The Opener

Deadline day is upon us! Rather than the usual three “outs,” today’s opener is going three innings and previewing nine of the countless scenarios to keep an eye on between now and the 5pm CT trade deadline:

1. Will Crochet move? And what else is in store for the White Sox?

Few names have generated as much conversation as emergent White Sox ace Garrett Crochet in the month leading up to the trade deadline. It’s long seemed like a foregone conclusion that the Sox would trade him after extension talks failed to progress, but Crochet threw a wrench into those plans when his camp indicated he wanted to remain in the rotation and hoped to sign a long-term deal (just apparently not with the rebuilding White Sox) if a new club was to pitch him in October. Crochet has already thrown more innings in 2024 (114 1/3) than he had in his entire career prior to the current season, so it’s understandable that he’s concerned about how a midseason role change and/or pitching deep into October could impact his health. At the same time, his all-business approach has complicated his trade outlook for the White Sox and rubbed many fans — plus some in the industry — the wrong way.

Crochet isn’t the only name the Sox have left to market. They were leaning against moving center fielder Luis Robert Jr. as of last night, although it takes all of one text message or phone call to get that train rolling again. Other trade candidates include lefty Tanner Banks and shorter-term pickups like Paul DeJong, Chris Flexen, John Brebbia and Nicky Lopez.

2. Will the A’s trade Rooker? …Or… anyone?

Robert isn’t the only marquee outfielder whose rebuilding club is wary of moving him. Brent Rooker has emerged as one of the top power hitters in all of baseball over the past two seasons and has drawn considerable interest, but the A’s are signaling reluctance to move him with three years of club control remaining beyond the current season. Perhaps that’s a smokescreen, but there’s little to no urgency for Oakland to move him right now. Rooker would still command a haul this offseason, when a potentially even larger number of teams might more seriously consider placing a bid.

Rooker aside, the A’s are rather incredibly one of only two teams (more on that later) not to make a single trade yet during the 2024 deadline bonanza. That seems overwhelmingly likely to change today. Candidates beyond Rooker include outfielders Miguel Andujar and JJ Bleday (also a long shot); right-handers Paul Blackburn and Ross Stripling; and relievers Lucas Erceg (who’s drawing immense interest), Scott Alexander, Austin Adams and T.J. McFarland.

3. Who’s getting Flaherty, Scott, and the other obvious rentals?

The Tigers scratched Jack Flaherty from last night’s start to safeguard against an injury that tanks his value. A deal didn’t come together at the time, but he’s a virtual lock to change hands before 5pm CT today. Marlins closer Tanner Scott is even more certain to finish today under control of a new team. Both pitchers are free agents at season’s end.

Many of the market’s other obvious rental chips have already changed hands, but not all of them. Trevor Richards (Blue Jays), Luis Garcia (Angels), Kevin Pillar (Angels), Elias Diaz (Rockies), Jacob Stallings (Rockies), Dylan Floro (Nationals) and the aforementioned Flexen, McFarland and Stripling are just some of the impending free agents who could be on the move today.

4. How many more deals do the Rays have in them?

The Rays have owned the trade market this month, shipping out Aaron Civale, Phil Maton, Randy Arozarena, Zach Eflin, Isaac Paredes and Jason Adam for a dozen known players (Christopher Morel and 11 prospects) and a player to be named later (from the Mariners as part of the Arozarena deal).

Even with all those deals, the Rays could still have a few more trades up their sleeve. At least four teams (Rangers, Yankees, Astros, Pirates) remain in play for first baseman Yandy Diaz. Right-hander Zack Littell has one extra year of control and has emerged as both a viable rotation arm and trade candidate for Tampa Bay. Second baseman/outfielder Brandon Lowe is in the final guaranteed season of his contract but has a pair of club options ($10.5MM and $11.5MM) that the frugal Rays might prefer to trade for longer-term value. Relievers Pete Fairbanks, Colin Poche, Garrett Cleavinger and Kevin Kelly have all been discussed as well.

5. Will the Twins do, um… anything?

As noted, Oakland is one of two teams in the league to do exactly nothing thus far. The other is Minnesota. The Twins have spent much of the season in comfortable playoff position and are said to be working with payroll limitations (just as they were in the offseason), but their complete silence on the trade front is nevertheless surprising. Minnesota has been eyeing rental arms for the back of the rotation and could look for another outfield bat or reliever, but thus far the reigning AL Central champs have simply stood pat. They’re 5.5 games back of the division lead — a closeable gap in theory, but so far they’ve watched the Central-leading Guardians add Lane Thomas in a trade with the Nationals and the third-place Royals make multiple veteran acquisitions without doing anything to improve their own club.

6. Finnegan still in Washington…

The Nats wasted little time trading one of their two late-inning arms with a year-plus of club control remaining when they moved Hunter Harvey to the Royals before the All-Star break. But closer Kyle Finnegan remains with the team despite standing as one of the most obvious trade candidates around the game. Last night’s blown save certainly didn’t raise his stock any, but Finnegan has been prone to hard contact all season even while saving 28 games with a 3.48 ERA, 24.6% strikeout rate and 7.2% walk rate. Teams know an outing like yesterday’s five-run meltdown is potentially in the cards for someone with a 50.4% hard-hit rate, but Finnegan has generally been excellent this year prior to that shellacking.

The Nats could hang onto Finnegan, but they’ve already traded Harvey, Jesse Winker and the previously mentioned Thomas. A deal of Finnegan seems likelier than not.

7. How far will the Angels go?

The Angels traded closer Carlos Estevez for a nice return over the weekend and have a handful of rental names left to peddle. They’ve reportedly been hesitant to move players controlled beyond the current season, but lefty Tyler Anderson (signed for $13MM next year), righty Griffin Canning (controlled via arbitration through 2025), infielder Luis Rengifo (controlled through 2025) and outfielder Taylor Ward (controlled through 2026) have all drawn interest.

8. Same question, now for the Blue Jays!

The Blue Jays have also held onto their big-name players controlled beyond the current season (though they did move a controllable reliever in former top prospect Nate Pearson). They’ve already traded impending free agents Yusei Kikuchi, Danny Jansen and Justin Turner. A trade of reliever Trevor Richards seems highly plausible, given that he’ll reach free agency this winter as well. But all eyes will be on the Jays to see if they soften their stance and listen to offers for Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Chris Bassitt or — even more interestingly — allow themselves to be blown away by an offer for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Given the limited number of impact bats available, one would imagine the Jays could command a king’s ransom for Guerrero. I argued in favor of why they should be open to just such a scenario in a piece for MLBTR Front Office subscribers last Friday.

9. Deadline surprises!

The trade deadline tends to bring a surprise name or two every year. At this point, all talk about the Tigers/Tarik Skubal the Jays/Guerrero and Bo Bichette has been that those players will stay put. It would register as a surprise if any of that bunch moved, but there’s likely to be a name or two that hasn’t been out there at all who’ll be on the move. MLBTR’s Anthony Franco already profiled 11 long-shot trade candidates in a piece for subscribers, and there are surely some other under-the-radar names being bandied about. Feel free to voice your own guesses in the comments below, and happy deadline day to all! Let the madness begin.

On the eve of this summer’s trade deadline, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Royals facing potential bullpen injuries:

Yesterday’s 7-3 loss to the Cubs was a particularly brutal one for the Royals, as relievers John Schreiber and Hunter Harvey both exited the game due to injury concerns, leaving a bullpen that is already an obvious weakness for Kansas City in an even more precarious position. After being acquired from the Red Sox over the offseason, Schreiber has posted a 4.14 ERA and an excellent 3.26 FIP in 37 innings of work. Harvey was acquired just before the All-Star break from the Nationals and sports a 4.15 ERA and 3.38 FIP in 47 2/3 innings this year.

As noted by MLB.com’s Injury Tracker, Schreiber “tweaked” his knee on a play and first base and limped off the field before being replaced by Harvey to start the next inning. Harvey then recorded two outs in the seventh before surrendering back-to-back walks and exiting due to back spasms. Per manager Matt Quatraro, Schreiber is set to undergo imaging and the club expects to know more about the status of both players today. The loss of either arm would surely exacerbate the Royals’ need for bullpen help, which has seen them connected to Angels righty Luis Garcia and Marlins lefty Tanner Scott in recent days.

2. Lopez to receive imaging results:

The Braves also received a major injury scare yesterday when right-hander Reynaldo Lopez exited yesterday’s game due to forearm tightness. Lopez has paired with veteran Chris Sale to help make up for the loss of ace hurler Spencer Strider this year as he’s posted a sterling 2.06 ERA with a 3.16 FIP through 19 starts. Lopez was set to undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the issue last night. A serious injury could force the Braves to jump into the market for starting pitching even as the club figures to prioritize adding to its beleaguered outfield. With as many as ten contenders already in the market for starting pitching help, the addition of Atlanta to that group could make the rush for rotation arms the talk of the league over the final day and a half before the deadline.

3. What’s next for the Cubs?

The Cubs entered deadline season looking like probable sellers this summer but have instead focused on this point on adding players with long-term team control. They picked up right-hander Nate Pearson (controlled through 2026) from the Blue Jays on Saturday before swinging the most surprising deal of the deadline so far yesterday to acquire third baseman Isaac Paredes (controlled through 2027) from the Rays.

Given those buy-side acquisitions, it would hardly be a surprise to see the Cubs attempt to accumulate more long-term assets at the big league level, and they’ve even been connected to shorter-term assets like Giants southpaw Blake Snell. On the other hand, right-hander Jameson Taillon has received plenty of interest on the trade market, and it remains possible he or a bullpen arm like Mark Leiter Jr. get shipped out by president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer and his staff as the deadline approaches.

On the heels of this summer’s first blockbuster coming together overnight, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world headed into the weekend:

1. The trade market is heating up:

After weeks of minimal movement on the trade market, the dam appeared to finally break last night when the Diamondbacks and Marlins got together on a deal that sent southpaw A.J. Puk to Arizona. That trade was promptly followed by a late night swap between the Mariners and Rays that shipped All-Star outfielder Randy Arozarena to Seattle. Both players’ overall numbers have been average this year, due to tough starts to the season, though both have heated up significantly recently. Puk has been utterly dominant since moving back to the bullpen this year, with a 2.08 ERA and a 2.42 FIP in 30 1/3 frames that should bolster Arizona’s late-inning mix alongside closer Paul Sewald. Meanwhile, Arozarena has hit .284/.397/.507 (161 wRC+) since the calendar flipped to June — a huge line that’s sure to provide a boost to Seattle’s beleaguered lineup.

With trades finally starting to trickle in, plenty of activity should be expected this weekend. Yesterday was a busy day on the rumor mill even aside from the trades, as breakout relief star Mason Miller now appears to be officially off the market after suffering a broken finger, while multiple teams have begun to show interest in Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon after the club’s front office officially declared themselves sellers earlier this week.

2. Will these probable starters actually take the mound?

This weekend features a number of probable starters who could be making their final appearances for their current teams—at least, if they aren’t scratched from those starts as a trade looms over the horizon. Saturday’s slate of games figures to see Rays righty Zack Littell (4.46 ERA), Tigers ace Tarik Skubal (2.34 ERA), White Sox righty Erick Fedde (2.98 ERA), and Angels lefty Tyler Anderson (2.91 ERA) take the mound, while White Sox ace Garrett Crochet (3.07 ERA) is slated to take the bump on Sunday.

Each of these hurlers has found their name in the rumor mill fairly frequently this summer and appears within MLBTR’s list of the Top 50 Trade Candidates for the 2024 deadline, so it would hardly be a surprise if at least one of them were to be scratched from their weekend start to avoid an injury scuttling a trade their front office was closing in on putting together. In the event these hurlers do take the mound this weekend, the starts will provide their fanbases a chance to say what could be goodbye to a major piece of their club’s rotation this year.

3. What’s next for the Rays and Marlins?

While teams such as the White Sox, A’s, Angels, Cubs, and Nationals all figure to sell to some degree or other over the coming days, last night’s sellers have been perhaps the two most active sell-side clubs on the trade market this year. In addition to last night’s trade of Puk, the Marlins jumped the market all the way back in May to ship All-Star infielder Luis Arraez to San Diego in the season’s very first blockbuster, while the Rays already shipped out right-handers Aaron Civale and Phil Maton earlier this month. With all eyes on Florida in the days leading up to the deadline, both clubs have plenty more pieces to move.

Miami southpaw Tanner Scott, the club’s closer and a free agent after the 2024 campaign, has long appeared to be a virtual lock to be moved given his 1.21 ERA and the Marlins’ clear willingness to part ways with short-term pieces. A pair of longer-term pieces have gotten more recent buzz in the rumor mill lately, as both 2022 All-Star Jazz Chisholm Jr. and outfielder Bryan De La Cruz have come up in trade talks. The Pirates appear to be in on both players, as reports have indicated they’ve had “exploratory” talks regarding Chisholm and are also scouting De La Cruz. The Rays, by contrast, are less certain to auction off their assets, but right-hander Zach Eflin and third baseman Isaac Paredes have both reportedly drawn interest in recent days, with the Astros seemingly in on both players. Littell has also been a rumored trade candidate, and Tampa Bay could move at least one reliever from the ’pen.

With the trade deadline just five days away, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Is the trade market heating up?

The slow build up to the trade deadline has continued into the early part of this week, but it’s possible things are finally starting to heat up. According to Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun Times, White Sox GM Chris Getz believes the trade market has “come alive” in recent days with “more meaningful” conversations. Getz added that while he expects most deals to get done closer to the deadline, he “wouldn’t be surprised” if some trades started to occur as soon as today. Getz, of course, has plenty of say in what happens this summer as the baseball operations leader of one of the league’s few true sellers. The White Sox have stars Garrett Crochet and Luis Robert Jr. to dangle, but those are hardly their only trade chips. Names like Erick Fedde, Tommy Pham, Michael Kopech, Paul DeJong, John Brebbia, Chris Flexen, and Mike Clevinger will all be in play in the coming days.

2. Kershaw to make season debut:

One day after Giants lefty Robbie Ray dominated at Dodger Stadium across five innings of work, striking out eight and allowing just one run, the Dodgers will welcome a Cy Young winning southpaw of their own back from the IL for his season debut. Longtime franchise face Clayton Kershaw has been sidelined all year after undergoing shoulder surgery during the offseason, but he’s set to be activated to face San Francisco ace Logan Webb (3.59 ERA). The Dodgers will need to make corresponding moves on both the 40-man and active rosters to bring Kershaw back into the fold prior to this afternoon’s game.

One of the most decorated pitchers in MLB history, Kershaw sports a combined 2.40 ERA and 2.77 FIP in 403 appearances over the last 15 years. During that time, the lefty has made ten All-Star appearances, won three Cy Young awards, and been elected the NL MVP in 2014 while never posting an ERA higher than 3.55. He’ll look to bring that ace production to a Dodgers rotation in need of pitching depth following injuries to Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Walker Buehler.

3. A’s activate veteran ahead of deadline:

The Athletics are one of the league’s few obvious sellers. While most of the attention has been focused on the club’s controllable trade chips like closer Mason Miller and outfielder Brent Rooker, the club figures to market an assortment of rental players to clubs looking for cheaper upgrades ahead of the deadline as well. One such rental is veteran righty Ross Stripling. A’s manager Mark Kotsay told reporters last night that Stripling will be activated from 15-day injured list today to take the ball against the Angels (via MLB.com’s Martin Gallegos).

Stripling, 34, has struggled to a 5.82 ERA in 11 starts with the A’s this year but sports a solid 3.99 FIP this season. He’s been plagued by a .359 average on balls in play and 56.4% strand rate that both seem likely to improve over a larger sample. Even with his struggles, Stripling could draw interest in a pitching-hungry market if he looks healthy and effective in his return from an elbow strain that has sidelined him since May.

With the trade deadline now just six days away, here are four things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:

1. Ray to make Giants debut:

Veteran left-hander Robbie Ray hasn’t pitched in more than 18 months after exiting the first start of his 2023 season with a flexor strain that ultimately required Tommy John surgery. At the time, he was a member of the Mariners, but over the winter Seattle swapped Ray to San Francisco in exchange for outfielder Mitch Haniger and righty Anthony DeSclafani. He’s continued his rehab with his new club since then, and all that work getting back to the mound will finally pay off today when Ray makes his first start in a Giants uniform against the Dodgers in L.A. in a game scheduled for 8:10pm local time.

Ray will be facing right-hander Tyler Glasnow, who is coming off the IL himself but sports a strong 3.47 ERA in 18 starts this year. The Giants will be hoping that Ray, the AL Cy Young award winner in 2021, will provide a boost and halt a potential three-game losing streak. San Francisco has dropped two straight and fallen near the back of a tight NL Wild Card chase. They now sit five games out, and five teams separate them from the Mets, who currently hold the final Wild Card spot. The Giants’ play over the next few days will be crucial with regard to their deadline approach. San Francisco will also need to make a 40-man roster move to activate Ray.

2. NL Wild Card scene and its impact on the trade deadline:

As just alluded to, the NL Wild Card hunt is at a critical juncture. The Cardinals and Mets hold the second and third spots at the moment, but each of the Padres, D-backs, Pirates, Cubs, Reds, Giants and Nationals are within 5.5 games. The Cubs and Nats both still plan to operate primarily as sellers, but the direction isn’t as clear for everyone else in the mix. A series of three to four straight losses for any of these clubs would have massive deadline ramifications. For some clubs, a decision may come even sooner. The Reds are already open to moving some of their veteran relievers even as they look to hang around in the race, but a loss today could drop them 5.5 games out of the postseason picture. Every game carries heightened significance right now, creating a mini-playoff effect and leading to ample scoreboard watching.

3. Yelich exits with injury:

Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich is in the midst of a resurgent season at the plate, sporting a career-best 18.4% strikeout rate and an excellent .315/.406/.504 slash line (156 wRC+) in 73 games this year. That’s been a huge part of Milwaukee’s success, but now it seems the club may need to go without its best hitter for some time after he exited yesterday’s win over the Cubs due to back tightness. According to MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy, manager Pat Murphy told reporters after the game that Yelich “could be” due for a trip to the injured list. Frustrating as the loss of Yelich would surely be, a silver lining for the Brewers would be the fact that the club is relatively flush in quality outfield options with Garrett Mitchell, Jackson Chourio, and Sal Frelick all seeing regular playing time at the moment and Blake Perkins currently in a bench role.

4. Check out today’s episode of the MLBTR Podcast!

This week’s installment of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is a particularly fun one, as host Darragh McDonald is joined by MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes, Steve Adams, and Anthony Franco for a two-hour megapod during which they discuss the coming trade deadline. Discussed within are not only some of the league’s most obvious buyers (Yankees, Orioles) and sellers (Marlins, White Sox), but also some of the teams facing some tough decisions this summer like the Rays and Blue Jays. The episode is currently live on both Spotify and Apple Music, and will be posted here on the site later this morning!

With what figures to be a very busy week around the league ahead, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. One week until the deadline:

The trade deadline is now just one week away, and things have been fairly quiet on the transaction front to this point. Just four trades of players who weren’t already designated for assignment have been executed so far in the month of July: right-hander Aaron Civale to the Brewers, outfielder Austin Slater to the Reds, right-hander Phil Maton to the Mets, and right-hander Hunter Harvey to the Royals. That relative dearth of activity on the trade market should change quickly as teams currently on the fence between buying and selling begin to make their final decisions, as the Cubs did yesterday. Forty-nine of MLBTR’s Top 50 Trade Candidates For The 2024 MLB Trade Deadline are still on the board, and while not all of them will change teams over the next week, it’s likely that many of them will.

2. Bryant to be activated:

As noted by JustBaseball’s Patrick Lyons yesterday, Rockies manager Bud Black told reporters that $182MM man Kris Bryant could be activated from the injured list as soon as today after a strong showing at Triple-A on Sunday where he went 5-for-5 with a home run. Bryant, 32, has spent nearly two months on the shelf due to what was initially believed to be rib soreness but eventually turned out to be a strain of his internal oblique muscle.

Now in year three of his Rockies tenure, it’s been a frustrating few years for both Bryant and the Rockies as he’s dealt with a number of injuries and struggled when healthy enough to take the field. In a combined 146 games with Colorado, Bryant has posted a wRC+ of just 86 with a .247/.331/.385 slash line in 617 trips to the plate.

3. MLBTR Chat Today:

With the All-Star break and amateur draft now behind us, the attention of MLB clubs has now turned to the coming trade deadline on July 30. If you have any questions about your favorite team’s direction ahead of what should be a very busy week, or perhaps a trade idea you have in the back of your mind, MLBTR’s Steve Adams is holding a live chat with readers at 3pm CT today. You can click here to ask a question in advance, join in live once the chat begins, or read the transcript once the chat is complete. (Note: link to chat has been updated to include the correct link; apologies for the error)

With the trade deadline just eight days away and an early morning signing already in the books, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. France on waivers:

The Mariners reportedly placed first baseman Ty France on waivers yesterday, making him available to any of the other 29 clubs in the league willing to pick up the remainder of his $6.775MM salary for the 2024 season. France, 30, is in the midst of his second consecutive down season at the plate. Dating back to the start of the 2023 season, the first baseman has slashed just .241/.328/.361 (101 wRC+), though in the three seasons prior to that he posted a far more robust .285/.355/.443 (128 wRC+) line.

Even France’s more recent production, while certainly disappointing for a first baseman, could be helpful for a contender such as the Astros or Yankees that has gotten below-average offense out of the position this year. That doesn’t necessarily mean either club (or any other team, for that matter) will claim France while he’s on waivers, however. Interested clubs could instead wait for France to clear waivers and then either sign him for the prorated league minimum if he’s released by the Mariners, or try to work out a trade where they take on less money if Seattle retains him.

2. Braves promoting top infield prospect:

The Braves are set to place second baseman Ozzie Albies on the injured list today after he suffered a wrist fracture during yesterday’s game. He’ll be out for approximately eight weeks and, Atlanta is poised to turn to infield prospect Nacho Alvarez at second base. Alvarez is not yet on the 40-man roster, and while the club’s roster currently stands at 39 that figure doesn’t including veteran utility man Whit Merrifield, who the club signed to a big league deal this morning. As such, a 40-man move will be necessary to add Alvarez to the roster. That could be accomplished by placing Albies on the 60-day IL, although it’s also possible the club instead opts to designate another player for assignment to keep the door open for Albies to return ahead of schedule.

Alvarez, 21, began the year hitting well (115 wRC+) at the Double-A level but has really taken off following his promotion to Triple-A. In 28 games at the highest level of the minors, the youngster has slashed .336/.432/.575 with seven homers and five stolen bases in just 132 trips to the plate. That tantalizing power and speed potential is paired with solid on-base ability, as Alvarez has walked (12.9%) nearly as much as he strikes out (15.2%) so far in Triple-A.

3. Dodgers likely to promote starting pitching prospect:

Last week, it was reported that the Dodgers were planning to promote right-handed pitching prospect River Ryan to the majors in the days following the All-Star break. While Ryan did not make his debut over the weekend, manager Dave Roberts confirmed to reporters (including Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times) on Saturday that Ryan was an option to start for the club this week, suggesting that either today or tomorrow could be on the table for the righty. Since then, the club has announced that rookie Landon Knack will take the ball tomorrow before Clayton Kershaw and Tyler Glasnow return to action later this week, leaving Ryan as a possible starter for the club’s game against the Giants tonight.

Ryan has made just five starts at the Triple-A level this year after the start of his season was delayed by a shoulder issue, but he’s looked great with a 2.76 ERA and 3.64 FIP to go along with a 28.8% strikeout rate in 16 1/3 innings of work. Should the Dodgers wind up turning to Ryan this evening, the club will need to make corresponding moves to create space for the youngster on both their 40-man and active rosters as Ryan’s contract has not yet been selected from the minors.

As the second half of the regular season gets underway, here are three things to watch around baseball this weekend:

1. Weekend matchups:

The two clubs battling at the top of the AL West will face off this weekend, as the Mariners host the Astros for a three-game set. It will be the final matchup between the division rivals until mid-September. Probable starting pitchers for the Mariners are Luis Castillo, George Kirby, and Bryan Woo (per Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times), while the Astros are lined up to counter with Hunter Brown, Framber Valdez, and Ronel Blanco (per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com). The series begins tonight at 9:10 PM CT.

Since the last time these two teams faced off, the Astros have gained 4.5 games on the Mariners, putting them just one game back in the AL West. With a series win this weekend, Houston would reclaim first place in the division for the first time since 2023. Meanwhile, if Seattle wins at least two of the three games, the Mariners will clinch the season series against the Astros. Winning the season series against a divisional rival became especially important in 2022 when the new CBA replaced tiebreaker games with mathematical tiebreaking procedures. Just last year, the Astros beat the Rangers for the AL West crown because Houston took the season series 9-4.

Over in the National League, the top two Wild Card teams are getting ready for a weekend matchup. If the regular season ended at the All-Star break, the Braves and Cardinals would be gearing up to play in a three-game Wild Card Series at Truist Park. Now, of course, there is still plenty of regular season left to play, which means their face-off this weekend in Atlanta is only a postseason preview.

Spencer Schwellenbach, Charlie Morton, and Max Fried are lined up to pitch for the Braves (per Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution), while Sonny Gray, Kyle Gibson, and Miles Mikolas are in line to start for the Cardinals (per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch). The Braves will hope to increase their lead in the Wild Card race with a series victory, while the Cardinals could find themselves just 0.5 games back of the top Wild Card spot if they manage to sweep the three-game set. The first game begins tonight at 6:20 PM CT.

2. Top prospect promotions:

As Martín Gallegos of MLB.com reported yesterday, the Athletics are planning to promote 22-year-old prospect Jacob Wilson, likely as soon as this evening’s contest against the Angels. The A’s selected him with the sixth overall pick in last year’s draft. Presumably, he will take over from Max Schuemann as the everyday shortstop in Oakland. The A’s have open spots on the 40-man and the active roster, so they do not need to make a corresponding move before announcing Wilson’s promotion.

Although a knee injury limited his playing time earlier this season, Wilson has been nothing but electric throughout his brief career in the minor leagues. Quickly rising through Oakland’s system, he has hit .401/.445/.613 (180 wRC+) across four levels. In 19 games at Triple-A this year, he has a .398 batting average with eight doubles, four home runs, and only three strikeouts. Baseball America recently ranked Wilson as the No. 19 overall prospect in the game, while MLB Pipeline has him at No. 50. The Athletic’s Keith Law did not include Wilson on his preseason top 100 prospects list but ranked the young infielder No. 2 in the Athletics system.

Meanwhile, down in Southern California, the Dodgers are reportedly planning to promote top pitching prospect River Ryan, according to The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya. Manager Dave Roberts has not yet announced how he plans to line up his rotation to begin the second half, so it’s possible Ryan could make his first big league start this weekend against the Red Sox.

Baseball America ranks Ryan as the No. 10 prospect (No. 3 pitching prospect) in the organization, while MLB Pipeline has him at No. 4 (No. 2 among pitchers). The Athletic’s Keith Law was particularly high on Ryan entering the season, considering him the best pitching prospect in the organization and one of the top four pitching prospects in the sport. Shoulder issues delayed the beginning of Ryan’s season, but the 26-year-old has looked sharp in five Triple-A outings, pitching to a 2.76 ERA and 3.67 FIP with a 28.8% strikeout rate and a 60.0% groundball rate. L.A. has an open spot for Ryan on the 40-man and active rosters. Although he has limited experience at Triple-A and likely needs a bit more seasoning in the minors, the Dodgers will hope he can provide their beleaguered rotation with some temporary relief.

3. Hall of Fame induction ceremony:

Adrian Beltre, Joe Mauer, Todd Helton and Jim Leyland will be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame this weekend, with the ceremony set for Sunday at 12:30 PM CT. The festivities will be broadcast on MLB Network. Beltre, Mauer, and Helton were elected by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America for their playing careers, while Leyland was elected by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee for his work as a manager. An additional 50 Hall of Famers will be present to celebrate their induction. More details about the event can be found on the Hall of Fame website.

As the All-Star break continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. A’s stadium plans to be revealed:

The Athletics are preparing to take a noteworthy step toward their long-term goal of moving to Las Vegas. According to Mick Akers of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Las Vegas Stadium Authority will meet today to discuss the development agreement drafted by the A’s, which will impact how the stadium will be financed as well as construction plans. As Akers notes, the agreement being discussed today is the final one the club needs to reach with the stadium authority in order to unlock the public funding the club secured in negotiations with Nevada lawmakers in May of last year.

2. Rays stadium funding vote:

The Rays’ proposal for a new stadium in St. Petersburg is scheduled for 11:00am local time today, as noted by Colleen Wright of the Tampa Bay Times. Today’s vote among members of the St. Petersburg City Council, should it pass, will approve a combined $429.5MM in spending for both the new stadium as well as an assortment of community benefits such as housing and an African American history museum. That’s not the entirety of the public funding the Rays’ stadium plan involves; they’ll still need the Pinellas County Commission to approve $312.5MM in funding on July 30, which coincidentally is the day of this year’s trade deadline. The Rays announced their plans for a new stadium back in September, which expected a total contribution of $600MM in public spending between St. Petersburg and Pinellas County.

3. Depth starters hitting free agency:

Yesterday saw veteran left-hander Dallas Keuchel and veteran right-hander Domingo German return to the open market after Keuchel cleared waivers following his recent DFA by the Brewers while German opted out of his minor league deal with the Pirates. Both hurlers have enjoyed success in the big leagues previously but have struggled in recent years. Keuchel won the AL Cy Young award back in 2015 and pitched to a 3.25 ERA with a 3.55 FIP between the Astros, Braves, and White Sox from 2014 to 2020. German, who tossed a perfect game against the A’s just last season, has generally been a reliable back-end starter throughout his career with a lifetime 4.41 ERA and 4.50 FIP at the big league level — although that production came with a number of off the field issues.

The recent track record for both pitchers is less encouraging. Keuchel has been picked up a handful of starts for the Twins and Brewers over the past two years, pitching to a 5.80 ERA and 4.88 FIP in a combined 54 2/3 innings of work. German hasn’t pitched in the majors this year and owns a lackluster 5.13 ERA in 11 minor league starts, though his 3.60 ERA in the past month is far more palatable. With the trade deadline just around the corner, both Keuchel and German are candidates for minor league deals. Either would at least provide an innings-eating depth option for teams that miss out on more impactful arms on the trade market.

On the heels of the American League emerging victorious from last night’s All-Star game, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. It’s trade season!

With the 2024 Amateur Draft complete, front offices around the game are now set to fully turn their attention to augmenting their rosters ahead of the July 30 trade deadline. A few notable trades have already occurred this month, such as the Rays flipping right-handers Aaron Civale and Phil Maton to the Brewers and Mets, respectively. The most recent trade of note occurred this past weekend, when the Royals acquired righty Hunter Harvey from the Nationals. If you haven’t already taken a look at MLBTR’s Top 50 Trade Candidates For The 2024 MLB Trade Deadline, it offers an opportunity to brush up on some of the names most likely to be dealt in the coming weeks. Harvey was the 15th player on the list, and other top names who could be on the move this summer include Garrett Crochet of the White Sox (2nd) and Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the Marlins (5th).

2. Musgrove takes step towards return:

The Padres have been without right-hander Joe Musgrove since late May as the veteran deals with inflammation in his elbow caused by a bone spur. He’s set to make a major step towards his return today, however, as MLB.com’s Injury Tracker notes that he’ll throw the first bullpen session of his rehab today. If that goes well, it will be followed by more intense bullpen sessions throughout San Diego’s road trip after the break. While the 31-year-old has struggled in 10 starts this year with a 5.66 ERA across 49 1/3 innings of work, the Padres are hoping he’ll return to his typical form as a frontline starter when healthy. Entering the 2024 campaign, Musgrove owned an excellent 3.05 ERA and 3.62 FIP in 459 2/3 innings of work since first donning a Padres uniform back in 2021. In Musgrove’s absence, the club is currently deploying a four-man rotation of right-handers Dylan Cease, Michael King, Matt Waldron, and Randy Vasquez.

3. White Sox 40-man roster move incoming:

Last night, it was reported that the White Sox and infielder Nick Senzel are in agreement on a big league deal. Senzel, 29, hit .209/.303/.359 (89 wRC+) while playing third base for the Nationals this year but was released just before the All-Star break began. Even that below-average pace would be an upgrade over struggling ChiSox infielder Lenyn Sosa, who has posted a 74 wRC+ in 52 games while splitting time between second and third base. Chicago’s 40-man roster is currently full, so they’ll need to make a move to open a spot before games resume Friday.

With no obvious candidates to be placed on the 60-day IL who haven’t already been transferred there, it’s possible the club will be forced to designate a player for assignment in order to make room for Senzel on the roster. On the other hand, the White Sox figure to be one of the most active sellers in the league this trade season. Given that, it would hardly be a surprise to see the club make a sell-side trade in the coming days, a move that could organically open a 40-man spot and allow them to add Senzel.