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Sit/Start Week 19: Reviewing All Starting Pitcher Matchups From 8/2 – 8/9

Lucas Zenobi — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 18:00:35 +0000

Lucas Zenobi scores every starting pitcher matchup for the week ahead.

The post Sit/Start Week 19: Reviewing All Starting Pitcher Matchups From 8/2 – 8/9 appeared first on Pitcher List.

Mets Select Kevin Herget

Steve Adams — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 17:33:51 +0000

The Mets announced Saturday that they’ve selected the contract of righty Kevin Herget from Triple-A Syracuse. New York had an open roster spot after trading lefty A.J. Minter to the Twins earlier in the week. Righty Xzavion Curry, who tossed five innings in long relief last night and wouldn’t have been available for several days as a result, was optioned to Syracuse to open an active roster spot.

Herget, 35, has pitched in parts of four big league seasons, including 12 innings (3.00 ERA) with the Mets in 2025. He’s worked a total of 55 2/3 frames in the big leagues and has a 4.20 earned run average, 13.7% strikeout rate, 6% walk rate and 34.1% ground-ball rate.

Herget spent a good chunk of the 2026 season on the minor league injured list but is healthy now and pitching decently. He’s tossed 13 2/3 innings and held opponents to six runs on 17 hits and a pair of walks with nine strikeouts. In parts of nine seasons at the Triple-A level, he’s tossed 522 2/3 innings with a 3.96 ERA and strong rate stats. Herget isn’t going to blow anyone away with velocity, sitting 92.3 mph in his career with the four-seamer (and 90-91 mph in the minors this year), but he has strong command and generally does a nice job avoiding hard contact.

The Mets will presumably have several more bullpen moves up their sleeves in the next few days. Left-hander Brooks Raley, a free agent at season’s end, is all but certain to be traded. They’re also getting strong interest in setup man Luke Weaver, who’s having a career-best season, and drawing inquiries in right-hander Huascar Brazoban. Minter and (much earlier in the summer) David Peterson are the only players New York has traded away so far, but they’ll be active in dismantling an immensely disappointing roster over the next 53 hours as the trade deadline approaches.

This Week in Baseball History – 7-31-26

Joe Landolina — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 17:30:53 +0000

Managers behaving badly.

The post This Week in Baseball History – 7-31-26 appeared first on Pitcher List.

Twins Designate Cody Laweryson For Assignment

Mark Polishuk — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 17:29:14 +0000

The Twins announced that right-hander Cody Laweryson was designated for assignment. The move opens up a 40-man roster spot for Garrett Acton, who has been activated from the 60-day injured list and optioned to Triple-A. In other roster news, Minnesota has officially added newly-acquired reliever A.J. Minter to the active roster, and righty Zebby Matthews was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding 26-man move.

After making his big league and posting a 1.17 ERA over 7 2/3 innings and five games for the Twins in 2025, Laweryson was claimed off waivers by the Angels in November but then released in February and subsequently re-signed by the Twins on a minors deal. That contract was selected to the active roster before Opening Day but Laweryson hasn’t seen too much more work, as he has tossed 16 2/3 frames over 15 appearances. A right forearm strain sidelined Laweryson for much of April and May, and after he was optioned to Triple-A in early July, Laweryson has been on the St. Paul injured list since July 19.

Because Laweryson hasn’t been outrighted in his career and he has less than a year of MLB service time, he won’t have the right to reject an outright assignment if he clears waivers. Another team might have interest in picking up a reliever with some big league experience and all three minor league options remaining, but Laweryson’s health is also obviously a factor in this stint in DFA limbo.

The right-hander has a 4.86 ERA over his 16 2/3 innings for Minnesota this year, as well as a 23.1% strikeout rate and a 10.3% walk rate. Laweryson isn’t a hard thrower but he did rack up more strikeouts earlier in his minor league career, and he relies on his fastball roughly two-thirds of the time. His other two pitches are a changeup and a 84.2mph cutter, with the latter used slightly more often.

Matthews returns to the minors after posting a 5.22 ERA over 81 innings and 14 starts. The resume included three earned runs allowed in five innings against the Mariners yesterday, with Matthews striking out 10 while allowing four hits and two walks. With Dean Kremer now acquired from the Orioles and perhaps more pitching additions coming before the deadline, Matthews will get more time in Triple-A as rotation depth.

Several Teams Showing Interest In Casey Mize

Steve Adams — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 17:17:36 +0000

Tarik Skubal is the prize of the 2026 deadline — so much so that it’s easy to forget the Tigers have multiple quality starting pitchers to peddle if they do indeed end up selling off veteran pieces, as they’re expected to do now. Right-hander Casey Mize, the No. 1 overall pick back in 2018, is also in his final season of club control with Detroit.

The Cubs reportedly have some interest in the 29-year-old righty, but they’re obviously not alone in that regard. The Athletic’s Cody Stavenhagen reports that the Diamondbacks and Rays are also eyeing Mize. The New York Post’s Jon Heyman adds the Braves to the list, and Gabriel Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes that Mize seems likelier than Skubal to end up in Atlanta.

Mize is in the midst of his best season in the majors. He’s pitched 86 2/3 innings with a career-low 2.70 and a career-high 24.9% strikeout rate. His 5.6% walk rate is a near-mirror image of last year’s 5.7% mark. Injuries, including Tommy John surgery, hampered Mize throughout the early stages of his career, but he’s now pitching like the front-of-the-rotation starter many thought him to be during his prospect days. He’s earning $6.15MM this season and has about $1.85MM of that sum yet to be paid out. That’s an affordable rate for virtually any club in the market for rotation help.

There are still some red flags to consider. Mize has already been on the injured list twice this season — hence the low innings count — albeit with non-arm-related injuries. He landed on the 15-day IL with a right adductor strain in late April but was able to return in just over the minimum 15-day period. However, inflammation in that same adductor region sent him back to the injured list after just three starts. He spent another three weeks on the shelf in that second stint.

Mize has generally been healthy since, although he did experience a notable velocity dip his last time on the mound. His four-seamer averaged 93.6 mph through his first 15 starts of the season but sat at just 91.9 mph against the Royals last Saturday. The lost life on his heater didn’t impact the results at all; Mize held Kansas City to a run on three hits and no walks with three strikeouts across six sharp innings. He’s since told the Tigers beat that he feels healthy, so perhaps that velo dip was just a one-off aberration.

There’s no good way of telling whether that’s the case, however. The Tigers scratched Mize from yesterday’s start as trade interest in the right-hander has picked up. It’s possible they were simply being extra cautious with a pitcher who’s twice been on the IL due to adductor issues this season, but skeptics could also wonder whether the Tigers wanted to avoid a scenario where Mize is hit hard while again showing diminished velocity.

All of the listed suitors for Mize make perfectly good sense on paper. The Cubs’ rotation has been decimated by injury this season. Ditto the D-backs, who are currently without Michael Soroka, Ryne Nelson and Zac Gallen (who’s struggled all season anyhow). Tampa Bay just placed Shane McClanahan on the injured list. The Braves’ starting staff has been without Spencer Schwellenbach all season and hasn’t gotten much out of Spencer Strider, who’s also now on the 60-day IL due to elbow inflammation. Young right-handers Hurston Waldrep and AJ Smith-Shawver have missed most of the season; Waldrep was placed back on the minor league injured list earlier this week.

It bears mentioning that there’s also at least some possibility of the Tigers holding Mize. The widespread expectation is that they’ll deal Skubal for a heavy package of talent — some or all of it big league-ready. That move will drop Detroit back under the luxury tax threshold, meaning even if they trade Skubal, they could extend a qualifying offer to Mize and receive a compensatory pick after the first round if he signs elsewhere. If president of baseball ops Scott Harris, GM Jeff Greenberg and the rest of the front office don’t feel they’re getting sufficient value for Mize — and are simultaneously confident he’ll remain healthy — they could hope to remain in the Wild Card chase and look to recoup value for Mize’s possible departure with a QO at season’s end. It’d be a risky path to traverse, but in a mediocre American League playoff hunt, it’s something they could at least consider.

TWF 159 – Gavin a Good Time

John Ke — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 17:00:43 +0000

Hitters are straight up not having a good time against Gavin

The post TWF 159 – Gavin a Good Time appeared first on Pitcher List.

Cubs Interested In Ray, Holmes, Hancock, Mize, Bullpen Help

Mark Polishuk — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 16:45:12 +0000

11:46AM: The Cubs would preferably want to add three pitchers by the deadline, as per The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney and Ken Rosenthal. This trio of adds could break down as a starter and two relievers or two relievers and one starter, depending on what is available.

11:40AM: It is no surprise that pitching is the Cubs’ biggest deadline need, and Chicago has already been linked to such hurlers as Tarik Skubal, Freddy Peralta, and Reid Detmers just within the last few days. The Cubs’ search has also included talks about such pitchers as Robbie Ray, Clay Holmes, and Emerson Hancock (according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale), and The Athletic’s Cody Stavenhagen lists the Cubs as one of the clubs “believed to have interest in” Casey Mize.

There is plenty of variance within all of these trade targets, which speaks to how broadly the Cubs are considering all possibilities. Among the most recent names cited, Ray and Mize are both free agents this winter, and Holmes is expected to be a free agent when he opts out of the final year of his contract. By contrast, Hancock isn’t eligible for arbitration until after the 2027 season and is under team control through 2030.

As such, Hancock would very likely command the largest trade return of the quartet, even though he has the shortest track record of success at the MLB level. The former sixth overall pick made his big league debut in 2023 and didn’t start to produce consistent results until this year, as Hancock has a 3.26 ERA, 23.3% strikeout rate, and 6.2% walk rate across 20 starts and 110 1/3 innings for the Mariners. His 3.80 SIERA may be the better reflection of his performance, but that’s still a respectable showing for a 27-year-old who may still have a ways to go before hitting his ceiling as a Major League pitcher.

Prying Hancock away from Seattle would probably cost the Cubs some significant longer-term offensive talent, as the Mariners are aiming to add bats. These hitters would also have to be ready to contribute pretty much right away to an M’s team that is in win-now mode, even though Seattle is now 53-58 after dropping eight of its last 10 games. (This recent slump alone might change the equation on the Mariners’ willingness to move Hancock to the Cubs or anyone, but the M’s figure to be open to offers as either buyers or perhaps sellers right up until the deadline.) Matt Shaw would fit the description as a big league-ready player who could immediately step into Seattle’s lineup, though Shaw is currently on the injured list.

Of the rental pitchers, Ray is the most expensive, as he is owed a little under $8MM remaining of his $25MM salary for 2026. However, the Giants have expressed a willingness to cover at least some of that remaining salary in exchange for a better trade return. MLBTR’s Payroll Tracker has the Cubs’ estimated tax number at around $252.3MM, which puts them over the $244MM tax threshold but still under the $264MM secondary threshold that has acted as something of an unofficial cap for the team over its history.

Since Chicago is likely looking to add multiple pitchers, the team naturally would prefer to not make too much of a financial splash on one single addition, if it can be helped. A frontline ace like Skubal might be an exception, but Ray (a former Cy Young Award winner in his own right) might also be worth spending some extra money since Ray is a pitcher who can certainly be slotted into or even atop a playoff rotation.

The Cubs have dealt with so many pitching injuries this season that it is worth wondering if Holmes might be a lesser target on their list simply because the right-hander is still on the 60-day IL. Holmes suffered a fractured fibula on May 15 but has now pitched in two minor league rehab games, even if he is unlikely to return to the Mets’ roster before the trade deadline. That hasn’t stopped the Cubs and many other teams from monitoring Holmes’ progress during his rehab starts.

While there’s some doubt about Hancock’s availability, Ray, Holmes, and Mize are all expected to be dealt before Monday’s deadline. The Giants and Mets are well out of contention, and the Tigers remain on the fringes of the AL race with a 52-58 record but are expected to turn to selling by Monday. Mize was scratched from his scheduled start on Friday, adding to the speculation that the former first overall pick will be on the move.

Beyond the focus on the rotation, The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma writes that the Cubs will also be looking to add relievers, ideally a right-hander with strikeout ability. The latter specification is more important than the former, which is why Sharma notes that Chicago “would love to acquire” San Diego’s Adrian Morejon if the Padres decide to sell at the deadline (or sell and buy to keep their playoff hopes alive).

The Padres are sure to put a high asking price on Morejon, even though he is a free agent after the season. Sharma feels the Cubs are probably likelier to deal significant prospects for a starter than a reliever (especially a rental), plus Chicago has several bullpen arms projected to return from the IL, which may lessen the need for an abundance of new relievers.

Rangers, Phillies Among Teams Interested In Dodgers’ Alex Call

Steve Adams — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 16:11:09 +0000

The Dodgers are getting interest in outfielder Alex Call, per Fabian Ardaya and Katie Woo of The Athletic. The Rangers and Phillies are among the teams who have inquired on the righty-swinging outfielder. Philadelphia’s interest dates all the way back to last deadline. Call, then with the Nationals, went to the Dodgers in exchange for minor league righties Eriq Swan and Sean Paul Linan.

The 31-year-old Call is batting .246/.355/.314 on the season. He’s a lifetime .243/.343/.364 hitter in 1146 big league plate appearances between the Guardians, Nats and Dodgers. That pedestrian line masks his primary selling point, however. Call is an absolute nuisance for left-handed pitchers, slashing .326/.418/.457 against them in 2026 and .278/.358/.432 dating back to the 2023 season. He’s earning just $1.6MM this season in his first year of arbitration as a Super Two player. He’s under club control for three additional seasons, all the way through 2029.

Los Angeles, of course, isn’t a seller at this year’s deadline, but they’ve still been listening on some veterans who might be squeezed off their eventual playoff roster — namely Call and southpaw Eric Lauer. Call has had a limited role on the Dodgers’ roster throughout the season with Teoscar Hernandez, Tommy Edman and Enrique Hernandez all missing time at various points. All three are now healthy following the latter’s reinstatement from the IL on Wednesday. Call hasn’t seen a plate appearance in the past five days and has only come to the plate seven times since the All-Star break. Playing time for him figures to be hard to come by moving forward.

The Rangers are looking for a righty to help in the outfield given center fielder Evan Carter‘s longstanding struggles against southpaws. Call is capable of playing all three outfield positions and has better-than-average marks at all three. He’d be a sensible fit for a Texas team that is searching for upgrades but reportedly has very little in the way of payroll flexibility from ownership at this summer’s deadline. The Rangers’ other trade so far saw them acquire a pair of low-cost players: righty Chase Silseth and catcher Logan O’Hoppe of the Angels. Silseth isn’t yet arbitration-eligible. O’Hoppe is earning $2.625MM.

The Phillies aren’t facing those same financial constraints, but they’re a luxury tax payor who’s currently in the top tier of penalization. They’ll pay not only the remaining salary of any players they acquire but also a 110% tax. Call’s modest salary would naturally appeal to them, and there’s of course a roster need for this type of player as well.

At the moment, Philadelphia is rolling out an all left-handed outfield including Brandon Marsh, Justin Crawford and Gabriel Rincones Jr. They’re using utilityman Edmundo Sosa and journeymen Derek Hill and Bryan De La Cruz as righty options off the bench following season-ending injuries to Adolis Garcia and Johan Rojas. Sosa is having the worst season of his career, however, and Hill has been better against fellow righties than he has against southpaws. De La Cruz has big numbers in a tiny sample of 16 plate appearances, but from 2023-25 he posted a combined .243/.285/.390 batting line. He has decent career numbers versus lefties but that’s due almost entirely to huge production during his rookie season back in 2021. De La Cruz hasn’t had an above-average season versus southpaws since (excluding this year’s minuscule sample).

Braves Designate Elieser Hernandez For Assignment

Steve Adams — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 16:08:13 +0000

The Braves announced Saturday that right-hander Elieser Hernandez has been designated for assignment. Right-handed reliever James Karinchak has been recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett in his place.

Hernandez, 31, seems to have stepped into the Carlos Carrasco/Jesse Chavez role in Atlanta. The Braves near-habitually stash a veteran righty who can’t be optioned in Gwinnett and cycle that pitcher on and off the active roster via frequent DFAs whenever an extra arm is needed. Said pitcher then immediately re-signs on a new minor league deal (typically with slightly better salary terms, new opt-out dates, and other perks) upon clearing waivers and electing free agency.

Atlanta designated Carrasco for assignment seven times in the span of one calendar year and went through a similar gambit with Chavez before him. The pitchers, of course, are generally on board with the setup. It gets them occasional big league service time and salary. The arms the Braves typically use in this role aren’t the type that would likely stick on a major league roster elsewhere, so agreeing to ride the DFA shuttle between Gwinnett and Atlanta is a nice means of picking up some extra salary and service in short stints.

Hernandez has made a pair of appearances with Atlanta this season — both of them three-inning relief outings. He’s earned a win and his first career save while allowing just one run on six hits and four walks with six punchouts. Hernandez has had less success in Gwinnett, where he’s sporting a 4.83 earned run average in 76 1/3 innings.

Earlier in his career, Hernandez looked the part of a promising rotation arm in Miami. He posted big minor league numbers and, after a few rocky big league stints in 2018-19, broke out with a 3.84 ERA, 26.3% strikeout rate and 5.7% walk rate in 17 starts for the Fish from 2020-21. Injuries derailed that trajectory, however. By 2024, the Marlins granted the right-hander his release so he could sign with the LG Twins in the Korea Baseball Organization. Hernandez had a couple decent seasons in the rotation there, logging a mid-4.00s ERA with solid strikeout and walk rates. He signed a minor league deal with Atlanta back in November.

The Braves technically have until Monday afternoon’s deadline to trade Hernandez, but he’ll almost certainly be placed on waivers. A team in need of some bullpen length could potentially claim him, but it’s much likelier that he’ll clear waivers, elect free agency, and re-sign to return to Gwinnett until the next time the Braves need a fresh long man in the ‘pen.

Cardinals Designate Tink Hence For Assignment

Mark Polishuk — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 16:07:33 +0000

The Cardinals announced that right-hander Tink Hence has been designated for assignment. The move opens up a 40-man roster space for Quinn Mathews, whose contract has now been officially selected from Triple-A (as reported two days ago). Righty Matt Svanson was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding 26-man roster move for Mathews.

Hence was a second-round pick in the 2020 draft, and the righty was still getting top-100 prospect attention as recently as 2025. However, Hence now finds himself in roster limbo to make way for another up-and-coming young arm in Mathews, who will make his MLB debut in today’s start against the Blue Jays.

Baseball America and MLB Pipeline each still rank Hence 28th in their rankings of the top 30 St. Louis prospects, and it seems quite likely that the Cardinals will swing a deal for Hence before Monday’s trade deadline. Still, Hence’s star has certainly dimmed over the last couple of years due to injuries, including a lat strain, chest tightness, and shoulder problems.

The Cards have mostly used Hence as a reliever at Triple-A Memphis this season as a way of keeping him healthy, yet Hence has struggled to a 6.64 ERA and an 18.2% walk rate over 20 1/3 innings. This season marked Hence’s first stint in Triple-A ball, and he has struggled mightily with his control and at keeping the ball in the park, as he has allowed four homers in his small sample size of work.

Hence doesn’t turn 24 until later this week, so it is possible he might be getting a change of teams as a birthday present. If a trade doesn’t materialize, certainly some team will be willing to use a 40-man roster spot on Hence to see if their pitching lab can help him get back on track. Speculatively, the Angels and interim GM John Mozeliak might have interest, as Mozeliak was running the St. Louis front office when Hence was drafted.

Two-Start Starters: Week 19

Will Orsland — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 16:00:12 +0000

Which two-start starters you should start or question?

The post Two-Start Starters: Week 19 appeared first on Pitcher List.

Starting Pitcher Streamer Ranks Fantasy Baseball: 8/1 & 8/2 & 8/3

Nick Pollack — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 15:42:00 +0000

Best SP streamers and rankings for today & tomorrow & day after.

The post Starting Pitcher Streamer Ranks Fantasy Baseball: 8/1 & 8/2 & 8/3 appeared first on Pitcher List.

The Stash List Week 19: Top 10 Pitching Prospects to Stash in 2026

John Villavicencio — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 15:30:23 +0000

Top 10 pitching prospects to stash in redraft league.

The post The Stash List Week 19: Top 10 Pitching Prospects to Stash in 2026 appeared first on Pitcher List.

Marlins Have Extremely High Asking Price On Otto Lopez

Steve Adams — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 15:12:59 +0000

Talks between the Red Sox and Marlins on shortstop Otto Lopez didn’t go anywhere and are “dead” at this point, Sean McAdam of MassLive.com reports. McAdam adds that the Fish are understandably seeking a package headlined by “elite” prospect(s) in order to part with the remaining three-plus seasons of control on Lopez, who leads the NL in batting and could find himself in consideration for a Gold Glove at shortstop this season. Kevin Barral of Fish On First writes that Miami isn’t actively looking to cash in on Lopez’s breakout but is simply seeing if anyone will make the sort of offer they can’t turn away. The Red Sox apparently aren’t willing to do so.

Lopez, 27, is one of the best waiver pickups in recent memory. The Blue Jays and Giants both designated him for assignment back in 2024. Miami scooped him up and initially used him as a utility player, but Lopez’s role has continued to grow. He first settled in as a slick-fielding but light-hitting second baseman before flipping infield positions with then-shortstop Xavier Edwards — a move that worked out for both players. Lopez continued delivering light offense and premium defense last year, but his bat has erupted in 2026.

Through 463 plate appearances this season, the righty-swinging Lopez is hitting .322/.356/.481. He’s sitting on a sub-14% strikeout rate for the second straight season and is hitting for more power on a rate basis than in past seasons. Lopez’s nine home runs put him on pace for a similar home run total to last year’s 15, but he’s already smacked 27 doubles and seven triples this season — up from 21 and 0 in 2025, despite having 131 fewer plate appearances. Lopez’s 22 steals (in 26 attempts) are already a career-high as well. Lopez currently ranks second among all position players in wins above replacement, per Baseball Reference. FanGraphs has him tied with Detroit’s Kevin McGonigle for fifth.

The Marlins’ exact ask for Lopez isn’t clear, but the Sox have a pair of prospects in the sport’s top 50. Right-hander Anthony Eyanson is generally regarded somewhere in the No. 30-50 range, whereas shortstop Franklin Arias is a consensus top-10 prospect in all of baseball; Baseball America ranks Arias as the game’s No. 3 prospect. The Athletic’s Keith Law ranks him fourth.

Either prospect, particularly Arias, would be a hefty but understandable ask, given the extent of Lopez’s breakout. It’s fair to expect some of Lopez’s offense to regress, given a huge .354 average on balls in play, but his low strikeout rate, above-average speed and plus glovework give Lopez an extremely high floor. Add in that he’s not even arbitration-eligible yet and is under team control through the 2029 season — his age-30 campaign — and Miami is plenty justified in asking for multiple top-100 prospects or even a top-20 talent.

The Marlins aren’t operating as pure sellers this deadline, but they reportedly have very few players who are off the table entirely. The Fish aren’t dealing face-of-the-franchise Sandy Alcantara or fellow right-hander Eury Pérez. Young catcher Joe Mack is also all but untouchable, and righty Max Meyer presumably isn’t far behind. Beyond that, the Marlins appear open to at least hearing out interest on just about anyone, even controllable players like Lopez, Edwards and catcher/designated hitter Liam Hicks. President of baseball ops Peter Bendix will set a lofty asking price on any of those long-term assets, however. Lopez, in particular, seems like a long shot to change hands.

The Red Sox will presumably turn their focus to other shortstops, though they’ve also reportedly been eyeing upgrades behind the plate. Their willingness to move Jarren Duran signals that they’re open to some changes in the outfield as well. Boston already swung one trade to add a right-handed bat, shipping left-hander Connelly Early to Washington in exchange for breakout infielder Curtis Mead, but Mead fractured his wrist in his Red Sox debut and now faces an extended absence.

Orioles’ Colin Selby Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery; Ryan Mountcastle Suffers Oblique Strain

Mark Polishuk — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 14:54:18 +0000

Colin Selby‘s 2026 season will end without a single pitch thrown, as Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias told reporters (including Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com) yesterday that Selby underwent surgery on his right labrum and rotator cuff earlier this week. The recovery period will keep Selby on the injured list into the 2027 season. In addition, Ryan Mountcastle‘s 2026 campaign is now in jeopardy after the first baseman sustained what Elias called “a pretty significant oblique strain.”

Selby hasn’t been able to get healthy since developing shoulder inflammation early in Spring Training. Since the surgery couldn’t be avoided, 2026 will go down as an entirely lost year for the right-hander, with the only minor upside being a year of MLB service time accumulated while on the Major League injured list.

Selby has a 6.20 ERA over 45 career innings with the Pirates, Royals, and Orioles, though he has looked more effective since posting a 9.00 ERA in his first 24 frames with Pittsburgh in 2023. Since being acquired from K.C. in a cash trade in July 2024, Selby has a 2.50 ERA, 25.33% strikeout rate, and 5.33% walk rate in 18 innings in a Baltimore uniform. The O’s frequently shuttled Selby back and forth between the active roster and Triple-A Norfolk in 2025, though he missed close to two months on the IL due to a hamstring strain.

While Elias didn’t entirely rule out the possibility that Mountcastle could still return before the season is over, the projected recovery timeline of “a couple of months” probably means the first baseman is done until 2027 unless he heals much quicker than expected. If he can recover fast, the O’s might give Mountcastle a few games in late September just to give him some peace of mind after an extended injury absence, and a bit of a platform for a likely trip to free agency.

It’s been a rough couple of years for Mountcastle, who hit .250/.286/.367 over 357 plate appearances during a 2025 season that was shortened by a hamstring strain. The Orioles still chose to tender Mountcastle a contract in the wake of that subpar performance, signing him to a $6.787MM contract for 2026 that included a $7.5MM club option for the 2027 season. 2027 was going to be Mountcastle’s first free agent year, and looks like it’ll still be the case since the O’s will surely pass on that club option.

Mountcastle logged only 15 PA in eight games this season before fracturing a bone in his left foot while running the bases in a game on April 11. The injury was severe enough that Mountcastle was immediately placed on the 60-day IL, and he was set to start a minor league rehab assignment just this week before the oblique strain occurred.

In more positive injury news, Elias said injured catchers Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo are both making good progress. Rutschman hasn’t played since July 18 due to left wrist inflammation, but Elias said the backstop is expected to start hitting work today, and a minor league rehab assignment could be launched within a week. Shoulder inflammation has sidelined Basallo since July 19 but he is also slated to start hitting soon, and Elias said Basallo has already started throwing.

These promising updates are noteworthy since Baltimore just added Jake Rogers in a trade with the Tigers on Thursday. Though the O’s are “quite hopeful that both Sam and Adley are back pretty soon,” Elias said there was obvious incentive to add to the catching ranks, as Rogers is “gonna be catching a lot here the next few days and help hold down the fort until one or both of those guys is back.”

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: 8/1/26

Ben Solow — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 14:44:37 +0000

Good streamers and plenty of batting average on the wire

The post Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: 8/1/26 appeared first on Pitcher List.

Nick Fortes Collects 4 Hits – Fantasy Baseball Hitting Recap 7/31/2026

Ryan Clark — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 14:30:09 +0000

Breaking down notable hitting performances from yesterday’s games.

The post Nick Fortes Collects 4 Hits – Fantasy Baseball Hitting Recap 7/31/2026 appeared first on Pitcher List.

Mangum the Roller Coaster – Fantasy Baseball Hitting Recap 7/31/2026

Ryan Clark — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 14:30:09 +0000

Breaking down notable hitting performances from yesterday’s games.

The post Mangum the Roller Coaster – Fantasy Baseball Hitting Recap 7/31/2026 appeared first on Pitcher List.

Relief Pitcher Streamer Rankings Fantasy Baseball: 8/1

Rick Graham — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 14:29:00 +0000

The Best Reliever Streamers for Today with Updated Bullpen Usage Charts

The post Relief Pitcher Streamer Rankings Fantasy Baseball: 8/1 appeared first on Pitcher List.

PPP 817 – Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitchers To Add And Drop – 8-1-26

Jake Crumpler — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 13:44:50 +0000

Jake Crumpler's latest episode of his SP focused Plus Pitch Podcast.

The post PPP 817 – Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitchers To Add And Drop – 8-1-26 appeared first on Pitcher List.

Guardians Acquire Blake Perkins, Craig Yoho From Brewers For Bo Naylor, Codi Heuer

Mark Polishuk — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 13:41:41 +0000

The Brewers and Guardians have lined up on a two-for-two swap that will see outfielder Blake Perkins and right-hander Craig Yoho sent to Cleveland. Milwaukee receives catcher Bo Naylor and right-hander Codi Heuer in return. Jon Heyman of the New York Post was the first to report the trade and the involvement of Naylor, Heuer, and Yoho, while FanSided’s Robert Murray reported Perkins’ inclusion. Both clubs have officially announced the trade, and the Brewers have optioned Naylor and Heuer to Triple-A.

The Guardians’ seemingly years-long search for outfield help is only somewhat addressed by the Perkins add, as Perkins is a defensive specialist who has hit only .223/.307/.330 over 874 career plate appearances (all with Milwaukee from 2023-26). The switch-hitter has a career .693 OPS against southpaws and a .600 OPS against right-handers, so Perkins brings some minor offensive utility to a Cleveland lineup full of left-handed and switch-hitters.

Perkins can play all over the outfield, but he’ll probably be utilized mostly in a timeshare with rookie center fielder Petey Halpin (barring any other trades between now and Monday’s deadline). The 29-year-old Perkins is a controllable asset for the Guards, as Perkins isn’t yet eligible for salary arbitration until the coming offseason.

Yoho isn’t arb-eligible until after the 2028 season, as the righty only made his MLB debut last year. After posting a 7.27 ERA over 8 2/3 innings in 2025, Yoho has improved to a 3.15 ERA, 23.1% strikeout rate, and a 10.3% walk rate over 20 innings out of Milwaukee’s pen this year. While his 3.94 SIERA is higher than his 3.15 ERA, the gap isn’t quite as large as expected for a pitcher with an astoundingly low .128 BABIP, so Yoho is getting by on more than just luck.

The 26-year-old Yoho was an eighth-round pick for the Brewers in the 2023 draft, and the career reliever has posted significantly higher strikeout and grounder rates in the minors than during his brief time in the majors. He can still be optioned to the minors twice more this season, so Cleveland has some flexibility in how Yoho can be used if the club doesn’t immediately see him as a full-time member of the bullpen.

The four-player deal provides Cleveland with more short-term help than it does Milwaukee, especially since the Brewers have already optioned their two new players to Triple-A. With outfield prospect Luis Lara now in the majors and Brandon Lockridge and Sal Frelick not expected to miss much more time on the injured list, Perkins was an expendable piece. Naylor also gives the Brewers a third catcher in the organization with MLB experience, beyond All-Star William Contreras and backup Gary Sanchez.

Acquiring Naylor does provide some intrigue into both how the Brew Crew could approach their catching situation at the deadline, and potentially into 2027. Contreras obviously isn’t going anywhere before Monday’s trade deadline, but he is a free agent after the 2027-28 season. That means the Brewers could look to trade Contreras this winter, as the club has dealt several other stars heading into their final year of team control.

Top prospect Jeferson Quero is still earmarked as Milwaukee’s catcher of the future, but Naylor is a former top-100 prospect in his own right who could benefit from a change of scenery. While Naylor may be a depth piece for now, if the Brewers feel Naylor can step into the backup role immediately, Sanchez might be a trade chip at the deadline.

The 11 home runs and .237/.339/.470 slash line that Naylor posted over 230 PA in his 2023 rookie season seemed to hint that the catcher would be able to make good on the offensive promise he showed in the minor leagues. Naylor wasn’t able to sustain that early success, as he has hit only .192/.266/.351 with 29 homers in 893 PA since Opening Day 2024.

After continued struggles at the beginning of this season, Naylor was optioned to Triple-A when Cleveland acquired Patrick Bailey from the Giants, and Naylor hasn’t since returned to the big leagues. Reports surfaced in June that the Guardians were fielding offers for their catching depth, and Cooper Ingle and Kody Huff now look to be staying (along with Bailey and Austin Hedges) while Naylor heads to Milwaukee.

Heuer is in his fourth MLB season, but the 30-year-old will already be on his sixth team if and when he makes it into a big league game for the Brewers. This journeyman resume has come despite the fact that Heuer didn’t see any big league action in 2022-24 due to a Tommy John surgery and then a broken elbow. Heuer has a 3.76 ERA over 105 1/3 innings in the Show, which breaks down as a 3.56 ERA in 91 frames before his injury hiatus and a 5.02 ERA in 14 1/3 innings since returning to action.

Signed to a minors deal by Cleveland last winter, Heuer appeared in eight games for the Guardians and posted a 4.66 ERA, 13% strikeout rate, and 10.9% walk rate in 9 2/3 innings. A .353 BABIP accounts for some of that damage, but Heuer didn’t help himself with the walks or the K% that was well below his 21.8% career average from his first three seasons.

MLB News & Moments: Yankees and Red Sox close out July with Ws

Pablo Figueroa — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 13:30:43 +0000

Harrison Bader makes an expensive mistake on a scooter.

The post MLB News & Moments: Yankees and Red Sox close out July with Ws appeared first on Pitcher List.

Daily Fantasy Baseball News and Notes | First Pitch 8/01/26

Carson Picard — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 13:00:01 +0000

Everything you need to know to win your fantasy baseball league, daily

The post Daily Fantasy Baseball News and Notes | First Pitch 8/01/26 appeared first on Pitcher List.

Fantasy Baseball SP Roundup 7/31: Behind The Skenes

Jake Crumpler — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 12:50:40 +0000

Jake Crumpler reviews every starting pitcher performance from Friday.

The post Fantasy Baseball SP Roundup 7/31: Behind The Skenes appeared first on Pitcher List.

The Opener: Trade Buzz, Clark, Astros

Mark Polishuk — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 12:41:14 +0000

The Red Sox earned a 9-4 win over the Dodgers last night, finishing off a dream month that saw the team go 21-4. This .840 win percentage in July was the best in any month in Boston’s 126-year franchise history. Ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto takes the mound for Los Angeles today to try and slow the Sox down, while the Red Sox will start Payton Tolle.

1. Final starts for rotation trade candidates?

The Blue Jays’ Kevin Gausman and the Angels’ Jose Soriano are still scheduled to start for their respective teams today, but nobody would be surprised if either pitcher is a late scratch. We already saw Freddy Peralta and Casey Mize scratched from planned starts on Friday, as clubs aren’t going to risk a late injury for players likely to be moved before Monday’s 5pm CT trade deadline. Gausman is an impending free agent but there hasn’t been any extension talks between the Jays and the veteran righty, as Gausman told Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi yesterday. It remains to be seen if the Angels will move Soriano since the righty is arbitration-controlled through 2028, but the fact that the Halos are at least open to offers on Soriano and other controllable players creates some possibility that a trade is possible.

2. Clark’s stellar debut

Scratching Mize from starting didn’t stop the Tigers from a 13-1 rout of the Athletics on Friday. A four-pitcher bullpen game limited the A’s to just one run on three hits, so Max Clark matched the Athletics’ hit total himself in his big league debut. The star prospect went 3-for-4 with a walk, with two doubles and his first career RBI to show for his first game in the Show. The 52-58 Tigers are 3.5 games out of the last AL wild card spot, but are expected to mostly act in a seller capacity before Monday’s deadline. That means impending free agents like Mize and superstar Tarik Skubal have likely thrown their last pitches in a Detroit uniform, and the Tigers are undoubtedly being flooded with offers from pitching-needy teams.

3. The Astros take command in the AL West

A 4-1 loss to the Twins on May 20 sunk the Astros to a 20-37 record, but hope wasn’t lost. Houston has since posted a 36-18 record to both get back over the .500 mark and take over first place in the AL West, following yesterday’s 11-2 win over the Rangers. The Astros are on a four-game winning streak and have won nine of their last 10 games, putting the club firmly in position to add talent at the deadline. It is no secret that Houston is looking to acquire outfield help, ideally a left-handed hitting outfielder (or two) to add some balance to a mostly right-handed lineup. First things first, of course, is staying on top of the division, as the Rangers could move right back into the top spot with a victory today. Texas will start Jacob deGrom today while Ronel Blanco (who is returning from Tommy John rehab) will make his third start of the season for Houston.

Reds Getting Significant Interest In Hunter Greene

Steve Adams — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 12:09:52 +0000

TODAY: The Reds “are now telling teams that…Greene is no longer available,” USA Today’s Bob Nightengale writes. This may close the door on the possibility of Greene being moved at least by the deadline.

JULY 31: The Reds are drawing substantial interest in right-hander Hunter Greene, per reports from Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com and Buster Olney of ESPN. That’s not surprising given the combination of their seller status, Greene’s dominant results when healthy, and the right-hander’s club friendly contract. Robust interest hardly means a trade will actually come together, but controllable starting pitching is typically the most in-demand commodity this time of year. It’s at least somewhat notable that Feinsand and Olney both suggest there’s an actual chance he’ll move; WEEI’s Rob Bradford reported this week that the Reds have effectively told teams who’ve inquired on shortstop Elly De La Cruz to not even waste their time trying. If nothing else, it seems there’s at least a softer stance on Greene.

Greene, 27 next week, was the No. 2 overall pick back in 2017. He debuted with a pair of solid enough seasons in 2022-23, showing big ability to miss bats but also major susceptibility to home runs (237 2/3 innings, 4.62 ERA, 30.7% strikeout rate, 9.3% walk rate, 1.63 HR/9). The Reds were encouraged enough by his blazing heater, power slider and bat-missing ability that they inked Greene to a six-year, $53MM extension early in the 2023 season. The results for the rest of the season weren’t great, but it proved to be well timed; Greene stepped to the front of the Cincinnati rotation in 2024 and looked every bit the part of a high-end starter.

In 2024, Greene broke out with 150 1/3 innings of 2.75 ERA ball. He fanned 27.7% of opponents against a 9.3% walk rate and saw his HR/9 mark plummet to 0.72. Greene had scrapped his original changeup for a new split change, but it was primarily improved results on that bread-and-butter fastball/slider combo that paved the road to his breakout. Greene’s 2025 ERA was a nearly identical 2.76 but came with better rate stats: 31.4% strikeout rate and 6.2% walk rate. His 15.4% swinging-strike rate in ’25 was fourth-highest among all pitchers who tossed at least 100 innings, trailing only Tarik Skubal, Dylan Cease and Logan Gilbert.

The major caveat with Greene is that he simply hasn’t been able to stay healthy at the rate the Reds (or another team) would prefer. He had Tommy John surgery as a prospect in 2019 and has missed time in the majors due to a shoulder strain, multiple groin strains and a hip issue. He reported to spring training seemingly healthy this year but quickly ran into elbow pain that eventually prompted surgery to remove loose bodies. He only returned to the Reds’ active roster for his season debut earlier this month.

It’s been a boom-or-bust return for Greene. He was rocked for eight runs in 3 1/3 innings in his first start back on July 4. The 6’5″, 240-pound righty bounced back with dominant results in his next two outings (13 innings, three runs, seven hits, one walk, 19 strikeouts) and was then knocked around for six runs over 5 1/3 innings against the Cardinals in his most recent start. Greene’s 7.06 ERA in four starts is an eyesore, but his 30.9% strikeout rate and 7.4% walk rate are excellent. He’s been dogged by a .345 average on balls in play and an almost impossibly low 44.4% strand rate. Both should regress substantially; metrics like SIERA (3.22) and FIP (3.20) are far more encouraging than his baseline earned run average.

Obviously, there are real workload concerns with Greene. He’s never topped 26 starts or 150 1/3 innings in a season. That said, the right-hander’s contract is affordable enough that he’s been a bargain in recent seasons even while shouldering limited workloads. Greene is making $8MM this season. There’s about $2.45MM of that sum yet to be paid out. His salary will jump to $15MM in 2027 and $16MM in 2028. The Reds hold a club option on him for the 2029 season that’s valued at $21MM and comes with a $2MM buyout.

In total, Greene is owed $35.45MM for the remainder of this season and two more guaranteed years after the fact. If that option is picked up, the sum would jump to $54.45MM for three-plus seasons. Given Greene’s per-inning results dating back to that 2024 breakout, that’s still a bargain rate. He’ll need to throw more innings to truly live up to the final few years of the deal, but arms of Greene’s raw talent don’t come around too often on the trade market — certainly not when they’re priced at this level and with this much remaining club control.

It stands to reason that just about any contender would have interest in Greene — as would any team that’s out of the running in 2026 but aiming to contend in 2027. Speculatively speaking, the Rays, Braves, White Sox, D-backs, Phillies, Rangers, Padres, Nationals, Orioles, Twins, Blue Jays, Giants, Royals, Mets and A’s are among the many, many teams that could try to entice the Reds. They won’t all show the same level of aggression, but Greene’s results (when healthy) would improve literally any rotation in the sport — and virtually any team in the game could afford his salary in subsequent seasons.

That’s also true of his incumbent team, however. The Reds have just a $128.64MM payroll this year, as seen in MLBTR’s newly rolled out Payroll Tracker. The luxury tax isn’t even on Cincinnati’s radar, and they only have $29.75MM in guaranteed contracts on next year’s books. A modest $2.5MM of that is allocated to Greene’s recently extended rotation-mate, Chase Burns, who signed a seven-year extension guaranteeing him $105MM earlier this month.

With Burns, Greene and the arb-eligible Andrew Abbott in place for up to three more seasons, the Reds have to feel good about the foundation of their rotation moving forward. Between De La Cruz and Sal Stewart, they have a pair of homegrown, middle-of-the-order bats around which to build the rotation. The supporting cast isn’t nearly as solid, however, and if the Reds feel they can get multiple MLB-ready bats in return for Greene, perhaps that’d be enough to push them to consider pulling the trigger on a difficult trade decision.

Starts and Sits - All Starting Pitcher Matchups for Fantasy Baseball (July 27 - August 2)

Nick Mariano — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 11:56:14 +0000

Welcome back RotoBallers to another edition of our Starting Pitcher Starts and Sits column for the week ahead - Monday July 27 through Sunday August 2. As you've come to expect, this article will cover who is pitching, their opponent, and a confidence/startability score based on our tools. This supplies you with a useful start/sit […]

Orioles Trade Dean Kremer To Twins

Anthony Franco — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 04:59:08 +0000

The Orioles and Twins announced a trade sending starting pitcher Dean Kremer to Minnesota in exchange for outfield prospect Jhomnardo Reyes. Minnesota transferred starter Mike Paredes to the 60-day injured list to open a spot on the 40-man roster. Paredes just landed on the IL with an oblique strain and will be out until at least the final week of the regular season.

It’s Minnesota’s second straight day adding to the pitching staff after they brought in A.J. Minter from the Mets on Thursday. Kremer provides some stability at the back of an inexperienced rotation. The Minter pickup added a much needed veteran in the late innings.

The Twins are reasonably well positioned at the top of the rotation with Joe Ryan and Taj Bradley. They can expect league average production from Bailey Ober. The final two spots are more questionable after season-ending injuries to Pablo López, Mick Abel, David Festa and potentially Paredes.

Zebby Matthews has battled home run issues throughout his career. He has a 5.29 ERA on the season and entered tonight’s start with a 5.64 mark across 38 big league appearances. Rookie lefty Connor Prielipp has a 4.73 ERA over his first 14 career starts. Prielipp was a talented prospect and has a strong strikeout and walk profile, so the Twins probably feel he’s better than the ERA would indicate, but he also has a notable injury history.

Prielipp just returned from a blister issue. That sidelined him for a couple weeks but provided a few weeks rest as he reaches uncharted territory from a workload perspective. Prielipp had never thrown more than 82 2/3 innings in a college or minor league season. He’s at 91 frames between Triple-A and the big leagues this year.

Kremer has been a durable league average starter for the majority of his career. Acquired as a prospect in the 2018 Manny Machado trade with the Dodgers, Kremer has logged parts of seven seasons in Baltimore. He was in the rotation between 2023-25, posting an ERA just above 4.00 with average strikeout and walk marks in each season.

This year hasn’t gone according to plan. Kremer was squeezed out of the rotation at the end of Spring Training and opened the season in Triple-A. The O’s brought him up in mid-April upon quickly losing Zach Eflin to UCL surgery. Kremer got injured himself shortly after, suffering a right quad strain that cost him the next two months. He has been back in the rotation throughout July but hasn’t performed well. Kremer has only managed one quality start in his last five outings and was rocked for 14 runs over his final two starts in a Baltimore uniform.

There haven’t been any dramatic changes to Kremer’s stuff, though he has had a slight velocity dip this month. The 30-year-old righty is averaging 92.9 mph on his fastball after sitting closer to 94 in April. He mixes five pitches with regularity, relying most frequently on a splitter that he’ll throw to hitters of either handedness.

Kremer is playing on a $5.75MM arbitration salary. Minnesota assumes roughly $1.75MM for the remainder of the season. As shown on MLBTR’s Payroll Tracker, the Twins had a player payroll around $102MM prior to the Minter and Kremer trades. They assumed approximately $3.4MM on Minter’s salary and have pushed their spending close to $107MM within the last two days. That’s still well shy of last year’s $130MM season-ending mark. They’re not going to approach that level but could have another mid-level bullpen or position player pickup in store.

They can retain Kremer for another season after this one, though he’d be a non-tender candidate if his July struggles continue for the stretch run. He crossed the five-year service threshold while he was on the injured list and can no longer be assigned to the minor leagues without his consent. He’ll need to stick on the MLB roster and should bump one of Matthews or Prielipp out of the rotation.

Baltimore won their series opener over the Phillies tonight to improve to 54-56. They’re only 1.5 games back in the Wild Card race but trailing each of Texas, Minnesota and Cleveland. President of baseball operations Mike Elias said this afternoon that the O’s aren’t firmly committed to either side of the buy/sell line. They’re not waving the white flag on 2026 but are open-minded to trading from the MLB roster for prospects if the right return presents itself.

Kremer wasn’t a core piece with how he’d been pitching lately. They should get Chris Bassitt back from injury within the next couple weeks, which likely would’ve pushed Kremer to the bullpen if no one else is traded. They could look for a back-end starter on the trade front or tab Trey Gibson or Cade Povich as a stopgap until Bassitt returns. They did move Kremer to a direct Wild Card competitor but picked up an intriguing low minors outfielder for doing so.

Reyes ranked 12th among Minnesota prospects at Baseball America and 10th in the system according to Eric Longenhagen and James Fegan of FanGraphs. MLB Pipeline has slotted him 20th among O’s farmhands after the trade. He’s a left-handed hitting outfielder with a 6’3″ frame that leads to significant raw power projection. Reyes signed out of the Dominican Republic during the 2025 international period and has spent most of his time in the Florida Complex League, where he was hitting .275 with seven home runs.

The Twins just promoted the 18-year-old to Low-A last week. He’s years away from the majors but has a chance to develop into a power-hitting right fielder. There’s a fair amount of risk with this profile given the likelihood he ends up in a corner and concern about how often he swings and misses. There’s substantial upside as well, though, with the FanGraphs report noting that Reyes has the kind of profile that would likely have seen him taken at the back of the first round if he were a domestic high school draftee. That’s a strong get for a fifth starter.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported the Twins were acquiring Kremer. The Athletic’s Dan Hayes reported the O’s were receiving Reyes in return. Image courtesy of David Reginek, Imagn Images.

Will Vest Undergoing Season-Ending Surgeries

Anthony Franco — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 04:54:39 +0000

The Tigers will be without one of their late-game relievers for the rest of the season. Righty Will Vest underwent surgery to address a stress fracture in his elbow this week, the team informed reporters (including Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic). Vest will also undergo a future operation on his hip.

It concludes a frustrating season for the 31-year-old righty. Vest had multiple injured list stints and allowed an ugly 6.08 earned run average across 26 2/3 innings. His 95.8 mph average fastball velocity, while still solid, was down a tick from last season. Vest never seemed fully healthy, a tough blow for a team that relied upon him heavily over the previous three years.

Vest combined for a 2.93 ERA while striking out a quarter of opponents in nearly 200 innings between 2023-25. He recorded 23 saves last year and has been a key high-leverage piece for a few seasons. Vest was ticketed for a setup role alongside Kyle Finnegan in front of Kenley Jansen this year.

Detroit pummeled the A’s tonight despite scratching Casey Mize to preserve his health before Monday’s deadline. They haven’t announced themselves as sellers but may be headed for a teardown that sees Tarik Skubal, Mize, Gleyber Torres and potentially Drew Anderson, Jansen and Finnegan all heading elsewhere. They’re six games below .500 at 52-58, putting them fourth in the AL Central and 6.5 back of the White Sox. They’re only 3.5 out in the Wild Card race but need to jump five teams along the way.

A healthy Vest would’ve been a trade candidate himself, if not a key contributor for a potential long shot playoff push. Detroit can control him for one more season on what’d be a similar sum to this year’s $3.95MM arbitration salary.

Blue Jays Expected To Move Rentals, Open To Adding Players Controlled Beyond 2026

Anthony Franco — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 03:09:44 +0000

The Blue Jays took a 3-1 series opener over the Cardinals tonight. That combined with another Cleveland loss moved them within 4.5 games of the AL’s final Wild Card spot. They’d need to surpass six teams and are still eight games under .500, however, so a deadline sale seems prudent.

That’s likely to be the case for the team’s notable impending free agents, though it seems the Jays are keeping an open mind to adding as well. Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports that Toronto has had conversations about acquiring a noteworthy player who is controllable beyond this season. That’d be in addition to trades of rentals like Kevin Gausman, Daulton Varsho and Shane Bieber — all of whom the Jays are expected to move, Bannon writes.

There’s merit for the Jays in exploring buy-side concepts for controllable pieces. They’re certainly not about to kick off a rebuild. They have George Springer, Yimi García, Myles Straw and Max Scherzer coming off the books in addition to the aforementioned trio of rentals. Those players are combining for nearly $90MM in salaries. They’ll probably trade or non-tender Jesús Sánchez, who is making close to $7MM in arbitration this year. Relievers Tyler Rogers and Jeff Hoffman are on eight-figure salaries and not completely unavailable in trade conversations.

That affords Toronto ample financial flexibility as they look ahead to 2027. The upcoming free agent class after Tarik Skubal is the weakest in recent memory. They’re going to need multiple starting pitchers to slot behind Dylan Cease and Trey Yesavage. The long-term outfield picture isn’t great. Some of that could be solved by re-signing their own players, but they’re going to need some changes to a roster that has underperformed this season.

The Jays could poke around for a controllable starter like Reid Detmers or José Soriano. There’s a non-zero chance the Reds trade Hunter Greene. The Jays wouldn’t be the favorite for any of those players even if they are moved, but it’s understandable for them to kick the tires. There are fewer obvious possibilities in the outfield, assuming the Giants stick to their plan of holding Jung Hoo Lee, but they could look to a team with an outfield surplus (e.g. Twins, Nationals) to see if there’s a match on a role player like Trevor Larnach or Jacob Young.

As for the rentals, they’re all surely aware of the possibility they’ll be moved. Gausman said this afternoon that there haven’t been any extension conversations. He hasn’t pitched particularly well lately but has an excellent track record and still boasts strong stuff. There’ll be ample interest from contenders. Varsho is the best rental center fielder available even in a slightly down season.

Bieber is a trickier evaluation. The former Cy Young winner missed the first few months working back from elbow inflammation. He was shelled in two of his first three appearances, pitched very well over three starts around the All-Star Break, then had arguably the worst outing of his career on Tuesday. Bieber walked six Nationals hitters without escaping the first inning in what might be his final start as a Blue Jay. He said postgame he was having difficulty finding his grip on the ball.

That leaves Bieber with a 5.74 ERA and an ugly strikeout and walk profile over seven starts. He’ll be owed roughly $4.73MM after the deadline on his $16MM salary. It’s unclear how robust the interest will be, but Russell Dorsey of Yahoo! Sports reports that the White Sox are among the teams looking at him. The Sox are taking a broad approach to finding a starter to slot alongside Sean Burke and Davis Martin in a potential playoff rotation. They’ve also been tied to Detmers and Clay Holmes, among others.

Orioles To Trade Dean Kremer To Twins

Anthony Franco — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 02:59:08 +0000

9:59pm: Minor league outfielder Jhomnardo Reyes is going back to Baltimore, reports Dan Hayes of The Athletic.

9:48pm: The Twins are acquiring back-end starter Dean Kremer from the Orioles, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. It’s Minnesota’s second straight day adding to the pitching staff after they brought in A.J. Minter from the Mets on Thursday.

More to come.

Astros, Braden Shewmake Agree To Minor League Deal

Steve Adams — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 02:41:08 +0000

Infielder Braden Shewmake is back with the Astros. The two sides agreed to a minor league contract earlier today, the team announced. The Excel Sports client elected free agency a few days ago after being designated for assignment by the Brewers and clearing waivers.

It’ll be Shewmake’s second stint with Houston this season. The former Braves first-rounder appeared in 30 games with Houston and tallied 83 plate appearances, slashing .256/.272/.423 with three homers. He went 2-for-7 in four games with the Brewers before being cut loose.

Shewmake is a glove-first shortstop who’s capable of playing all over the infield. He picked up some work at second base, third base and shortstop while the ‘Stros dealt with injuries to Jeremy Peña and Carlos Correa. In parts of three big league seasons, he’s totaled 165 plate appearances and recorded a .196/.206/.320 slash.

The Astros will send Shewmake to their Triple-A Sugar Land affiliate for the time being. The former Texas A&M standout and Wylie, Texas native returns to his home state and will provide some surehanded infield depth for Houston. He’s a lifetime .240/.305/.382 hitter in parts of five Triple-A seasons.

Gausman: No Extension Talks With Jays

Steve Adams — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 01:59:12 +0000

Right-hander Kevin Gausman has been open this month about his affinity for Toronto and the bittersweet concept of potentially being traded to a contender. He became choked up talking to reporters about the scenario earlier this month, detailing the conflicting emotions of falling in love with the city but also wanting another opportunity to contend for a ring. The right-hander told Shi Davidi of Sportsnet earlier today that he’s very open to an extension with the Jays, but those talks simply haven’t happened. Gausman acknowledged that whatever happens next is out of his control. He’s scheduled to start for the Jays tomorrow, at home, and plans to do so.

“I don’t want to go anywhere,” Gausman told Davidi. “When I think about myself, I think of myself as a Blue Jay. I don’t want to leave any of these guys. This group is really special. But I certainly understand the business. There’s a little bit in my control, but there’s also a lot that’s not.”

The “tiny bit” Gausman referenced there is an eight-team no-trade clause that reportedly allows him to block deals to the Reds, Tigers, Brewers, Pirates, A’s, White Sox, Mets and Mariners. Talks with any of the other 21 teams in the game are indeed out of his control. The Phillies scouted Gausman’s most recent start and have been frequently linked to him (and others) over the past week.

It’s been an up-and-down season for the veteran Gausman, who’s playing out the final season of a five-year, $110MM free agent deal that has gone tremendously for Toronto. He’s sitting on a 4.51 ERA that’s inflated by a particularly rough patch from mid-June through mid-July (25 runs in 28 2/3 innings), but he fired a quality start his last time out (three runs on five hits and a walk with six punchouts against a hot Red Sox club at Fenway Park).

More broadly, Gausman has been every bit as good as the Jays might’ve hoped when signing him. He started 31 or 32 games every year from 2022-25 and posted a combined 3.48 ERA with a 26.3% strikeout rate and 6.3% walk rate. Gausman logged a quality 3.59 ERA in 32 starts last year and rattled off a 2.93 mark in 30 2/3 postseason frames as Toronto came practically as close as a team possibly can to winning the World Series without actually taking home the trophy.

A rough month in the middle of the season hasn’t done much to quell interest in Gausman, whose track record is as solid as they come. The 35-year-old should be an in-demand player on the market over the next 68 hours or so. Teams in need of rotation help that aren’t on Gausman’s no-trade list include the D-backs, Rangers, Braves, Cubs, Dodgers and Padres. And, of course, Gausman could also give the green light to approve a deal to any of the teams on his list. The Brewers and White Sox, in particular, are division leaders known to be seeking reinforcements in the rotation.

Gausman is earning $23MM this season before becoming a free agent at season’s end. He’s already received a qualifying offer in the past, so the Jays’ only path to get compensation for his departure is to trade him before Monday afternoon’s deadline. (Players can only receive a QO once in their career.) He’ll be owed $6.68MM through season’s end on the day of the trade deadline.

Dodgers Place Brock Stewart On Injured List

Anthony Franco — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 01:45:05 +0000

The Dodgers placed reliever Brock Stewart on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder discomfort. Los Angeles selected left-hander Cole Irvin onto the big league roster to take his bullpen spot. Righty Chayce McDermott was designated for assignment to open a spot for Irvin on the 40-man roster.

Any shoulder injury for Stewart raises alarm given his injury history, which includes a debridement surgery that ended his 2025 season. However, manager Dave Roberts told reporters this placement is out of caution and not expected to require a significant absence (relayed by Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register). Jack Harris of The California Post reports that the Dodgers don’t plan to more aggressively pursue bullpen help on the trade front in response to this injury.

L.A. welcomed Edwin Díaz back from the injured list on Wednesday. That pushes Tanner Scott into a setup role. Stewart and Edgardo Henriquez have been their highest-leverage righties of late. Alex Vesia and Evan Phillips could also factor into the late innings. They’ve been a slightly above-average bullpen overall but have a 4.73 ERA in July. Vesia, Henriquez and Will Klein have struggled to throw strikes of late.

It’s the relative weakness on an otherwise exceptional roster. The Dodgers are coasting to a division title and figure to push a couple starters (e.g. Emmet Sheehan, Justin Wrobleski, potentially Roki Sasaki) to the bullpen in October — assuming they get Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow back and/or trade for a playoff-caliber starter.

Irvin signed an offseason minor league deal and has been working as a starter at Triple-A Oklahoma City. He has a 3.58 ERA over 98 innings in the Pacific Coast League despite striking out 12% of opponents. Irvin hasn’t pitched in six days and will provide a length option for tonight’s bullpen game, which will be kicked off by Henriquez. It’d be Irvin’s first big league appearance in two years if he makes it into a game. He spent last year in Korea with the Doosan Bears. He’s out of options and would need to be designated for assignment for the Dodgers to take him off the roster.

McDermott came over from Baltimore in a DFA trade in April. The 27-year-old has pitched twice at the big league level, working 2 1/3 frames of two-run ball. McDermott has posted a 4.10 ERA across 26 1/3 innings with OKC. He has a huge 36% strikeout rate but has walked an untenable 18% of batters faced.

This is the final minor league option year for McDermott. The Dodgers can try to trade him until Monday and would otherwise need to place him on waivers. The swing-and-miss ability could get him a look from another team seeking bullpen depth.

Guardians Sign Ryan Borucki To Minor League Deal

Steve Adams — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 01:17:49 +0000

The Guardians signed veteran left-handed reliever Ryan Borucki to a minor league contract, per Tim Stebbins of MLB.com. The ISE client was released by the Giants back in early June. He hasn’t pitched in a game setting in a couple months. It’s common for pitchers in this situation to head to a lower level affiliate for a tune-up before reporting to their new club’s Triple-A team.

The 32-year-old Borucki is a veteran of parts of nine major league seasons who reached seven years of MLB service earlier this season with San Francisco. He logged a 4.94 ERA in 23 2/3 innings with the Giants before being designated for assignment. Borucki has now pitched in each of the past nine big league campaigns. His best year came with the 2023 Pirates (2.45 ERA in 40 1/3 innings), and he sports a lifetime 4.34 ERA, 19.3% strikeout rate and 8.9% walk rate in 280 major league frames.

Borucki’s sinker peaked around 95 mph during that run with the Bucs. He was sitting 93.5 mph with the Giants earlier this season. The left-hander’s 14.4% strikeout rate with the Giants was a career-low, but he notched a sharp 8.7% walk rate and an above-average 44.9% grounder rate during his time in orange and black.

Cleveland’s bullpen currently has three lefties: Tim Herrin, Erik Sabrowski and the recently recalled Will Dion. Herrin and Sabrowski both have mid-3.00 ERAs but more questionable marks from metrics like SIERA and FIP due to poor walk rates. Dion has a 4.58 ERA in 17 1/3 frames thanks to a sky-high .426 BABIP and poor strand rate, but he’s notched excellent strikeout and walk rates. Borucki gives the Guards some extra depth, but given the long layoff from pitching and the options they presently have, he’s not likely to be an option in the big league bullpen in the near future.

Giants “Suspending Payment” To Harrison Bader After Scooter Accident

Anthony Franco — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 01:17:43 +0000

8:17pm: Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports that there are “long-term concerns” about the state of Bader’s foot.

7:03pm: The Giants announced they will suspend payments to Harrison Bader after the outfielder reinjured his left foot over the weekend in a scooter accident. Neither Bader nor the MLB Players Association has yet commented.

“Over the weekend, Harrison Bader was involved in an accident that has delayed Harrison’s prior treatment timeline for plantar fasciitis and, unfortunately, his return to the field,” president of baseball operations Buster Posey said in a press release. “We are still investigating the circumstances of the accident, but will be suspending payment to Harrison until he is able to resume performing services for the club.”

Manager Tony Vitello said this week that Bader is out for the season. He has been on the injured list since the end of May with plantar fasciitis. The team announced that he’d suffered new injuries in a scooter crash in the early morning hours on Sunday. The San Francisco Police Department didn’t specifically name Bader but told Shayna Rubin of The San Francisco Chronicle that an individual was transported to the hospital after being involved in a vehicle collision while on a scooter.

According to a report from SFist, the scooter crashed into the back of an SFFD fire engine, which then rolled over Bader’s foot. Maria Guardado of MLB.com and Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News were among those to point out that Bader was previously injured in what was believed to be an alcohol-related scooter accident while in his sophomore season at the University of Florida in 2014. The Gators suspended him for 19 games.

Bader is in the first season of a two-year, $20.5MM free agent contract. Although he’s making $10.5MM this year, more than half of that came in the form of a $6MM signing bonus. He’s only playing on a $4.5MM salary, roughly $1.42MM of which is owed through season’s end.

Neither Bader’s camp nor the MLBPA have responded to this point. It’s possible they’ll look to contest or grieve the team’s decision. Bader was already injured, as mentioned, and teams cannot suspend payment for injuries that aren’t related to a breach of the contract — which typically contains language prohibiting players from participating in other physical activities that involve substantial risk of injury.

Vitello told reporters yesterday that Bader returning this season “would have been a long shot to begin with” (link via Evan Webeck of The California Post). He certainly wasn’t going to get back on the field in the near future. The scooter accident came shortly before he was slated to visit a specialist after being shut back down from baseball activities with continued soreness from the plantar issue.

It’s possible that the scooter crash, even if reckless, doesn’t actually result in missed games that he wouldn’t have otherwise missed for a legitimate injury. Of course, that also presupposes that he’ll be ready for the beginning of the 2027 season. That’s not entirely clear, as the Giants haven’t provided many specifics on the new injury.

Bader has a $10MM salary for the 2027 campaign. He hit .170/.198/.358 in 30 games this season, which also included a three-week absence in April for a left hamstring strain. The Giants are using a Grant McCray and Drew Gilbert platoon in center field. That should be a target for the front office again this offseason. The free agent class is headlined by Daulton Varsho and Trent Grisham.

Astros Move Tatsuya Imai To Bullpen

Anthony Franco — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 01:07:19 +0000

The Astros are moving Tatsuya Imai to the bullpen beginning with this weekend’s series against Texas, manager Joe Espada told reporters (link via Chandler Rome of The Athletic). Houston has not yet announced a starter for Sunday’s series finale in what would have been Imai’s turn.

The decision comes after Imai failed to escape the first inning during Monday’s start in Anaheim. He allowed one hit and issued four walks among seven batters faced. It’s the third time in 15 starts that Imai hasn’t gotten out of the first inning. He has had two other appearances in which he couldn’t complete three frames.

Imai has shown flashes of the upside that made him the top pitcher coming over from Japan last winter. He struck out double digit batters in consecutive starts against the Guardians and Tigers in late June. He’d held Miami to one run with eight strikeouts over six innings last week. The start-to-start consistency simply hasn’t been there, though, and Imai carries a 5.83 earned run average over his first 15 MLB appearances. His 15% walk rate is the highest for any starting pitcher with 50+ innings. He’s averaging fewer than four innings per appearance.

This is the first season of Imai’s three-year, $54MM free agent deal. That contract contained a provision that allows him to refuse any minor league assignments, a common clause for players coming over from a foreign professional league. Imai told reporters that the Astros had not approached him about his willingness to pitch in Triple-A. Espada told reporters the righty “has shown that he belongs at the major league level.” Imai can opt out of his contract at season’s end but there’s essentially no chance he’ll do that.

Cristian Javier tossed five scoreless innings in relief on Monday. It’d make sense to plug him back into the rotation unless Houston trades for a starter. They were off on Thursday so they could push Javier into next week’s series in Toronto rather than pitch him on Sunday in a pivotal division matchup. Hunter Brown is going tonight against Nathan Eovaldi. It’ll be Ronel Blanco versus Jacob deGrom tomorrow. Thanks to the off day, the Astros could bring Peter Lambert back on regular rest for Sunday’s finale. Texas has already announced they’ll run Kumar Rocker for that game.

Tigers Designate Andre Granillo For Assignment

Darragh McDonald — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 23:05:30 +0000

The Tigers announced that they have selected the contract of outfielder Max Clark, as move that was reported earlier this week. Fellow outfielder Matt Vierling has been placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to July 30, with a left adductor strain. That opens an active roster spot for Clark. To open a 40-man spot, right-hander Andre Granillo has been designated for assignment.

Granillo, 26, has never pitched for the Tigers at the major league level. He was just claimed off waivers from the Nationals earlier this month. He was sent to Triple-A Toledo and has been there since.

He will likely be back on waivers soon, though it’s possible the Tigers could look to trade him before the August 3 deadline. His big league career is still quite limited, as he has thrown 30 1/3 innings, allowing 6.23 earned runs per nine. His 10.6% walk rate is above average and his 14.9% strikeout rate is well worse than par.

Teams are clearly interested in his larger body of work in the minors. From 2023 to 2025, he logged 175 1/3 innings split between Double-A and Triple-A. His 12.7% walk rate in that time was quite high but he managed to strike out 31% of batters faced. He was traded to the Nats in February and had struggled this year, which led to him being on waivers and claimed by Detroit. In 35 1/3 Triple-A innings in 2026, split between the affiliates of the Nats and Tigers, he has a 6.88 ERA, 19.9% strikeout rate and 10.6% walk rate.

Given the declining numbers, it’s possible he clears waivers this time. If that comes to pass, he would stick with the Tigers in a non-roster capacity. He hasn’t yet been outrighted in his career and has less than three years of service time, so he would not have the right to elect free agency.

Photo courtesy of Rafael Suanes, Imagn Images

Orioles Sign Yennier Cano To Extension

Darragh McDonald — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 22:15:20 +0000

The Orioles announced that they have signed right-hander Yennier Cano to a two-year contract extension for the 2027 and 2028 seasons with a 2029 club option. He will reportedly be paid $2.75MM next year and $4.75MM in 2028, while the club option is worth $10MM. Cano was under arbitration control through 2028, so this deal buys out those arb years and gives the O’s an extra year of control via the club option.

Cano, 32, has had an up-and-down tenure with the O’s. He was acquired in the 2022 trade which sent Jorge López to the Twins. That deal quickly went south for Minnesota, as López struggled as a Twin and was flipped to Miami a year later. The O’s made out well, getting both Cano and Cade Povich. Prospects Juan Nunez and Juan Rojas, also acquired in the deal, are still in the system as well.

At the time, Cano only had ten big league appearances under his belt. The following year, he looked like an absolute steal. In 2023, he gave Baltimore 72 2/3 relief innings with a 2.11 earned run average. His 23% strikeout rate was only average-ish but he only walked 4.3% of batters faced and induced grounders on 58% of balls in play.

HIs 2024 season was good but not quite as elite. His walk rate ticked up to 9.6% and his ERA finished at 3.15. Things got worse in 2025, as Cano posted a 5.12 ERA. There was some bad luck in there but his strikeout rate dropped five points relative to the year before and his grounder rate dropped by eight ticks. He got optioned to the minors for a spell that summer.

He has mostly been back on track here in 2026. He has a 2.21 ERA in 36 2/3 innings. His 21.2% strikeout rate is almost an exact match for last year’s but he has cranked the ground balls back up to a 65.1% clip, more than ten points above last year. He has also reined in the walks, as his 5.5% clip is more than four ticks better than last year.

Despite the strong results, he hasn’t been used in the highest leverage situations. Those opportunities have gone to guys like Andrew Kittredge, Tyler Wells and Rico Garcia, but the O’s clearly have some faith in Cano, given this deal. It was reported this week that the Orioles are willing to move a right-handed reliever as they walk a buy/sell line at the deadline but this would appear to take Cano out of the mix. Perhaps that increases the chances of Kittredge, Wells or Garcia being moved.

Cano first qualified for arbitration last winter and is making $1.6MM this year. If he had gone year by year through the arbitration system, he probably would have made a similar amount of money to what he’ll get on this deal, maybe a little bit more. But there are probably some reasons why he preferred to lock in the money now.

As mentioned, he had a down year in 2025. Also, any pitcher can have a career-altering injury at any time. This gives him protection for either of those scenarios. He is giving up the ability to enter free agency after 2028 but a lot of things could have happened between now and then. He was also going to reach free agency at a relatively old age. Born in Cuba, he signed with the Twins and began his professional career in 2019, his age-25 season. He didn’t make the majors until his age-28 campaign. He wasn’t going to hit the open market until he was almost 35.

Perhaps he could have gotten a big deal at that point if he dominated through 2027 and 2028. That scenario will now lead to the O’s picking up his club option instead, while Cano has coverage for any less-rosy scenario. For the O’s, their risk is flipped. If Cano gets hurt or struggles in the coming years, they will have overpaid, but they could also get a bargain if he can continue putting up good numbers.

Mark Feinsand of MLB.com first reported that Cano would get a total of $7.5MM over the guaranteed years and also relayed the club option value. Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner relayed the specific salaries in the guaranteed years. Photos courtesy of Eric Canha, William Navarro, Imagn Images

Athletics Designate Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang For Assignment

Darragh McDonald — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 21:24:17 +0000

The Athletics announced that they have selected the contract of infielder Jonathan Ornelas, a move that MLBTR covered earlier. To open an active roster spot, outfielder Colby Thomas has been optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas. In a corresponding 40-man move, right-hander Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang has been designated for assignment.

More to come.

Brewers Designate Thomas Pannone For Assignment

Darragh McDonald — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 21:20:23 +0000

The Brewers announced that left-hander DL Hall has been reinstated from the 15-day injured list. In a corresponding move, fellow lefty Thomas Pannone has been designated for assignment. The club’s 40-man roster count drops from 39 to 38.

More to come.

Astros Showing Interest In Lars Nootbaar

Anthony Franco — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 21:12:48 +0000

The Astros have interest in Cardinals left fielder Lars Nootbaar, reports Chandler Rome of The Athletic. That’s about as unsurprising a link as there’ll be this summer, as Houston has been searching for a reliable lefty-hitting outfielder for more than a year. GM Dana Brown walked back the handedness aspect a little over the weekend but reiterated that they’re looking for an offensive boost from their outfield. There’s a greater supply of lefty bats and many other teams prioritizing righty-swinging outfielders, so it’d make more sense for Houston to come away with a left-handed hitter.

Nootbaar is hitting .241/.347/.366 in 45 games since returning from last year’s surgery to address Haglund’s deformities on both heels. He hit very well upon initially being reinstated from the injured list in early June. Nootbaar has had a tough July, including a .195 batting average without a home run in 13 games since the All-Star Break, but his overall slash line is right around league average. He’s typically a solid but not elite hitter whose game is built mostly around a high walk rate and good on-base marks.

St. Louis is still in a retool and could move Nootbaar to take a late-season look at power-hitting outfield prospect Joshua Baez. Rome reports that the Cardinals have placed a high asking price that might deter the Astros, but it’s possible that’ll come down in the next few days. Houston doesn’t have a deep farm system but has a couple Top 100 adjacent prospects (Xavier Neyens and Kevin Alvarez) and could market controllable swingman AJ Blubaugh for help in another area.

Astros left fielders have been middle of the pack this season offensively, but that’s thanks mostly to Yordan Alvarez killing the ball in his handful of starts there. They’ve been playing Taylor Trammell, Zach Dezenzo and LaMonte Wade Jr. at the position when Alvarez has been at designated hitter. It’s a clear area for upgrade. Houston also could use a center fielder and should be involved on other outfield trade candidates like Jake McCarthy, Mickey Moniak and Trevor Larnach as well.

Nootbaar is controllable through next season and playing on a $5.25MM arbitration salary. He’s due around $1.6MM for the rest of the year. As shown on MLBTR’s Payroll Tracker, Houston is about $8MM shy of the $244MM luxury tax line. They’re likely to have limited financial flexibility but could certainly fit Nootbaar’s salary into the short-term budget.

Yankees, Phillies, Rangers, Guardians Interested In Taylor Ward

Darragh McDonald — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 21:05:56 +0000

Orioles outfielder Taylor Ward is emerging as a notable trade chip ahead of Monday’s deadline. Ken Rosenthal and Jayson Stark of The Athletic report that the Yankees, Phillies, Rangers and Guardians are showing interest in him.

Like many teams, the Orioles are in a tricky spot where they are not clear buyers or sellers. They are 53-56 and 2.5 games back of a playoff spot at the moment. President of baseball operations Mike Elias acknowledged that reality in comments with the media today. “We put ourselves in a position where we’re not declaring ourselves to be in one bucket or another in terms of buying or selling,” he said, per Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun, adding that “We can’t sink all of our chips into 2026.”

Given that framing, Ward should be attainable. Even if the Orioles aren’t fully going into seller mode, he is an impending free agent and could be moved as part of that buy/sell hybrid strategy. If Ward were sent out, the O’s could then give more playing time to guys like Tyler O’Neill, Heston Kjerstad, Reed Trimble or Enrique Bradfield. Perhaps someone in that group could step up and replace Ward’s production, while the trade return could theoretically bolster another part of the roster.

Ward is having a strange season, but still a solid one. He hit 36 home runs last year but only has seven this year. He has made up for that lack of power with huge improvements in his approach. He had an 11.3% walk rate and 26.4% strikeout rate last year but he’s walking at a 16.9% pace this year while only getting punched out 20.4% of the time. His .248/.383/.350 line translates to a 118 wRC+, right in line with last year’s 117 wRC+. In short, he’s been just as productive but he’s getting there in a different way. Ward is making $12.175MM this year, which will leave about $3.6MM left to be paid out after the deadline.

This year’s trade market has a number of lefty outfielders available but is notably lighter on impact righties. Ward would arguably be the best righty-swinging everyday outfielder available. Lane Thomas is out there but he’s more of a platoon guy who does most of his damage against lefties. Jo Adell and Heliot Ramos similarly are best against southpaws. Luis Robert Jr. is available but hasn’t been an effective big leaguer since 2023. He’s also making a $20MM salary and has a $2MM buyout on his 2027 club option. George Springer has a long track record but is mostly a designated hitter now and is barely above league average at the plate this year. He also has full no-trade protection as a 10-and-5 guy.

Those market conditions could work out well for the Orioles, as that limited supply is butting up against big demand. As MLBTR covered earlier this week, several teams are looking for outfielders who swing from the right side.

The Yankees currently have Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Cody Bellinger all on the injured list, leaving their lineup and outfield group short-handed, though intra-division trades can always get complicated. The Phillies lost Adolis García to shoulder surgery and Justin Crawford has also been a disappointment in his rookie season. The Guardians have been trying to get more production from their outfield for years and that search continues. Their outfielders have a combined .234/.304/.357 line on the year.

The Rangers are looking for a righty bat to platoon with center fielder Evan Carter. Ward wouldn’t be a candidate to cover center but perhaps Wyatt Langford could slide over when a lefty is on the mound, with Ward covering left field. That’s a role Ward is a bit overqualified for, however. As mentioned, there are a few platoon guys available who should be cheaper.

Photo courtesy of Jim Rassol, Imagn Images

Latest On Mason Miller, Adrián Morejón

Steve Adams — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 20:56:00 +0000

Fans and front offices around the game are dreaming of adding Padres closer Mason Miller in a deadline blockbuster, but multiple reports Friday have cast a deal as increasingly unlikely. ESPN’s Jeff Passan tells Jake Mintz and Jordan Schusterman of the Baseball Bar-B-Cast that Padres president of baseball operations is approaching Miller inquiries with the mindset that if a team wants to pry his closer away, every prospect in that interested organization’s system needs to be in play for the interest to be taken seriously.

Passan’s colleague, Alden Gonzalez, writes that the asking price has been so high that multiple teams who’ve expressed interest would be “shocked” to see Miller actually traded. The Athletic’s Jim Bowden writes that Preller would only move Miller if it meant netting the kind of package the Padres gave up a few years back when acquiring Juan Soto from the Nationals, which was headlined by a bevy of high-end players with long-term control (including James Wood, CJ Abrams and MacKenzie Gore).

The Brewers are known to have shown some interest in adding Miller, though it sounds as if Preller’s approach would mean shortstop prospect Jesus Made — the game’s No. 1 overall prospect — would need to be in play. Ken Rosenthal, Will Sammon and Katie Woo of The Athletic report that another rumored Miller suitor, the Pirates, wouldn’t be willing to give up top pitching prospect Seth Hernandez in a Miller deal — even after Hernandez suffered what’s likely to be a season-ending oblique injury. The 20-year-old Hernandez was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2025 draft and is already considered by some to be the game’s top pitching prospect; he tossed 74 innings across two Class-A levels prior to his injury and held opponents to a 2.43 ERA with a gargantuan 40.4% strikeout rate and a 10.6% walk rate.

Miller, 28 next month, is having one of the greatest relief seasons in major league history. He’s pitched 45 2/3 innings and held opponents to four earned runs (0.79 ERA) on just 21 hits and 15 walks with a downright comical 85 strikeouts. He’s punched out an obscene 49.4% of the batters he’s faced. Opponents are hitting .136/.215/.142 against him. The only extra-base hit he’s surrendered all season was a double to Royals catcher Carter Jensen on July 17. That moved Isaac Collins, who’d singled, from first to third with no outs. The Padres immediately intentionally walked Bobby Witt Jr. to load the bases. Miller then struck out the next three hitters.

Beyond the sheer dominance, Miller’s contractual status makes him a particularly sought-after player. He’s being paid just $4MM this season and is controlled for another three years beyond the current campaign. If he stays healthy, he’s going to shatter arbitration records for a reliever. That could eventually become an issue for smaller-market suitors who don’t want to tie up a significant portion of team payroll in a reliever, but Miller is so overpowering and is such a gamechanger in the postseason — when baked-in off days allow relievers to be used more heavily than in the regular season — that he’s worth a precedent-setting salary (when he eventually reaches that point).

Miller’s bullpen-mate, Adrián Morejón, isn’t quite as dominant but is clearly one of the best relievers in the sport. He’s also a free agent at season’s end. The Padres are sure to get plenty of trade interest in him as well in the 74 hours leading up to Monday’s trade deadline. Morejón is likely more obtainable than Miller, but the asking price remains high on him as well. Passan said in that same podcast appearance that the Padres are asking for multiple top-10 prospects from within interested teams’ systems to even consider moving him.

Morejón, 27, has been a setup monster in the Friars’ bullpen dating back to 2024. He’s pitched 194 2/3 frames of 2.64 ERA ball in that time, fanning 25.8% of opponents against a 6.7% walk rate. A whopping 55% of batted balls against him have been hit on the ground during hat three-year period. Morejón has always thrown hard, but his average sinker this year has climbed north of 99 mph after sitting 97.7 mph in 2025.

The Padres have a deep bullpen even beyond Miller and Morejón. They’ve gotten brilliant work from Bradgley Rodriguez, Jeremiah Estrada, Jason Adam and Yuki Matsui this year. Estrada and Adam have missed time due to injury, but the former just returned from the 15-day IL after missing seven weeks with a knee injury.

There’s been some thought that the Padres could use that stacked bullpen in order to add some direly needed starting pitching. They might not be able to directly acquire a controllable starter for a couple months of Morejón, but they could spin off some of the prospects they’d receive in a theoretical Morejón trade to another club with rotation arms to spare. Speculatively, San Diego could look into moving Estrada or Rodriguez to bring in some rotation help. Estrada is controlled through the 2029 season. Rodriguez is controlled all the way through 2031.

Red Sox Open To Moving Jarren Duran

Anthony Franco — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 20:54:53 +0000

The Red Sox are open to moving Jarren Duran before Monday’s deadline, reports Julian McWilliams of CBS Sports. While Boston’s recent 15-game win streak vaulted them into clear buyers, their left fielder has had a poor season and is a change of scenery candidate.

Duran is hitting .195/.252/.337 while striking out at a 29% clip over 429 plate appearances. He’s last in batting average and on-base percentage among the 100 hitters who have taken at least 400 trips to the dish. Only four other players have a lower slugging mark. Duran hasn’t gotten any better even as the team around him has played well. He’s batting .167/.211/.247 in 48 games going back to June 1.

The 29-year-old was also at the center of controversy during yesterday’s victory over the Athletics. Batting with runners on the corners and out out, he hit a medium-deep fly ball to left field. Third base coach Chad Epperson elected to hold Willson Contreras, who was running at third, on a potential sacrifice fly.

Based on the strength of Tyler Soderstrom’s throw home and Contreras’ lack of speed, that seemed the correct call. Duran nevertheless expressed on-field frustration with an expletive and multiple gestures toward third base (link via Ian Browne of MLB.com). Contreras downplayed the situation postgame, though McWilliams reports that Duran’s ire was directed mostly at Epperson.

Even if there’s no lingering bad blood, the fact is that Duran hasn’t been productive for the majority of the season. Boston could use Masataka Yoshida in a stopgap left field platoon with Jahmai Jones (or a right-handed trade acquisition) if they move Duran. Roman Anthony finally progressed to hitting off a tee yesterday as he tries to make it back from the finger tendon tear that has tanked most of his season. He’s still not close to game readiness but will hopefully be back by year’s end. Anthony will presumably be the primary left fielder by the start of next season at the latest.

Duran could get attention from other clubs despite the dismal season. He’s two years removed from an eighth-place finish in MVP balloting. He was an above-average regular as recently as last year, when he hit .256/.332/.442 with 16 homers and 24 steals while playing in 156 games.

The Astros have been looking for a lefty-hitting outfielder for over a year. The Padres made a push for Duran last summer and could still use a left fielder after losing Ramón Laureano to season-ending hip surgery. The Diamondbacks have a left field need and are looking for lefty bats. The Phillies and Guardians are other contenders who could be in the outfield market.

Duran is playing on a $7.7MM arbitration salary, around $2.4MM of which is still to be paid. He’s controllable through 2028 but looks to be playing his way to a non-tender, at least if he stays in Boston.

Starting Pitcher Pitch Mix Change in June and July: More Fastballs Part 2

Corbin Young — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 20:30:05 +0000

These four starting pitchers have been throwing more fastballs in June and July. Let's see why it matters for their arsenals.

Source

Rangers Designate Marco Gonzales For Assignment

Darragh McDonald — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 20:10:35 +0000

The Rangers announced that shortstop Corey Seager has been reinstated from the 10-day injured list, as expected. They also recalled right-hander Luis Curvelo and activated righty Chase Silseth, who was just acquired from the Angels. In corresponding moves for those three, they have optioned infielder Josh Smith and righty Winston Santos while lefty Marco Gonzales has been designated for assignment.

Gonzales, 34, was added to the Texas roster ten days ago to serve a long relief role. He made two appearances, logging three innings in each outing. He only allowed one earned runs in those six innings despite walking four batters while only striking out three.

His 1.50 ERA on the year looks nice but the Rangers presumably knew he wasn’t going to be able to maintain that kind of pace. He was once a solid back-end starter but missed 2025 due to injury and has mostly been ineffective in the minors this year. For the Triple-A clubs of the Padres and Rangers, he threw 64 innings earlier this year with an 8.16 ERA.

Yesterday, he threw 68 pitches to get through three innings and was going to be unavailable for a few days. The Rangers start an important three-game series in Houston tonight, with the Astros just half a game back of Texas in the West division. Rather than play that series a man short, they have bumped Gonzales off the roster and into DFA limbo.

Given his results this year, he will likely be a free agent in the coming days. He won’t have much trade value. If he clears waivers, he has enough service time to reject an outright assignment and elect free agency. Rosters are sure to shuffle quite a bit in the coming days with the trade deadline coming up on Monday, so Gonzales will see what fate has in store for him.

Photo courtesy of Nathan Ray Seebeck, Imagn Images

Angels Promote Luke Murphy

Anthony Franco — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 19:37:58 +0000

July 31: The Angels have made it officially, announcing they selected Murphy’s contract today.

July 30: The Angels will select reliever Luke Murphy onto the MLB roster, reports Taylor Blake Ward of Baseball America. The Halos are off today and probably won’t officially announce the move until tomorrow. They have an open bullpen spot after trading Chase Silseth to Texas and have three vacancies on the 40-man roster.

It’s the first MLB call for the 26-year-old. Murphy is a Nashville native who played his college ball at Vanderbilt. The Angels picked him up in the fourth round of the 2021 draft. Murphy went unselected in last year’s Rule 5 draft after allowing 48 runs in 45 1/3 minor league innings. He has had a convincing rebound at Double-A Rocket City this year.

The 6’5″ righty has fired 38 innings of 0.71 ERA ball across 34 appearances. Murphy is 18-20 in save chances and has punched out 32% of opposing hitters against a 7% walk rate. He’s older than most players at the level and still not a premium prospect, but he sits in the mid-90s and has certainly earned a promotion. Murphy had a disastrous 23-game run in Triple-A last season, so the Angels will jump him over that level directly into the MLB bullpen.

The Halos should take the final couple months of another losing season to give auditions to players like this. They could open two more bullpen spots by dealing impending free agents Kirby Yates and Brent Suter by Monday’s deadline. Although there’s no urgency to move Ryan Zeferjahn, he should get attention from other teams based on his swing-and-miss ability. They’re already taking a look at rookie southpaw Samy Natera Jr. and could challenge 24-year-old righty José Fermin with a few more high-leverage situations down the stretch.

Brewers Willing To Pay Remainder Of Salary In Potential Skubal Trade

Steve Adams — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 19:27:25 +0000

Amid ample speculation about the Brewers making a play for reigning two-time AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that owner Mark Attanasio would be willing to take on the entire remainder of Skubal’s $32MM salary. As of this writing, that’d mean about $9.8MM. By deadline day, the number would dip to about $9.4MM.

With some of the bigger-market clubs pursuing Skubal (e.g. Dodgers, Cubs), the remaining salary wouldn’t be much of a factor, if it is at all. For smaller-payroll squads like those in Milwaukee and Tampa Bay, adding nearly $10MM in payroll for a rental arm — on top of parting with premium prospects — is a big ask. The Brewers typically rank in the bottom-third of MLB, payroll-wise. This year’s $136.262MM cash payroll (as can be seen in MLBTR’s new Payroll Tracker) is already up there with the largest in franchise history. Paying the full freight of what’s left on Skubal’s deal would send them easily into franchise-record territory.

We’ve already seen indications this summer, however, that the Brewers are comfortable taking some financial risks. Milwaukee paid more than $2MM of Lance McCullers Jr.‘s contract as a means of effectively purchasing southpaw Colton Gordon in a trade with the Astros. Gordon gives the club another rotation possibility, but he was acquired more as a depth arm than a clear-cut contributor for the 2026 season. The Brewers have rolled the dice on some notable extensions for a pair of top prospects before either made his big league debut; shortstop Cooper Pratt landed a $50.75MM guarantee over eight years, while outfielder Luis Lara signed for $31MM over seven seasons. Both are now performing well in the majors.

Milwaukee’s rotation is fronted by perhaps the best young starter in the sport: towering righty Jacob Misiorowski. The rest of the group has taken some notable hits. Brandon Woodruff is done for the season due to shoulder surgery. Quinn Priester didn’t pitch at all this year before ultimately undergoing thoracic outlet surgery. Breakout lefty Kyle Harrison ran into a rough patch before hitting the injured list with some forearm and elbow discomfort. He’s thankfully avoided a notable injury, it seems. Shanthi Sepe-Chepuru of MLB.com writes that Harrison is nearing a return. He coasted through 5 2/3 innings in a High-A rehab start this week and needed only 68 pitches in the process.

Whenever Harrison returns, he’ll join Misiorowski, Logan Henderson, Robert Gasser, Shane Drohan and Brandon Sproat as rotation options. There are plenty of workload issues to consider in that group. Henderson pitched only 103 frames last year between Triple-A and the majors. He’s at 68 innings in 2026. Drohan’s 95 2/3 innings this year already trounce the 54 innings he pitched in the Red Sox organization last year (before coming over alongside Harrison in the Caleb Durbin trade). Gasser only pitched 43 2/3 innings last year in his return from UCL surgery. He’s already at 84 innings.

Bringing Skubal into the fold alongside Misiorowski and Harrison would give the Brew Crew perhaps the most formidable playoff rotation in the game — certainly the best one-two punch anyhow. The asking price on Skubal figures to be extreme. Any of Milwaukee’s current non-Misiorowski starters could reasonably be part of Detroit’s ask, and they’d then need to add prospects on top of said starter. It’s nearly impossible to imagine the Brewers parting with shortstop Jesus Made, the top prospect in all of baseball, but the Brewers’ system is stacked. They ought to be able to put together a compelling offer even with Made off the table.

A Skubal acquisition by the Brewers would harken back to their 2008 trade for eventual Hall of Famer CC Sabathia. It was a huge outlier move for the typically reserved and cautious Brewers. Milwaukee parted with top prospect/recent first-rounder Matt LaPorta, Zach Jackson, Rob Bryson and a player to be named later in the deal. A LaPorta-led package was considered steep at the time, and the PTBNL in that swap wound up being the most consequential player of all … a well-regarded outfield prospect by the name of Michael Brantley.

The Brewers didn’t win the World Series that year, but Sabathia’s run at the former Miller Park is the stuff of legend in Milwaukee. He averaged 7 2/3 innings per outing down the stretch while pitching to a preposterous 1.65 ERA. He tossed six complete games, including a pair of shutouts, putting the entire pitching staff — the entire roster, really — on his back as Milwaukee stormed to the postseason.

No one could reasonably expect Skubal to match that insane workload and dominance down the stretch, but the parallels are there. The main difference this time around is that the Brewers are already near-locks for the postseason, thanks in large part to a Misiorowski-led rotation. With that duo atop the rotation, to say nothing of a bullpen anchored by big arms like Trevor Megill, Abner Uribe and Aaron Ashby — plus any number of potential new acquisitions — the Brewers would immediately be thrust into the ranks of 2026 World Series favorites.

Yankees Interested In Tyler Stephenson

Darragh McDonald — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 19:25:17 +0000

The Yankees are known to be looking for catching help and have checked in on Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post. Heyman also mentions Adley Rutschman of the Orioles and Hunter Goodman of the Rockies as backstops the Yanks have called about.

Stephenson has suddenly become a very important name ahead of the trade deadline, which wasn’t the case a few weeks ago. Through June 3, Stephenson was hitting just .187/.287/.307. Though he is an impending free agent, he was an afterthought in trade chatter as more of the attention was placed on Ryan Jeffers of the Twins.

Things have changed quite a bit since then. The Twins have stayed in the race and are acting as buyers. They just picked up reliever A.J. Minter in a trade with the Mets. They could still trade Jeffers as part of a buyer strategy, turning the catching duties over to Victor Caratini, but general manager Jeremy Zoll has downplayed the possibility.

Elsewhere in the trade market, Shea Langeliers came off the board due to his meniscus surgery. The White Sox, Dodgers and Rangers might have increased desire to add behind the plate due to injuries to Kyle Teel, Will Smith and Danny Jansen.

Stephenson, meanwhile, has completely turned his season around. From June 4 to the present, he has a .339/.400/.523 line. That hot stretch has mostly been buoyed by a very high average on balls in play but the inverse was true earlier. For the season as a whole, he now has a .251/.333/.398 line and 99 wRC+. That indicates he has been 1% below league average but that’s pretty decent production for a catcher, since players at that position usually come in about ten points below the rest of the league. His .318 BABIP is higher than league average but below his career rate.

Throughout his career, Stephenson has been a bat-first catcher. His defense has never received glowing reviews but he has been productive from the batter’s box. He has a .260/.337/.422 line and 105 wRC+ in 2,273 plate appearances. He is making $6.8MM this year, which will leave roughly $2MM left to be paid out as of the deadline.

That’s a flawed profile but it makes a lot of sense for the Yankees. They have Austin Wells behind the plate right now but he’s hitting .162/.260/.273. It’s been no secret that the Yanks are looking to make a change but Chris Kirschner of The Athletic wrote this week that the club still loves Wells for his defense and his work with the pitching staff.

A Stephenson-Wells duo would be a logical pairing. The Yanks could lean on Wells when they want to prioritize defense and Stephenson for offense. It also helps that Wells is a lefty bat and Stephenson a righty, as the club could also maximize platoon advantages. The Reds are 51-57 and 5.5 games out of a playoff spot. They are reportedly looking to trade some of their rental players with the aim of returning to contention in 2027. That makes Stephenson a clear candidate to be moved.

Rutschman and Goodman are more long-shot possibilities. Rutschman is under club control through 2027. The Orioles don’t need to move him, especially since they are only 2.5 games back of a playoff spot. There has been some speculation they might do it anyway since they have Samuel Basallo signed for the long term but both catchers are on the injured list right now. Perhaps the O’s will hold for now and give more consideration to a Rutschman trade in the offseason. Even if they are willing to make a move now, flipping Rutschman to the division-rival Yankees is probably not their ideal path.

Goodman is on a non-competitive Rockies team but is controlled for three seasons beyond this one, so they could set a very high asking price and then hold him if no one meets it. It was previously reported that the Yanks had shown past interest in Goodman.

Photo courtesy of Wendell Cruz, Imagn Images