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Rays Rumors

Rays Outright Coco Montes, Release Jacob Waguespack

By Nick Deeds | July 28, 2025 at 2:31pm CDT

The Rays announced this afternoon that they’ve assigned infielder Coco Montes outright to Triple-A. In addition, right-hander Jacob Waguespack has been released. Both players had previously been designated for assignment by the club last week.

Montes, 28, appeared in five games for the Rays this year. The infielder went 2-10 with three strikeouts and one RBI during that limited exposure to the majors while playing both second and third base as well as left field. He’d previously slashed a meager .221/.272/.344 for the Rays’ Triple-A affiliate in Durham this year and last made the big leagues with the Rockies back in 2023. He appeared in 18 games with Colorado where he slashed .184/.244/.316 with two doubles and a home run across 41 plate appearances. Between his two stints in the majors, Montes played for Nippon Professional Baseball’s Yoimiuri Giants. He slashed a somewhat pedestrian .272/.308/.391 for the Giants in 46 Central League games during the 2024 season. He’ll now return to Triple-A Durham as non-roster depth for the Rays going forward this year.

As for Waguespack, the 31-year-old was a 37th-round pick by the Pirates all the way back in 2012 who made his big league debut back in 2019 as a member of the Blue Jays. He pitched in parts of two seasons with Toronto and posted a 5.08 ERA in 95 2/3 innings of work split between 13 starts and 14 relief appearances. He struck out just 18.6% of his opponents while walking 8.9%, and after spending the 2021 season with Toronto’s Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo he moved on to NPB’s Orix Buffaloes. Waguespack posted an impressive 2.97 ERA in 72 2/3 innings of work during his first year of Pacific League play, but his production cratered in 2023.

He’s spent the past two seasons in the Rays organization, primarily at the minor league level, but posted a 5.40 ERA in ten appearances with the big league club this year. He’ll now head into free agency in search of another opportunity, though it seems he’ll be limited to minor league offers unless he once again ventures outside of affiliated ball to pitch elsewhere. Waguespack had been on the minor league injured list, meaning he could not be outrighted to the minor leagues after being designated for assignment.

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Tampa Bay Rays Transactions Coco Montes Jacob Waguespack

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Latest On Yankees’ Deadline Plans

By Nick Deeds | July 28, 2025 at 10:51am CDT

The Yankees nearly had their season upended when reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge suffered a flexor strain in his right elbow. The issue required a trip to the injured list, but fortunately for the Bronx Bombers their superstar is expected to avoid the operating table and could be back in the lineup as a DH shortly after the trade deadline. Even so, there are some signs that the Yankees may not be fully all-in this summer. Andy Martino of SNY reported yesterday that the Yankees actually “seriously considered” a pivot towards selling this summer if Judge was out for the remainder of the season.

It goes without saying that Judge, who has emerged as the consensus best hitter in the sport with an absurd .312/.436/.681 slash line over the past four seasons, is a transformational player. With that being said, baseball is a team sport and for a team to be willing to pivot from buying to selling based on an injury to one player suggests a level of uncertainty that might not otherwise be expected from a club that’s already gone out and acquired third baseman Ryan McMahon and utility bat Amed Rosario within the past week. Martino even wonders if a Yankees club that’s 8-12 in the month of July and 22-28 over their last 50 games could still consider selling off rental players like Cody Bellinger and Devin Williams, even in spite of Judge’s expected return to the lineup.

That seems very unlikely to actually happen at this point, and even Martino acknowledges that such an outcome is an “extreme longshot.” Still, the fact that there’s any reason to doubt the Yankees’ status as buyers at this point could suggest that they won’t be the most aggressive suitors for high-end talent on the market. Gerrit Cole will be back next year, Judge will presumably have moved past his elbow issues, and the club could hope for better health for an arm like Luis Gil as well, not to mention further development from young pieces both at the big league level (Ben Rice, Jasson Dominguez) and in the minors (Spencer Jones, George Lombard Jr.).

All of that could be enough to opt for lower-cost additions rather than shopping aggressively in the most impactful tiers of the market. We’ve already seen them take that approach in their efforts to upgrade at third base. It’s well-known that the Yankees were engaged with the Diamondbacks on third baseman Eugenio Suarez in recent weeks, but Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com reports that talks between the sides stalled when New York balked at the price tag Arizona hat set, which Romero reports consisted of one MLB player, one prospect from the upper levels of the minors, and at least one prospect from the lower-levels of the minors.

It must be cautioned that proximity to the big leagues, while an attractive factor in a player’s profile, does not necessarily indicate trade value. Oswald Peraza, for example, is much less valuable on the trade market now as a struggling big leaguer without options remaining than he was a few years ago when he was a consensus top-50 prospect in the game with only eight games at the Triple-A level. That means Romero’s report does little to pin down the exact quality of the return Arizona requested from the Yankees, but it does seem likely that New York thought it was giving up less value by surrendering Clayton Beeter, Browm Martinez, Griffin Herring, and Josh Grosz to acquire the combination McMahon and Rosario than they would have had to in order to land Suarez.

Could that apparent hesitance to trade at the top of the market impact New York’s pursuits on the pitching side of things? Joel Sherman of the New York Post indicates that the Yankees are looking to add two relievers (including one lefty) and a starting pitcher “at minimum” this summer. If the Yankees were turned off by the price tag associated with Suarez, it’s possible they could prefer to shop at the lower levels of the market to avoid meeting Arizona’s asking price on Zac Gallen or Merrill Kelly. On the other hand, maybe the prospect capital they saved by passing on Suarez could be used to gun for an even more significant piece with multiple years of control like Jhoan Duran or Emmanuel Clase for the club’s bullpen.

Regardless of how big the Yankees decide to go on the pitching side of things, Sherman reports that the club may not be done augmenting its positional corps just yet. He writes that the Yankees have talked to the Rays about infield pieces Jose Caballero, Taylor Walls, and Ha-Seong Kim. The Rays rarely make any player on their roster off limits and Cabellero specifically came up in the rumor mill recently, so it’s not necessarily a shock to hear that Tampa would listen on some of its infield depth. Sherman suggests that players like Willi Castro of the Twins, Isiah Kiner-Falefa of the Pirates, and David Hamilton of the Red Sox could also be of interest to the Yankees as they look to upgrade the speed and versatility of their bench, preferably with a player who can be relied upon to back up shortstop Anthony Volpe.

Sherman suggests that the Yankees have “long-liked” Castro in particular and suggests that it would be “ideal” for the club to acquire him as part of a package that includes one of Minnnesota’s relievers. Danny Coulombe is a pending free agent who would make plenty of sense if New York hopes to stick with lower-cost acquisitions, but he doesn’t rule out a pursuit of a more expensive, controllable impact piece like Duran and Jax. Minnesota’s relief arms are getting plenty of attention on the trade market, however, and Castro himself would be an excellent fit for not just the Yankees but also teams like the Cubs and Astros. Given the Yankees’ possible reluctance about going all-in on 2025, it seems likely that they’ll continue examining a wide array of options at varying price points over the coming days.

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Arizona Diamondbacks Minnesota Twins New York Yankees Tampa Bay Rays Eugenio Suarez Ha-Seong Kim Jose Caballero Taylor Walls Willi Castro

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Rays “Softening” Stance On Dealing Yandy Diaz, Brandon Lowe

By Nick Deeds | July 27, 2025 at 8:36am CDT

The Rays have struggled badly in the month of July, with a 6-14 record that has left them just one game over .500 and 2.5 games out of an AL Wild Card spot. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the club’s recent skid has forced their front office to reconsider some of its stances on keeping certain players in the fold, including first baseman Yandy Diaz and second baseman Brandon Lowe. While the Rays are currently signalling an openness to moving both players, Rosenthal adds they could reverse that decision if the club’s play in the coming days warrants it and that a final decision may not be made until Wednesday, the day before this year’s trade deadline.

The addition of Diaz and Lowe to the market as available pieces would be a major shift to a position player market that lacks standout controllable pieces. MLBTR’s Top 50 Trade Candidates for the 2025 Deadline list, published just yesterday, features only a handful of hitters controlled beyond the 2025 season. Steven Kwan of the Guardians and Brendan Donovan of the Cardinals would be impact pieces but are both viewed as unlikely to be dealt. Adolis Garcia of the Rangers and Alek Thomas of the Diamondbacks have high upside but are in the midst of difficult seasons. Mike Tauchman, Jesus Sanchez, and Ramon Laureano are all solid corner outfield options with two seasons of team control but limited upside. Luis Robert Jr. is technically controlled for two seasons after this one and offers superstar-level upside, but has struggled so much this year that it remains an open question if his options will even be exercised.

In that sort of trade market, it goes without saying that Diaz and Lowe would be extremely attractive pieces if the Rays do decide to dangle them. Diaz, 34, is a lackluster defender at this point in his career who may be best suited for a DH role but has been one of the most reliable offensive players in the game for quite some time. He’s hitting .299/.376/.475 (139 wRC+) since the start of the 2022 season, and this year sports a solid 126 wRC+ with 18 homers in 99 games, a 13.9% strikeout rate, and a 7.7% walk rate. He’s under team control through 2027. Lowe, meanwhile, comes with a club option for the 2026 season and has been a steadily above-average bat for his entire career with a .248/.329/.482 (125 wRC+) career slash line and a similar .269/.320/.480 (120 wRC+) line in 86 games this season.

Diaz’s combination of power and contact ability would make him a major upgrade to any offense that can fit him into the lineup, and Rosenthal suggests that the Red Sox will “almost certainly” be at the top of the list of interested teams if the Rays do make Diaz available. Boston has been relying on a combination of Abraham Toro and Romy Gonzalez at first since losing Triston Casas to injury earlier this year, but Diaz would be a massive upgrade over that duo and could even help to soften the blow if Alex Bregman opts out of his contract this winter by adding another big right-handed bat to the lineup. Speculatively speaking, the Rangers, Brewers, and Padres are among the other clubs that could use a bat of Diaz’s caliber and would be able to make room for him at either first base or DH.

Lowe, meanwhile, has relative youth on his side at just 30 years old and could be a fit for more teams due to his ability to handle both second base and left field. The Phillies, Giants, Padres, Astros, and Dodgers are among the many contenders who could stand to upgrade at least one of those positions. Lowe would be a particularly intriguing fit for Houston given that his lefty bat would help balance an overwhelming right-handed Astros lineup, and his positional flexibility maps perfectly with that of Jose Altuve, meaning the that the club could lock down both positions between the two veterans.

One other name Rosenthal mentions as a possible trade chip is catcher Danny Jansen. Unlike Lowe and Diaz, Jansen is not controlled beyond the 2025 season; he has a mutual option for 2026, but those are all but guaranteed to be declined by one party or the other. The Padres are known to be in the market for catching help this summer, as are the Red Sox and Mets. Jansen is in the midst of a fairly pedestrian season with a 99 wRC+ and poor defensive metrics, but he’d nonetheless be an upgrade over Boston’s Connor Wong or San Diego’s Elias Diaz. Other clubs could jump into the market for catching help as well if an injury occurs in the next few days that requires them to look for outside help.

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Boston Red Sox Tampa Bay Rays Brandon Lowe Danny Jansen Yandy Diaz

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Rays’ Manuel Rodriguez To Undergo Elbow Surgery

By Nick Deeds | July 26, 2025 at 9:00pm CDT

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.

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Tampa Bay Rays Manuel Rodriguez

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Rays Designate Coco Montes For Assignment

By Mark Polishuk | July 26, 2025 at 12:10pm CDT

The Rays announced that infielder/outfielder Coco Montes has been designated for assignment.  The move opens up roster space for Tristan Gray, acquired earlier today in a trade with the White Sox that is now official.

Montes made his Major League debut by playing in 18 games with the Rockies in 2023, and he split his 2024 season between Colorado’s Triple-A affiliate and the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball.  Returning to North American ball this past winter, Montes inked a minors contract with the Rays that has resulted five big league appearances and several shuttles back and forth between the Show and Triple-A Durham.

Montes has a .527 OPS over 51 trips to the plate at the MLB level, and he has posted some very strong numbers with the Rockies’ Triple-A team before struggling to a .221/.272/.344 slash over 272 PA in Durham this year.  Between the lack of Triple-A production and four of his maximum five in-year options already used, the Rays were perhaps simply willing to part ways with Montes for a player with a bit more roster flexibility and upside in Gray.

The Rockies outrighted Montes off their 40-man roster near the end of the 2023 season, and that previous outright gives Montes some leverage in his next career step.  If he clears waivers and the Rays try to outright him to Triple-A, Montes has the right to reject that assignment and become a free agent.

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Tampa Bay Rays Transactions Coco Montes

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Rays Acquire Tristan Gray From White Sox

By Mark Polishuk | July 26, 2025 at 10:44am CDT

The Rays have acquired infielder Tristan Gray in a trade with the White Sox, FanSided’s Robert Murray reports.  Chicago will receive cash considerations in return.

It’s a return trip to Tampa Bay for Gray, who made his MLB debut in the form of two games with the Rays in September 2023.  He followed that cup of coffee in the Show with a slightly longer stint of 15 games last season, split between the Marlins (seven games) and the Athletics (eight games).  This limited playing time resulted in 36 plate appearances for Gray at the big league level, and only a .152/.222/.273 career slash line.

Gray went from Miami to Oakland on a waiver claim last August, and he was then picked off the waiver wire again by the Pirates in October, before being released and signing on with the White Sox on a minors deal in the offseason.  The Sox selected Gray’s contract to the active roster for a couple of days earlier this month, but he was optioned back to Triple-A Charlotte before getting any official game action for Chicago.

Gray moves on with some pretty strong Triple-A numbers to show for his time in the White Sox organization, as he hit .270/.333/.472 over 282 PA in Charlotte.  This boosts his career Triple-A slash line to .242/.310/.472 in 2050 PA, and beyond his limited bat, Gray has amassed a lot of playing time at all four infield positions.  The trade gives the Rays a familiar left-handed hitting name back on the depth chart as the team evaluates its infield situation in advance of the trade deadline.

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Chicago White Sox Tampa Bay Rays Transactions Tristan Gray

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Rays Designate Jacob Waguespack For Assignment

By Darragh McDonald | July 25, 2025 at 5:55pm CDT

The Rays announced today that infielder Ha-Seong Kim has been placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to July 22nd, due to a low back strain. Outfielder Jonny DeLuca has been reinstated from the 60-day IL to take Kim’s active roster spot. To open 40-man space for DeLuca, right-hander Jacob Waguespack has been designated for assignment.

Kim was removed from Monday’s game with lower back tightness and he sat out the games on Tuesday and Wednesday. Perhaps the club wanted to see how his back would respond to a bit of rest before committing to an IL stint. However, three days is the maximum amount of time an IL move can be backdated. It’s possible it didn’t improve as hoped, so they decided to just put him on the shelf.

That’s an unfortunate development but the fact that the club waited to make the decision perhaps suggests it a fairly minor issue. Due to the backdating, he can return a week from now if his back improves between now and then. Taylor Walls and José Caballero will likely take over the shortstop spot again, as they did when Kim was on the IL earlier this year.

DeLuca hit the IL a week into April with a right shoulder strain. He started a rehab assignment in late May but was shut down with continued soreness. He was able to start a new rehab assignment more recently and seems to be ready to go. He’ll jump into the outfield mix alongside Chandler Simpson, Josh Lowe, Jake Mangum and Christopher Morel.

The victim of DeLuca’s return is Waguespack. The right-hander was selected to the Rays’ roster ahead of the 2024 season. He spent most of last year either on optional assignment or battling a rotator cuff injury. He tossed just ten innings for the big league club with a 5.40 earned run average.

The Rays signed a new deal with him for 2025 but it seems this year is following a similar script to 2024. He was optioned to Triple-A Durham at the start of this season. He was placed on the minor league injured list in May with an undisclosed issue and hasn’t pitched since May 20th.

Though his health status is unclear, the Rays have decided to clear him off the 40-man. Injured players can’t be placed on outright waivers, so he’ll likely be released in the coming days. He’ll then be free to sign with any club, though the interest will depend on his injury status.

Photo courtesy of Reinhold Matay, Imagn Images

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Tampa Bay Rays Transactions Ha-Seong Kim Jacob Waguespack Jonny DeLuca

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Seranthony Dominguez, Pete Fairbanks Among Cubs’ Bullpen Targets

By Steve Adams | July 25, 2025 at 8:30am CDT

The Cubs are eyeing upgrades for the back end of the bullpen and have looked into Orioles setup man Seranthony Dominguez and Rays closer Pete Fairbanks, reports Bruce Levine of 670 The Score. Levine notes that the Rays have been showing reluctance to part with Fairbanks, which lines up with recent reporting from Will Sammon, Katie Woo and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic, wherein they indicate that Tampa Bay “strongly prefers” to hang onto Fairbanks (but are still hearing out interested teams who inquire).

Both Dominguez and Fairbanks are sensible targets for a Cubs bullpen in need of help. Dominguez is being paid $8MM in his final year of club control. He’s a pure free agent at season’s end. The 30-year-old righty is in his first full season with the O’s after having been acquired from the Phillies at last year’s deadline. He’s pitched 40 2/3 innings this season and worked to a sharp 3.32 ERA with a hefty 31% strikeout rate. Dominguez has been one of the primary setup options for closer Félix Bautista, tallying 13 holds and two saves of his own on the season. He’s averaged a sizzling 97.7 mph on his four-seamer and 97.9 mph on his sinker.

Command troubles have plagued Dominguez at times in his career, however, and that’s never been truer than in 2025. This year’s 14% walk rate is far and away the worst of his career, and he’s also tossed nine wild pitches. That’s clearly far from ideal, but Chicago’s combined 20.1% strikeout rate from their relievers is fourth-lowest in MLB, so adding some swing-and-miss is an understandable focus — particularly given how important that ability tends to be in the postseason.

Fairbanks is earning a bit more than $3.8MM this season and has a club option for the 2026 campaign. That option comes with a $7MM base value, but Fairbanks has already boosted that to to $8MM as he begins reaching escalator milestones. So long as he remains healthy, he’ll likely increase that option value considerably more.

The 31-year-old Fairbanks has already finished 29 games and boost next year’s option value by $500K for each of 30, 35 and 40 games finished in 2025. The option also climbs by $1MM apiece when Fairbanks reaches 135, 150 and 165 total appearances from 2023-25 combined. He’s currently at 134 games total between those three seasons. There’s a strong chance that option winds up valued at $11.5MM.

In the past, Fairbanks has missed bats at comparable levels to Dominguez, but his 20.3% strikeout rate in 2025 is a career-low. He’s dealt with shoulder, lat, forearm and hip injuries over the past five seasons, and a four-seamer that once averaged a blistering 99 mph has accordingly dropped off, sitting at 97.3 mph in each of the past two seasons.

Fairbanks’ swinging-strike rate has unsurprisingly dropped as he’s lost some zip on that heater, though his velocity is still well above average and he’s continued to remain effective. In 38 innings this season, he’s sporting a 2.84 earned run average and has gone 17-for-20 in save opportunities. With the exception of 21-inning rookie debut, Fairbanks has never posted an ERA north of 3.59 in a season. This year’s 2.84 ERA is almost a dead match for the 2.88 mark he’s compiled dating back to the 2020 season.

Dominguez and Fairbanks are surely just two of many targets the Cubs are eyeing as they look to bolster a relief corps that ranks 10th in the majors with a collective 3.78 ERA but 27th in strikeout rate, 15th in FIP (4.05) and 24th in SIERA (3.98). Emerging closer Daniel Palencia and resurgent veteran Brad Keller are both showing plus velocity, with the former sitting at a whopping 99.5 mph with his fastball and Keller sitting 97.1 mph. The rest of Chicago’s bullpen — aside from the currently injured Porter Hodge — has average to below-average velocity (and, in many cases, sub-par strikeout rates to match).

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Baltimore Orioles Chicago Cubs Tampa Bay Rays Pete Fairbanks Seranthony Dominguez

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Blue Jays, Rays Among Teams Showing Interest In Dylan Cease

By Anthony Franco | July 24, 2025 at 7:10pm CDT

Earlier this week, ESPN’s Buster Olney reported that the Padres had discussed Dylan Cease with multiple AL East teams in addition to the Mets and Cubs. It seems the interest from the AL East has come from every contending club in that division. Jon Heyman of The New York Post reports that the Blue Jays, Rays, Red Sox and Yankees have all checked in with the Friars to express interest.

The Cease rumors have picked up steam over the past few days. It’d be unconventional for a team that presently occupies the National League’s final playoff spot to trade one of its two best healthy starters. President of baseball operations A.J. Preller has never shied away from big swings, though, and they’re seemingly considering the idea of trading Cease for young talent while reallocating payroll room and prospects to different available starters. Dennis Lin of The Athletic reported last night that they’re among the teams that have been in touch with the Marlins regarding Sandy Alcantara, for instance.

Cease is an impending free agent who is playing on a $13.75MM salary. He’s a lock to receive and reject a qualifying offer if the Padres hold him all season. As a luxury tax payor, they’d only receive a compensatory pick after the fourth round in the 2026 draft. That’s worth far less than they’d receive if they traded him, though they need to balance that against the hit it’d deal to the rotation for the stretch run.

The 29-year-old Cease is incredibly durable and has pitched at a top-of-the-rotation level in previous seasons. His near-30% strikeout rate and 97 MPH average fastball still point to that ceiling, but he hasn’t managed particularly strong results this year. He carries a 4.59 earned run average across 113 2/3 innings. Some of that can be traced to a nine-run drubbing at the hands of the A’s in their extremely hitter-friendly park in Sacramento back in April. That’s hardly the sole factor, though. Cease got on a decent run after that outing but has allowed a 5.21 ERA over his most recent seven starts.

Even if this hasn’t been a banner year, Cease’s track record and stuff would make him an extremely desirable trade target. He’d be the best rental rotation arm available, and teams would still view him as a surefire playoff starter. The Yankees, Red Sox and Blue Jays are all known to be in the starting pitching market. New York has a strong 1-2 in Max Fried and Carlos Rodón, but Luis Gil is a health question mark and they lost Clarke Schmidt to Tommy John surgery. Boston would certainly benefit from adding another high-end starter to pair with Cease’s former White Sox teammate, Garrett Crochet. Toronto’s veteran-laden rotation lacks a true top-end starter, and they’ve already been tied to some of the higher upside trade candidates like Edward Cabrera and Mitch Keller.

The Rays would be the most surprising entrant into this group, though Tampa Bay tends to at least kick the tires on big names even if they don’t often land them. They’re a game and a half back of Boston in the Wild Card race. They’d have little hope of re-signing Cease, and a big push for a rental when they’re a bubble team seems unlikely. Tampa Bay could trade a starter like Taj Bradley or Zack Littell in the coming days; they’re also hopeful of getting Shane McClanahan back in the final two months.

San Diego awaits the return of one of their own top starters. Michael King has been out for more than two months with a nerve injury in his shoulder. He’s targeting a mid-August comeback. As of now, he’d team with Cease, Nick Pivetta and potentially Yu Darvish in a playoff rotation. That’s not a terrible group, but both Cease and King are months from free agency. Pivetta can opt out after next season, and Darvish is approaching his 39th birthday. Even with Joe Musgrove returning from Tommy John surgery next year, the long-term rotation picture is cloudy. They could try to thread the needle of acquiring a controllable arm while shipping Cease out.

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Boston Red Sox New York Yankees San Diego Padres Tampa Bay Rays Toronto Blue Jays Dylan Cease

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Draft Signings: Schoolcraft, Watson, Russell, Quick, Flemming, Root

By Anthony Franco | July 23, 2025 at 11:28pm CDT

There were a handful of draftees who signed for between $2MM and $4MM on Wednesday. All signings were first reported by Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline. View pre-draft scouting reports from Baseball America, FanGraphs, MLB Pipeline, Kiley McDaniel of ESPN and Keith Law of The Athletic.

  • The Padres reached agreement with first-rounder Kruz Schoolcraft on a $3.6066MM bonus that matches the slot value for the #25 overall pick. A 6’8″ left-handed prep pitcher from Oregon, Schoolcraft was committed to Tennessee. Evaluators credit him with a potential plus changeup and the ability to run his fastball into the upper 90s on occasion, though his velocity varies between starts. Schoolcraft was a two-way player in high school and would have been a legitimate prospect as a first baseman, but scouts agree that he has greater upside on the mound. He placed between 19th and 41st on the linked pre-draft rankings.
  • The Reds went well above slot with a $2.75MM bonus for second-round pick Aaron Watson. The 51st overall selection comes with a slot value around $1.89MM. Watson is a 6’5″ prep right-hander who had been committed to Florida. He sits in the low-90s at present and has advanced command and feel for manipulating a potential above-average slider. The Reds saved a bit of money by going below slot for first-rounder Steele Hall, allowing them to reallocate some money to Watson.
  • The Rangers have a $2.6MM agreement with second-rounder A.J. Russell against an approximate $1.85MM slot value. A University of Tennessee product, he’s a 6’6″ righty who missed parts of the 2024-25 seasons recovering from elbow surgery. Russell had dominated as a reliever during his freshman year but only managed 70 innings in his college career. Evaluators suggest he has a potential mid-rotation ceiling, but he’ll face questions about his ability to stick as a starter until he builds more of a track record.
  • The Twins signed supplemental first-rounder Riley Quick for $2.692MM, matching the 36th selection’s slot value.  Quick is a 6’6″ righty from the University of Alabama with a power arsenal but a limited college track record because of Tommy John surgery.
  • The A’s signed second-round pick Devin Taylor. He’s an Indiana University product who hit .374/.494/.706 with 18 homers and 52 walks against 30 strikeouts in his draft year. The lefty-hitting Taylor is viewed as one of the best offensive players in the college class but projects as below-average left fielder who might be limited to designated hitter.
  • The Rays have an overslot deal with second-round pick Cooper Flemming. The California high school infielder receives a $2.2975MM bonus that comes in above the $1.8MM slot value. A left-handed hitter who was committed to Vanderbilt, Flemming ranked around 50th on Law’s and McDaniel’s boards but placed as low as 102nd at Baseball America. He projects to third base and has a well-rounded skillset with advanced hitting ability but doesn’t project for many plus tools.
  • The Dodgers signed 40th overall selection Zachary Root for $2.2MM, a little below the $2.43MM slot. They signed 41st selection Charles Davalan for exactly $2MM, also below slot. Root, a 6’1″ lefty from Arkansas, is viewed as a likely back-end starter on the strength of his secondary stuff. He posted a 3.62 ERA with 126 strikeouts in 19 starts this past season. Davalan was Root’s teammate with the Hogs. He hit .346 with 14 homers in his junior season. A short left-handed hitter, Davalan has plus contact skills with some bat speed and could project as an above-average defensive left fielder.

Note: This post initially called Taylor a Minnesota draft pick. MLBTR apologizes for the error.

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Cincinnati Reds Los Angeles Dodgers Minnesota Twins Oakland Athletics San Diego Padres Tampa Bay Rays Texas Rangers A.J. Russell Aaron Watson Charles Davalan Cooper Flemming Devin Taylor Kruz Schoolcraft Riley Quick Zach Root

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