Padres Designate Tyler Wade For Assignment
The Padres designated infielder/outfielder Tyler Wade for assignment and optioned reliever Ron Marinaccio before tonight’s game. San Diego had already designated Martín Maldonado and Trenton Brooks for assignment last night. Wade was the final roster casualty to accommodate newcomers Freddy Fermin, Ramón Laureano and Ryan O’Hearn.
This is the second DFA of the season for Wade. He didn’t make the team out of Spring Training and was outrighted off the roster. Wade accepted a minor league assignment and was called back up a couple weeks into the season. He tallied 127 plate appearances over 60 games, hitting .206/.309/.252 without a home run. It’s very similar to last year’s .217/.285/.239 showing. Wade runs well and is a versatile defender but provides virtually nothing at the plate.
San Diego will place Wade back on waivers in the next couple days. There’s a decent chance he’ll clear, at which point he’d again have the right to elect free agency. He bypassed that last time around but may feel his path back to a roster spot with the Padres is more cluttered.
Getting Laureano and O’Hearn pushed Sheets into a backup role. Jose Iglesias remains ahead of Wade as the utility infielder. Today’s decision essentially came down to Wade or switch-hitting fourth outfielder Bryce Johnson, who is also out of options. The Padres stuck with Johnson, who is hitting .333 in 30 games.
Cubs Release Ryan Pressly
August 1: As expected, Pressly has been released, per the MLB.com transaction log.
July 31: The Cubs have designated right-hander Ryan Pressly for assignment, according to The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney. The move opens up roster space for newly-acquired reliever Taylor Rogers.
Pressly has well over 11 years of MLB service time, so he can’t be optioned to the minors without his consent. In all likelihood, the DFA will end with the Cubs just releasing the veteran reliever, as he still has roughly $4.5MM in salary owed to him over the remainder of the season. The Astros are covering $5.5MM of Pressly’s $14MM total 2025 salary, but the bottom line is that any interested new team can sign Pressly to a contract after he is released, and then just owe him a prorated Major League minimum salary while the Cubs or Astros cover the rest of the $4.5MM.
When Chicago acquired Pressly from Houston in January, the thinking was that Pressly would be the favorite for save situations in the Cubs bullpen. Unfortunately, Pressly’s run as closer was run short by mid-May, with Daniel Palencia eventually emerging as the top choice in ninth-inning situations.
Pressly’s 15.4% strikeout rate was his lowest since 2014, as the K% continued its sharp decline from the righty’s 35.7% career best in 2022. His 9.3% walk rate was also Pressly’s worst since the 2015 season, and he was near the bottom of the league in hard-contact rate. The result was a 4.35 ERA over 41 1/3 innings, and while that ERA was inflated by some rough numbers after the All-Star break, the advanced metrics indicated that Pressly’s bottom-line numbers were due for regression.
As a 13-year veteran and two-time former All-Star, Pressly’s resume will get him plenty of looks once he presumably clears waivers and is released. A return to Houston wouldn’t be out of the question, with the idea that a return to his old stomping grounds could spark a bounce-back. Any number of other contenders might be willing to take a virtually no-cost flier on Pressly now that the deadline has passed and a few clubs are still in need of bullpen help.
Diamondbacks Select Kyle Nelson, Connor Kaiser
The Diamondbacks announced Friday that they’ve selected the contracts of lefty Kyle Nelson and shortstop Connor Kaiser from Triple-A Reno. Arizona also reinstated veteran reliever Jalen Beeks from the injured list. First baseman Tyler Locklear, acquired in the Eugenio Suárez trade, was added to the major league roster. Lefty Brandyn Garcia (acquired in the Josh Naylor deal) and infielder Tristin English were optioned to Reno.
Nelson, 29, was a key member of Arizona’s bullpen in 2022, tossing 37 innings with a 2.19 ERA in his first year after coming over from Cleveland. His numbers dipped in 2023-24, however, and Nelson was removed from the 40-man roster in early July by way of a DFA. He passed through waivers unclaimed. In 22 2/3 innings for Reno this year, he’s been roughed up for a 6.35 ERA thanks to a whopping seven home runs allowed. Most of those struggles came earlier in the year, however. He’s rattled off 6 1/3 shutout innings over his past eight appearances.
Kaiser, 28, provides a glove-first infielder off the bench. He’ll work in a utility capacity as Blaze Alexander, who had been the depth infielder, will get everyday third base run with Suárez out the door. A Vanderbilt product, Kaiser is hitless in four career major league plate appearances. Those came over three games with the Rockies two seasons ago. He’s batting .236/.346/.423 in a hitter-friendly Triple-A setting this year.
White Sox Select Corey Julks
The White Sox announced a few moves before tonight’s series opener with the Angels. They selected outfielder Corey Julks onto the roster and activated Shane Smith from the 15-day injured list. Chicago optioned outfielder Will Robertson to Triple-A Charlotte. They already had an opening on the active roster for a pitcher after trading Adrian Houser to Tampa Bay yesterday. Smith will take the ball tonight.
Robertson had just been recalled on Wednesday after the Sox traded Austin Slater to the Yankees. That subtracted a right-handed bat from their outfield. They’ll reset that balance by bringing up the righty-hitting Julks in place of Robertson, a lefty bat. Julks is a 29-year-old who made 93 appearances with the Astros as a rookie two seasons ago. Chicago acquired him last May in a minor trade. He made 66 appearances and hit .214/.275/.306 with three home runs.
That unsurprisingly was not enough for Julks to hold his roster spot all winter. He went unclaimed on waivers and remained with the organization in a non-roster capacity. Julks hit his way back to the big leagues with an impressive .295/.373/.470 slash line in Charlotte. He has connected on 10 home runs and stolen 13 bags while taking walks at a solid 10.3% clip. Julks can’t really play center field, but he can take some at-bats against lefty pitching form the left-handed hitting corner outfield duo of Andrew Benintendi and Mike Tauchman.
Rockies Select Dugan Darnell
The Rockies announced they’ve selected right-hander Dugan Darnell and recalled lefty Carson Palmquist. They’ll take the roster spots opened by the Tyler Kinley and Jake Bird trades. Colorado’s 40-man roster count sits at 39.
Darnell, 28, is up for the first time. He’s a former undrafted free agent who owns a 3.74 ERA over five seasons in the Colorado system. Darnell has spent the entire season with Triple-A Albuquerque. He’s having a good year, allowing 3.19 earned runs per nine through 53 2/3 innings. He has punched out 28.8% of opposing hitters against a league average 8.7% walk rate. Darnell has a three-pitch mix with a 94 MPH fastball and uses a mid-80s splitter as his best secondary pitch.
Colorado first promoted Palmquist in May. The former third-round pick started his first seven MLB appearances but was tagged for a 7.63 earned run average. General manager Bill Schmidt tells Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post that the Rox are permanently moving Palmquist to the bullpen. The southpaw has only averaged 90 MPH on his fastball as a starter. His velocity could tick up in shorter stints, though he’s unlikely to ever be a flamethrower. Palmquist has missed a lot of bats in the minors but has a career 11.1% walk rate over four professional seasons. It seems the Rox don’t feel he has the command to stick in a rotation and would rather see how his stuff plays in relief.
Astros Announce Several Roster Moves
The Astros announced a lengthy slate of post-deadline moves Friday. Houston reinstated shortstop Jeremy Pena from the injured list and designated infielder Zack Short for assignment. The Astros also activated newly reacquired Carlos Correa and fellow trade acquisitions Jesus Sanchez and Ramon Urias, adding all three to the active roster.
In corresponding roster moves, Infield prospect Brice Matthews and outfield prospect Jacob Melton were optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land. The ‘Stros also recalled righty Nick Hernandez to take the roster spot of righty Ryan Gusto, who was traded to the Marlins in the Sanchez deal. Finally, right-hander Nick Robertson was outrighted to Triple-A after clearing waivers. He’d been designated for assignment earlier in the week.
Pena wound up missing more than a month due to a fracture in his ribcage. He was in the midst of a breakout, MVP-caliber season prior to landing on the injured list. The 27-year-old has slashed .322/.378/.489 (143 wRC+) with 11 homers, 18 doubles, a triple and 15 steals in 350 plate appearances. He was also playing Gold Glove-caliber defense at shortstop, generating plus marks from Defensive Runs Saved (7) and Outs Above Average (4). He’ll return to his customary shortstop, while the newly reacquired Correa will slide over to third base in deference to the young shortstop who he mentored during the pair’s prior overlap in the Astros organization.
As for Short, he’ll be placed on waivers within the next five days now that the trade deadline has passed. He’s appeared in 22 games and taken 56 plate appearances with just a .220/.291/.380 output to show in that small sample. The 30-year-old Short has appeared in parts of five big league seasons and is a .172/.271/.296 hitter in 594 trips to the plate as a major leaguer. He’s a solid defender at multiple infield positions but is out of minor league options, so he’ll either clear waivers or have to stick on the major league roster of another club that claims him.
Marlins Designate Anthony Veneziano For Assignment
The Marlins have designated left-hander Anthony Veneziano for assignment, per a team announcement. His spot on the 40-man roster goes to outfield prospect Jakob Marsee, whose previously reported promotion to the majors has now been officially announced. Miami also optioned righty Ryan Gusto, acquired from the Astros in yesterday’s Jesus Sanchez trade, to Triple-A Jacksonville.
The 27-year-old Veneziano was a waiver claim out of the Royals system last year. He’s pitched a combined 36 2/3 major league innings between those two clubs and logged a solid 3.93 ERA. Veneziano has struck out 20.6% of his major league opponents and yielded a roughly average 8.8% walk rate. He’s also kept the ball on the ground at a respectable 41.4% clip and averaged 94.4 mph on his four-seamer (albeit just 94.1 mph this year, compared to 94.8 mph in 2024).
It’s a decent track record for the former 10th-rounder, although Veneziano has had a much rougher go in Triple-A Jacksonville this season. While he’s only tossed 12 1/3 innings there, he’s been tagged for eight runs (5.84 ERA) on 12 hits and an unsightly nine walks in that time.
Veneziano is in the second of three minor league option years and has had some success at the big league level. Given the limited means of adding depth following the trade deadline, he could latch on with another club via waivers. Miami will place him on waivers within the next five days, and those waivers will take an additional 48 hours whenever the Fish choose to begin the process.
Seth Brown Triggers Upward Mobility Clause In D-backs Deal
First baseman/outfielder Seth Brown triggered an upward mobility clause in his minor league contract with the D-backs yesterday, MLBTR has learned. That clause requires the Diamondbacks to notify all 29 other teams that Brown is available for anyone who wants to add him to their 40-man roster. Teams have 48 hours to decide, so a decision on Brown will come by tomorrow afternoon.
If another club is interested in adding Brown to the roster, Arizona would then be given its own 48-hour period to decide whether to let him go or add him to its own 40-man roster. If no other team is willing to put Brown on the 40-man, he’ll continue on with the D-backs’ Triple-A affiliate.
Brown, a longtime member of the A’s, hit just .185/.303/.262 with the Athletics in 76 plate appearances this year. It was the worst production of his big league career, though it obviously came in a small sample. Even so, it marked a third straight year of declining performance at the dish. From 2019-22, Brown tallied 950 plate appearances with the A’s and slashed .229/.298/.454. He had platoon issues and a lofty strikeout rate but was generally a productive, power-over-hit option against right-handers.
Brown’s production dipped in 2023 (.222/.286/.405) and again the following season. Overall, he’s posted a tepid .223/.286/.381 slash in his last 854 big league plate appearances. The A’s released Brown in late June, and he latched on with the D-backs a few days later.
He’s only taken 87 plate appearances in Triple-A Reno so far, but Brown has delivered strong results. Coupled with his production for the Athletics’ Triple-A club earlier this season, he’s hitting .362/.431/.724 with 11 homers in just 130 plate appearances at the Triple-A level. Brown is a limited player but has a solid .234/.301/.441 batting line (108 wRC+) in 1567 plate appearances versus righties — including a pair of 20-homer seasons in 2021-22.
Brown is several years removed from that type of production, but with the deadline in the rearview mirror, there are limited opportunities for teams to add depth. Brown narrowly crossed the threshold to reach five years of service earlier this summer, meaning he’d have to consent to be optioned with a new club. A team looking to add a left-handed bat to its bench could still have interest. If he does get added to a big league roster and shows well through the season’s final two months, he can be controlled through 2026 via arbitration. If he’s not added to a 40-man roster, he’ll be able to become a minor league free agent at season’s end.
Twins Select Jose Urena, Erasmo Ramirez
The Twins announced Friday that they’ve selected the contracts of veteran right-handers Jose Urena and Erasmo Ramirez from Triple-A St. Paul. They’ve also recalled six minor leaguers from St. Paul: infielder/outfielder Austin Martin, infielder Edouard Julien, infielder Ryan Fitzgerald, righty Pierson Ohl, righty Travis Adams and newly acquired outfielder Alan Roden.
The staggering slate of eight newly added minor leaguers is reflective of the roster-gutting fire sale on which Minnesota surprisingly embarked in the 24 hours leading up to this season’s trade deadline. As the Pohlad family looks to sell the franchise, Minnesota traded not only rentals Harrison Bader, Chris Paddack, Willi Castro, Danny Coulombe and Ty France, but also controllable pitchers Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, Louis Varland, Brock Stewart and — most shockingly of all — shortstop Carlos Correa.
Urena, 33, is a veteran of 11 major league seasons. The Twins will be his fourth team of the 2025 season alone and his tenth overall. He’s pitched 18 1/3 MLB frames this year and yielded a 5.40 earned run average. Urena tossed 13 1/3 innings with the Twins’ top affiliate prior to his promotion and allowed six runs (4.05 ERA) on 13 hits and 10 walks with 13 strikeouts.
Early in his career, Urena was a solid mid-rotation arm for the Marlins. From 2017-18, he started 59 games (plus six relief outings) and totaled 343 2/3 frames with a 3.90 ERA. Though Urena throws hard, he’s never been a big strikeout arm, but he typically posts above-average ground-ball rates and has a league-average walk rate in his career.
Since that solid run with Miami, Urena has become a swingman who’s bounced all over the league. He’s posted an ERA north of 5.00 in six of his past seven major league seasons, though the lanky right-hander did turn in a sharp 3.80 ERA in 109 innings with the Rangers last year. He’ll add some length to the bullpen and give the Twins a rotation option, too, depending on how they want to shape a pitching staff that was decimated by this week’s barrage of trades.
Ramirez, 35, will head to the majors for what’ll be a 14th season. He’s previously suited up for six other clubs. Ramirez was a starter for the Rays and Mariners early in his career but has been in a swingman role since the 2019 season. He signed a minor league deal with the Twins over the winter but spent the first several months of the year on the minor league injured list due to a shoulder injury.
Ramirez was reinstated in late June and has pitched a total of 15 minor league innings. He’s sitting on an ugly 6.50 ERA in that time but has fanned 22.4% of his opponents against a 6% walk rate and 52.2% grounder rate. Ramirez posted a 4.35 ERA in 20 2/3 innings with the Nationals last year — a mark that’s a near mirror image of his career 4.37 earned run average. However, most of his best work came from 2012-17. He’s pitched 257 innings dating back to 2018 and turned in a 4.76 ERA. He’ll soak up innings as a long relief option for however long he’s with the big league club.
Orioles Select Jordyn Adams, Terrin Vavra
The Orioles announced Friday that they’ve selected the contracts of outfielder Jordyn Adams and infielder Terrin Vavra from Double-A Chesapeake. Infielder Luis Vazquez was also recalled from Triple-A Norfolk. They’ll fill three of the roster spots vacated by Baltimore’s series of deadline trades.
Adams, 25, was a first-round pick by the Angels in 2018. This is his second look with Baltimore this season since signing a minor league pact over the winter. He appeared in five games earlier in 2025 but was primarily a pinch-runner/defensive replacement. He only received one plate appearance. Adams played in 28 games with the Halos from 2023-24 and, in 78 plate appearances, hit a combined .175/.205/.216 with a 36% strikeout rate.
Adams hasn’t fared much better in the minors this year. He’s hitting .185/.281/.280 in 235 plate appearances — all but five of them coming at the Triple-A level. He’s not likely to see regular playing time, but he’ll fill a reserve role behind Dylan Carlson, Colton Cowser and Tyler O’Neill following yesterday’s trades of veterans Cedric Mullins (to the Mets) and Ramon Laureano (to the Padres). Adams is a plus runner and defender who can handle all three outfield spots.
Vavra, 28, is a known commodity for O’s fans. He’s appeared in two prior seasons with Baltimore and been in the organization since coming over from the Rockies in a 2020 trade sending Mychal Givens to Colorado. Vavra is hitting .247/.354/.341 in Triple-A this year. He’s experienced at second base, third base and first base. He’s a left-handed bat who draws walks and gets on base but offers minimal power upside. He can mix in at various spots around the infield and take some at-bats as Baltimore’s designated hitter, too — roles that are more open following trades of slugger Ryan O’Hearn (to the Padres alongside Laureano) and utilityman Ramon Urias (to the Astros).
Notably absent from Baltimore’s slate of post-deadline call-ups is former top prospect Heston Kjerstad. The 26-year-old, whom Baltimore selected second overall in the 2020 draft, was optioned to Norfolk earlier this season after some pronounced struggles against big league pitching. His offense fell even further after being sent down, as he slashed just .149/.225/.248 in 112 plate appearances at Norfolk before exiting a July 25 game. Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com was among the members of the O’s beat to report a couple days ago that Kjerstad had been playing through fatigue and was being placed on the 7-day injured list to rest. He’ll be reevaluated in a week’s time.