guardians, and Twins at least seeming to consider selling in some capacity it seems as though Kansas City is staying the course and making moves to add low-cost veterans on expiring contracts like tonight’s Grichuk deal and the trade for second baseman Adam Frazier earlier this month. While sell-side trades can’t be completely ruled out, the Royals already seemed somewhat hesitant to deal veteran right-hander Seth Lugo even before today’s move to bring in Grichuk. It wouldn’t be the first time a team has both bought and sold at a trade deadline if the Royals did ultimately decide to part with Lugo (or another speculated trade candidate like Kris Bubic), but this latest addition seems likely to push them further into the buyer’s lane than they had been previously.

As for the Diamondbacks, this trade pushes them further into the seller lane after they dealt first baseman Josh Naylor to Seattle earlier this week. With two of the club’s many rentals on expiring contracts now out the door, deals involving other rental pieces like third baseman Eugenio Suarez, right-hander Zac Gallen, and righty Merrill Kelly are all the more likely. The Diamondbacks are, themselves, just four games out of a Wild Card spot with an identical 51-53 record to the Royals. With that being said, Arizona’s decision to sell makes plenty of sense considering the number of high profile impending free agents on the roster ticketed for free agency this November. With ace Corbin Burnes and leverage arms like A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez done for the 2025 season already, reloading the roster with young talent ahead of what they’re surely hoping will be a return to contention in 2026 makes plenty of sense.

In the case of this trade, that young talent comes in the form of Hoffmann, a right-hander who made his big league debut with the Royals earlier this year. The 25-year-old has just 3 MLB games under his belt, during which he posted a 3.86 ERA with four walks and five strikeouts across 4 2/3 innings of work. Despite that meager sample size at the big league level, Hoffmann has been nothing short of excellent at Triple-A this year. The righty has pitched to a 2.32 ERA across 40 innings of work with Kansas City’s Omaha affiliate, and in that time he’s struck out 33.3% of his opponents while walking just 6.1%.

Those are strong numbers, and while he was not considered one of the club’s top prospects entering the 2025 campaign it’s hardly surprising that the Diamondbacks would be interested in the right-hander. Arizona has made clear that adding young pitching talent is their top priority this summer, and Hoffmann comes to the club as a big-league ready reliever who has just a few days of MLB service time under his belt. Hoffmann joins lefty Brandyn Garcia and prospect Ashton Izzi as a part of the wave of pitching Mike Hazen’s front office is looking to create after Garcia and Izzi both came over as the return for Naylor earlier this week.

Rays’ Manuel Rodriguez To Undergo Elbow Surgery

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9:00pm: Topkin relayed a clarification from the Rays this evening that Rodriguez may not require full Tommy John surgery; he is scheduled to undergo surgery on his right elbow that will repair his flexor tendon. Rodriguez’s UCL will be evaluated during the surgery to determine whether or not additional intervention is necessary.

6:03pm: Rays right-hander Manuel Rodriguez is set to undergo Tommy John surgery on August 8th, manager Kevin Cash told reporters (including Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times) earlier today. Rodriguez was already on the 60-day injured list after renewed elbow soreness and a drop in velocity during a recent rehab outing caused him to visit with a specialist. That visit clearly revealed UCL damage, and Rodriguez will now miss the remainder of the 2025 season as well as most if not all of the 2026 campaign as well.

It’s devastating news for the talented young righty, as he’s been extremely effective when healthy since he joined the Rays’ bullpen last year. Rodriguez made his big league debut with the Cubs back in 2021 and pitched to a 4.88 ERA in the organization despite flashing premium velocity. He was outrighted off the club’s roster prior to the 2023 season before being traded to Tampa at that year’s trade deadline alongside Adrian Sampson. Since joining the Rays, Rodriguez has posted a brilliant 2.12 ERA in 68 innings of work at the big league level with a 21.1% strikeout rate, a 6.1% walk rate, and a 53.1% ground ball rate.

It’s an impressive profile overall, and one that allowed the 28-year-old to work his way into the club’s high-leverage mix before a forearm strain left him sidelined back in June. Unfortunately, he’ll now be sidelined for quite some time. Rodriguez reached two years of big league service time this year, meaning that if the Rays keep him on their 40-man roster throughout both the offseason and the 2026 campaign he’ll likely be eligible for arbitration after the 2027 campaign. It’s possible that the Rays could look to remove him from their roster at some point in the coming months and re-sign him to a minor league contract, though taking that path would give Rodriguez the opportunity to sign with any of the league’s 30 clubs and could run the risk of him receiving a more attractive offer elsewhere.

The Rays seemed to be anticipating a lengthy absence for Rodriguez even before recent visits with doctors revealed he’d need to go under the knife. That could mean that the right-hander’s injury won’t have a significant impact on their plans for the trade deadline this year. The club’s 53-51 record seemingly leaves them in position to both buy (as they did when they acquired Bryan Baker from the Orioles earlier this month) and also consider selling pieces like closer Pete Fairbanks, though it seems for the time being their preference is to keep the right-hander in the fold. Unless trades further alter the makeup of the Rays’ bullpen, Fairbanks and Baker will be joined by Edwin Uceta and Garrett Cleavinger in the club’s late inning mix going forward.

Angels Place Jorge Soler, Chris Taylor On Injured List

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The Angels announced that both outfielder Jorge Soler and utility man Chris Taylor have been placed on the injured list this evening. Soler is suffering from low back inflammation, and his stint on the shelf is retroactive to July 24. Taylor, meanwhile, is suffering from a left hand fracture that he tells MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger comes with a roughly six-week timetable for return, which should allow him to return at some point in September. Outfielder Gustavo Campero and utility man Scott Kingery were recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake to replace Soler and Taylor on the active roster.

Soler missed two weeks due to back inflammation back in June, and since his return on July 1 he’s hit an impressive .262/.360/.595 in 50 plate appearances. That excellent work at the dish is all the more impressive given that he’s evidently been playing at less than perfect health, given that he was pulled from Wednesday’s game early due to his back and had not played since. It’s not clear exactly how long the Angels expect the slugger to be out, but his production will be sorely missed on a team that’s four games under .500 and 4.5 games out of a Wild Card spot, leaving them in a position where every game counts ahead of the trade deadline next week.

As for Taylor, his broken hand is also a recurrence of a previous injury. He fractured his hand back in June and ended up missing around six weeks due to the issue. He finally returned to action on Monday, but got into just five games before a diving catch in the outfield yesterday caused him to re-fracture his hand, leaving him to start all over again with another six weeks of recovery. Taylor has appeared in just 43 games this year between the Dodgers and Angels, only 15 of which have been with the Halos. He’s posted a decent 87 wRC+ in that sample size and has looked the part of a viable and versatile bench option, but it’s unclear how much of an opportunity he’ll get to impact the club down the stretch at this point, with even a fairly optimistic timeline having him return in the season’s final weeks.

Filling in for Soler and Taylor on the roster are Campero and Kingery. Campero, 27, has been a fill-in outfielder for Anaheim in each of the past two seasons. A .192/.259/.295 hitter across 31 games in his big league career, he’s unlikely to provide much offense for the club but can cover all three outfield spots and even has some experience catching, although he’s converted almost exclusively to work in the outfield at this point. As for Kingery, the utility man appeared in 13 games with the Halos earlier this year. it was his first big league work since 2022, but he hit a paltry .160/.222/.200 in that time and has struggled mightily at Triple-A this year as well. His wRC+ in the Pacific Coast League is a ghastly 69 this year, meaning he’s been 31% worse than average even by the standards of the club’s Salt Lake affiliate. Still, he can offer some speed and versatility off the bench, with 25 steals at Triple-A for the Phillies just last year.

Mariners Making Dylan Moore Available In Trade Talks

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The Mariners made one of the first moves of trade season when they acquired Josh Naylor from the Diamondbacks earlier this week, and with a 55-49 record that puts them firmly in playoff contention. That should make them a clear buyer in the coming days, and several reports have already suggested they have interest in reuniting Naylor with his corner infield partner from Arizona, third baseman Eugenio Suarez. That doesn’t mean they wouldn’t consider dealing from their big league roster, however, as Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic writes that Seattle has made utility man Dylan Moore available in trade talks.

Rosenthal adds that the Mariners might be especially willing to part with Moore if they manage to swing a deal for Suarez. That makes plenty of sense, seeing as Moore is a player who has gotten the majority of his work this year on the infield against left-handed pitching. Suarez, meanwhile, would slot is as Seattle’s everyday third baseman and sports a career 126 wRC+ against left-handed pitching. A revamped infield that has both Naylor and Suarez in the mix at the corners would seemingly leave little room for Moore to get playing time, particularly with J.P. Crawford locked in at shortstop on a regular basis and top prospect Cole Young getting an extended look at the keystone.

With that being said, it’s worth noting that the Mariners may not be in position to get much of anything meaningful in return for Moore’s services. While the utility man’s versatility, respectable career numbers against left-handed pitching, and Gold Glove caliber defense last year are all attractive assets on paper, Moore has been mired in a brutal slump for well over a month at this point that figures to limit his trade value. He’s hitting .201/.264/.374 (83 wRC+) overall this year, a slash line that would be perfectly acceptable for a bench piece on a contender. Since the start of June, however, Moore has slashed an anemic .040/.111/.100 at the plate.

Those brutal numbers come across a sample of just 54 plate appearances, of course, but a 2-for-50 stretch is hard to write off as just a cold streak and would likely leave most prospective buyers unwilling to do more than take the remainder of Moore’s $3.66MM salary off of Seattle’s hands. Perhaps a deal could still come together if a team with weak bench options is willing to take a gamble on Moore and the Mariners are motivated to move his salary, however. The Mariners added minimal salary to their roster this winter, and while there have been signals that ownership is open to increasing payroll this summer it’s not entirely clear how far that expanded budget will go.

No teams have been directly connected to Moore, but he could make sense for teams with weak bench mixes who could value his versatility. The Yankees, Cubs, Brewers, and Astros are among the contenders with at least one bench piece who has been less productive than Moore’s overall numbers this year, although the Astros would be a tricky fit as the Mariners’ primary rival in the AL West and a team already loaded with right-handed bats. The Yankees in particular could be an intriguing fit for Moore’s services given that his right-handed bat could serve as a solid complement to the recently-added Ryan McMahon at third base, to say nothing of other lefties in the lineup like Trent Grisham and Ben Rice.

Tigers Sign Luke Jackson, Designate Geoff Hartlieb

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The Tigers have signed Luke Jackson to a one-year, Major League contract, according to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press.  Jackson signed a one-year, $1.35MM deal with the Rangers last winter and Texas is still responsible for most of the remaining salary still owed to the right-hander, with Detroit covering just the prorated portion of the MLB minimum salary.  Right-hander Geoff Hartlieb was designated for assignment in the corresponding moves on the 26-man and 40-man rosters.  (The transactions were first noted earlier today by MLive.com’s Evan Woodbery and other members of the Tigers beat, who noted that Jackson had a locker and Hartlieb didn’t in the Detroit clubhouse.)

The Rangers just released Jackson yesterday following a two-day DFA period, so the righty not only quickly landed a new contract, but Jackson will get the opportunity to carve a niche for himself on a Tigers team in sore need of bullpen help.  Detroit has lost 11 of its last 12 games, and the relief corps’ 7.04 ERA over that stretch has been a lead cause in what has become a major slump.  Relief pitching is a clear priority heading into the deadline, and Jackson may be one of several bullpen additions that could be coming to Motown before July 31.

Jackson posted a 4.11 ERA and 53.8% grounder rate over 35 innings with Texas this season.  That excellent grounder rate, some decent batted-ball luck (.272 BABIP), and an above-average 7.5% barrel rate helped Jackson limit the damage despite strikeout (15.8%) and walk (12.5%) rates that ranked near the bottom of the league.  Control has long been an issue for Jackson, but the lack of whiffs is a surprise, as he had a 27.1 K% over 289 2/3 innings during the 2018-24 seasons.  His overall effectiveness has tended to hinge on the success of his slider, and Jackson’s primary offering has only a -1 in Statcast’s Pitch Value metric this season.

While Jackson hasn’t looked very sharp, groundball specialists tend to have an even wider range of variance than most relievers.  It was just in 2023 that Jackson had a 2.97 ERA in 33 1/3 innings for the Giants, and his 1.98 ERA over 63 2/3 innings for the 2021 Braves played a key role in Atlanta’s path to the World Series.  At the cost of essentially nothing, there’s little risk for the Tigers in taking a flier on Jackson to see if a change of scenery can help him get on track.

Hartlieb signed a minor league deal with Detroit two weeks ago, and he had a 9.00 ERA over two appearances and two innings with the Tigers at the MLB level when his contract was selected two days ago.  A frequent visitor to DFA limbo, Hartlieb has been designated three times just within the last month — today’s move off the Tigers’ roster, and two previous instances when pitching with the Yankees.

Hartlieb declined outright assignments after clearing waivers in each of those two earlier DFAs and elected free agency, which is his right as a player who has been previously outrighted in his career.  Chances are he’ll elect free agency again, and perhaps either re-sign with the Tigers on another minors deal or look elsewhere for another landing spot.  Since Hartlieb is out of minor league options, he might well face more DFAs unless he can pitch consistently well enough to pitch in a big league bullpen.

Hartlieb has an ungainly 21.60 ERA in 3 1/3 total innings with New York and Detroit this season, boosting his career ERA to 7.95 over 82 2/3 innings with six different Major League clubs.  His 3.13 ERA over 37 1/3 Triple-A innings this year is much more palatable, and it could get Hartlieb another look from a team as at least minor league depth.

Phillies Interested In Eugenio Suarez

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The Phillies have had some talks with the Diamondbacks about third baseman Eugenio Suarez, according to Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer.  It isn’t clear whether or not the discussions are anything more than due diligence on the Phillies’ part, but Philadelphia can now be added to a lengthy list of teams with some degree of interest in the slugger.

The New York Post’s Jon Heyman raised Suarez as a “potential fit” for the Phils yesterday, since the club is in need of third base help with Alec Bohm on the 10-day injured list.  Putting Suarez in between the powerful left-handed hitting duo of Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber would only add more balance and pop to the lineup, and make it even harder for opposing pitchers and managers to navigate through what is already a dangerous Philadelphia lineup.

Since Bohm is expected back from his fractured rib roughly halfway through August, however, Lauber notes that adding Suarez would create a bit of a positional logjam.  Harper and Schwarber have the first base and DH spots locked down, so there would be nowhere for Bohm and Suarez to both play unless Schwarber was moved into left field.  Harper doesn’t appear to be a candidate for a return to outfield work, as Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski stated last month.

Speculatively, the Phillies could clear space by trading Bohm himself, though such a deal would naturally be trickier since Bohm is on the IL.  It is possible Bohm could head to Arizona as part of a Suarez trade package, as adding Bohm would help the D’Backs fill some at-bats at first base since Josh Naylor has been traded, and Bohm could provide cover at third base if Jordan Lawlar runs into more struggles at the MLB level.  Bohm is arbitration-eligible for the final time this winter, so this extra year of team control might appeal to the Diamondbacks or other teams looking for corner infield help.

Since the Diamondbacks are also shopping several of their outfielders, it is possible the two sides could work out a multi-player deal that would see the Phillies add both Suarez and some outfield help in one fell swoop.  Lauber writes that Arizona was scouting Mick Abel’s most recent Triple-A start, which again could be due diligence or a signal that the D’Backs (known to be pursuing pitching) have a particular interest in Abel as a trade chip.

Dombrowski is no stranger to bold trades, so the Phillies can’t be entirely ruled out for Suarez until the dust settles.  Money won’t be a factor, as the Phils have already shown they’re more than willing to break the bank in pursuit of a championship.  Suarez is still owed roughly $5.2MM of his $15MM salary for the 2025 season before he heads into free agency.  Since the Phillies are already over the highest level ($301MM) of luxury tax penalization, they’ll pay a 110% tax on every dollar spent beyond the $301MM threshold, so Suarez’s real price tag for the Phillies will be more than $10.5MM.

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