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Trade Deadline Outlook: Los Angeles Dodgers

Darragh McDonald — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 23:18:19 +0000

MLBTR kicked off its team-by-team look at the trade deadline in the Bronx and now goes to Hollywood. The Dodgers are the clearest win-now club there is. They are coming off two straight World Series victories and are looking to be just the fifth threepeat in MLB history and the first since the Yankees from 1998 to 2000. That being said, they don’t always go for the jugular at the deadline.

Record: 52-29 (100% playoff probability, per FanGraphs)

Buy Mode

Potential needs: Starting pitching, relief pitching, utility

Despite all their recent success, the Dodgers usually don’t win the deadline. President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has said that he doesn’t like paying the inflated prices that come with the frenzied bidding, particularly for relievers. Though the Dodgers have nabbed the last two titles, their most recent championship followed a very quiet deadline. They actually traded Dustin May to the Red Sox for prospects, which is more of a seller move. Their big additions were complementary pieces like reliever Brock Stewart, outfielder Alex Call and catcher Ben Rortvedt.

They were more aggressive in 2024, however, adding Jack Flaherty, Tommy Edman, Michael Kopech, Amed Rosario and Kevin Kiermaier, though they also traded James Paxton to the Red Sox in exchange for a prospect, a similar move to the May trade.

At the moment, the pitching staff looks like it could use some upgrading, though that’s not really abnormal for the Dodgers. The club is generally willing to sign injury-prone players and then be very patient with their recoveries in the summer. Broadly speaking, they are fine with a guy missing huge chunks of the regular season if he is healthy by October, since that’s what really matters for the Dodgers. They’re not really worried about missing the playoffs, so the regular season games don’t matter nearly as much.

At the moment, 11 arms are currently on the club’s injured list, including big names like Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell, Edwin Díaz, Blake Treinen and Evan Phillips. However, each of those guys is expected back in the second half.

At the moment, the Dodgers have Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto at the front of the rotation but things get flimsy after that. Eric Lauer has a 2.54 ERA for the club but a 5.22 FIP and 4.98 SIERA. Justin Wrobleski has a 2.71 ERA but a 3.62 FIP and 4.63 SIERA. Both Lauer and Wrobleski have benefited from very fortunate luck in terms of batting average on balls in play and strand rate. Emmet Sheehan and Roki Sasaki each have ERAs near 5.00.

Upgrading that group could be a target, in theory, but the eventual returns of Snell and Glasnow might address the rotation internally. If the Dodgers expect to have a playoff rotation of Yamamoto, Ohtani, Snell and Glasnow, they won’t feel compelled to make big additions there. Similarly, the bullpen looks like it could use some work right now but the Dodgers probably feel that the returns of Diaz, Treinen and Phillips will negate the need to give up prospects for external additions. Once the rotation is healthier, they could indirectly help the bullpen if someone like Sasaki gets moved into a relief role.

There are dozens of arms they could target but it’s possible they surprise with modest adds. Would anyone have predicted Stewart to be their only pitching acquisition last year? It’s also probably best not to take anything off the table. This is the Dodgers, after all. They could do something big if they really wanted to. For instance, though their playoff rotation already looks good on paper, why not make a run at Tarik Skubal? If they really want the three-peat, they could put their foot on the gas. They could add to their already-strong bullpen by getting Aroldis Chapman.

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Biggest Risers After Removing Wins from Player Rater Value

Paul Sporer — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 23:00:11 +0000

The volatile nature of Wins make it a tough stat to trust when it's fueling a pitcher's Player Rater value

Source

Giants Designate Wilkin Ramos For Assignment

Darragh McDonald — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 22:55:01 +0000

The Giants announced that right-hander Wilkin Ramos has been designated for assignment. That opens a 40-man spot for catcher Drew Cavanaugh. It was reported earlier today that Cavanaugh would be added to the roster.

Ramos, 25, was just added to the roster at the start of this month. Shortly after being added to the roster, he made two big league appearances, allowing five earned runs in two innings. He was optioned back to the minors after that. He has since tossed 5 2/3 Triple-A innings, allowing nine earned runs.

It seems that his rough month has led the team to quickly sour on him, just as quickly as they grew sweet on him earlier this year. He signed a minor league deal with the Giants in the offseason and began the season at Triple-A. He then cracked of 27 innings with a 2.00 earned run average, 23.5% strikeout rate, 6.1% walk rate and 61.4% ground ball rate. That led to him getting called up to the majors but, as mentioned, his results have been awful since then.

He will now head into DFA limbo, which can last as long as a week. The waiver process takes 48 hours, so the Giants could take as long as five days to explore trade interest, though they could also put him on the waiver sooner than that. Ramos had no major league experience prior to this month, so he doesn’t have much of a track record to go on. His work in the minors has generally been strong. Over the 2024 and 2025 seasons, he tossed 115 2/3 innings on the farm with a 2.80 ERA, 23.7% strikeout rate, 10.7% walk rate and grounders on well over half the balls in play he allowed.

Photo courtesy of Michael McLoone, Imagn Images

Giants To Select Drew Cavanaugh

Darragh McDonald — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 22:40:47 +0000

Catching prospect Drew Cavanaugh is in the Giants lineup tonight, per Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area. Fellow catcher Daniel Susac is heading to the injured list with a back injury. Cavanaugh is not officially on the 40-man roster yet, so the Giants will need to make a corresponding move to add him.

Cavanaugh, 24, was a 17th-round pick of the club in 2023. He has since been climbing the minor league ladder without a lot of fanfare. Baseball America has never ranked him as one of the club’s top 30 prospects.

He has some helium this year. Splitting his time between Double-A and Triple-A, he has a combined lined of .311/.449/.550 and a 164 wRC+. That performance is propped up by a massive .402 batting average on balls in play but Cavanaugh has also been doing his part with nine home runs and a huge 15.4% walk rate. His 24.2% strikeout rate is a bit high but only by a couple of ticks. Earlier this month, FanGraphs ranked him the #17 prospect in the system. That report praised his well-rounded game, highlighting both his work in the batter’s box and behind the plate.

The Giants began the season with a catching duo of Patrick Bailey and Rule 5 pick Susac. In late April, Susac hit the IL with elbow neuritis, drawing Eric Haase and Jesús Rodríguez into the mix. As Susac was nearing his return from the IL, the Giants shipped Bailey to Cleveland. Rodríguez wasn’t getting much playing time around Haase and Susac, so he was optioned to the minors a few weeks ago. It is perhaps a testament to Cavanaugh’s strong season that he is getting the call when the Giants could have just recalled Rodríguez.

For now, Cavanaugh and Haase will share the catching duties. It’s unclear how long Susac is expected to be out of action. When he gets back, he can’t be sent to the minors since he’s a Rule 5 pick, while Haase is out of options. Perhaps Cavanaugh will be optioned back down to the minors at that point unless he plays well enough to make the Giants consider alternatives, such as going with three catchers or bumping someone else off the roster.

Photo courtesy of Stan Szeto, Imagn Images

Austin Voth Elects Free Agency

Darragh McDonald — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 22:14:04 +0000

Right-hander Austin Voth cleared outright waivers and elected free agency, reports Bobby Nightengale of the Minnesota Star Tribune. Voth was designated for assignment by the Twins two days ago. Players with at least three years of service time or a previous career outright have the right to reject outright assignments in favor of free agency. Voth qualifies on both counts.

Voth heads to the open market on his birthday, as he turns 34 today. The journeyman has been a passable swingman in his big league career. He has appeared in 210 games, 39 of those being starts, and logged 370 1/3 innings. He has allowed 4.84 earned runs per nine with a 21.5% strikeout rate and 8.4% walk rate. He also spent 2025 in Japan, posting a 3.96 ERA for the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball.

This year, he has been an emergency arm for a few clubs. He started the season with the White Sox on a minor league deal. He was released at the end of camp but quickly landed a new minor league deal with the Blue Jays. Toronto twice added Voth to their roster when they needed a bulk guy. The first time, in April, he allowed one earned run over 2 2/3 innings. He was cut from the roster after that, elected free agency and re-signed. He was added to the roster again in May and allowed five earned runs over 3 2/3 innings.

Once again, he was cut from the roster after just one appearance. This time, instead of returning to the Jays, he signed a minor league deal with the Twins. Minnesota added him to the roster earlier this week when Joe Ryan was scratched from his start due to illness. Voth tossed four innings against the Dodgers but allowed five earned runs in the process. He was off the roster the next day and is now a free agent again.

Voth’s 9.90 ERA in the big leagues this year obviously doesn’t look nice but he has been more serviceable in the minors. He has thrown 44 1/3 Triple-A innings this year with a 3.65 ERA, 20.6% strikeout rate and 7.7% walk rate.

Since he cleared waivers, it can be assumed that no club wants to give him a big league job right now, but he should be able to get minor league offers. Plenty of teams around the league, such as the Cubs and Angels, have been hit by a number of rotation injuries of late. Those clubs and others need to have fresh arms on hand as situations arise, so Voth should be putting pen to paper somewhere in the coming days.

Photo courtesy of Steven Bisig, Imagn Images

Lineup Analysis (6/26/26)

Jeff Zimmerman — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 22:00:09 +0000

It seems like teams are moving away from struggling hitters.

Source

Red Sox Place Marcelo Mayer On Injured List

Darragh McDonald — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 21:42:15 +0000

The Red Sox announced that shortstop Marcelo Mayer has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a bone stress reaction to the left ulna. Infielder Tsung-Che Cheng has been recalled as the corresponding move. Mayer says he has been dealing with the issue for two months, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive.

It’s an unfortunate development for a few different reasons. For Mayer personally, it interrupts an opportunity to establish himself as a viable big league shortstop. Due to the presence of Trevor Story, he had mostly been limited to playing second and third base. Story required sports hernia surgery in May and was slated for an absence of two months or so. The Sox decided to give Mayer a chance to play there. He got about a month of regular playing time at short but is now joining Story on the IL.

For the club, it’s yet another blow to their middle infield depth. Mayer isn’t having a great season on the whole, currently sporting a .220/.282/.312 batting line, perhaps because of this arm issue. Regardless, the Sox still don’t want to see more bodies piling up. Middle infielders Story, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Romy González and Nick Sogard were already on the IL and now Mayer puts one more name on that list.

Manager Chad Tracy told reporters, including Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic, that Cheng will see a lot of time at shortstop. Cheng’s reputation is that of a glove-first infielder. He should provide the Sox a sure hand at short but the bat could be light. He has a solid .254/.351/.424 line on the farm this year but slashed .207/.305/.267 last year and only has seven big league plate appearances under his belt.

The Sox are 33-46 on the year. That only puts them five games back of a playoff spot in the weak American League playoff field but they are trending towards a deadline selloff if they don’t string some wins together. As mentioned, Mayer hasn’t been putting up big numbers this year, but it’s still another punch to the gut as the club is trying to keep the season from spinning out of control.

Photo courtesy of Dale Zanine, Imagn Images

Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript

Anthony Franco — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 20:50:06 +0000

Anthony Franco

Good afternoon, hope all is well!
Looking forward to another of these, let’s get going

Chris

Would the Mets consider moving or even be able to move Lindor? How far do you think the Mets could go at the trade deadline as sellers?
Is there any chance of the Mets being able to move Bichette at the deadline given his contract situation and a potential cap situation on the horizon?

Mets Man

Mendoza is out. Plenty of questions about new manager for the long term by seasons end but my question is, do you think Stearns will hire a GM in the off-season to be more of a face for the organization?

Mets

This probably doesn’t change anything significantly since Stearns put the roster together and is way more responsible for the current state than Mendoza was, yes?

Anthony Franco

A bunch of Mets questions understandably
Generally, yeah, I think the importance of managerial changes is overstated. Becomes kind of a desperation lever to pull to see if you can spark the roster, feels too late for the Mets at this point anyway
Obviously we see some times where a team indeed rights the ship after a change (see: this year’s Phillies) but it always becomes tough to tease out whether that’s really a product of the managerial change or just the players performing at a level they were expected to the entire time
Most managerial changes come when a team is playing below expectations obviously, so it becomes a chicken or the egg thing
If it turns around at all. The Red Sox haven’t been much better under Chad Tracy than they were under Alex Cora
Could see them hiring a GM, sure. Don’t think it makes a lot of difference ultimately
As for the trade possibilities, I’d be stunned if they moved Lindor. They’d need to eat a bunch of the money given how he’s playing and don’t have an heir apparent at shortstop in the upper minors. Just hold and hope he plays better next year when he’s not coming back from injury
I’m in a similar spot with Bo, since they’d need to include conditional cash in the event that he doesn’t opt out to get anyone to take that contract on. If you’re doing that, why not just keep him? Darragh McDonald thought Bo should’ve made our trade candidates list this week, though, so I imagine he finds that more realistic than I do

Hits Like Rays

The Rays seem to need something to kickstart the team again. Do they have any strong minor leaguers that are ready for promotion to Tampa?

Anthony Franco

Eh not really. Most of their top prospects are lower minors guys. Brody Hopkins is in Triple-A but has been horrible, can’t bring him up right now even as a reliever
Jacob Melton just got activated off the AAA injured list this week so we could see him in a couple weeks. He missed two months so he’ll need some time to get up to game speed though
Still need to trade for outfield help, maybe the best fit for Arraez too

Brewer Fan

After all the hub ub about the Brewers not going for it with the Peralta trade, I’m starting to think there’s about a 50/50 shot Sproat(obviously projecting some more development with the pitching lab) is just the pitcher I’d rather have going forward, irrelevant of contract. How crazy am I?

Anthony Franco

Guess it depends on how far we’re talking. I’d expect Freddy to be better than Sproat for the rest of 2026 but agree it’s closer than most people would expect and have some concern about Peralta trending on a Gallen-style slow decline
I’d be completely out on him as a free agent given the expected contract
I like Sproat but still need to see a better breaking ball before I’d consider him a mid-rotation starter. Obviously Brewers have a strong track record in that regard
I was fine with the trade at the time, not a huge Jett Williams believer but it was very much standard operating procedure for Milwaukee. They just don’t do the strict buyer/seller dynamic

Guest

Will Trent Grisham or Jazz Chisholm Jr. be back with the Yankees next year. If not who will be the replacements?
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Mason’s Musings: Bold Predictions Update

Justin Mason — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 20:30:45 +0000

Justin Mason takes a look at his preseason Bold Predictions to see if where he went wrong!

Source

Nick Solak Elects Free Agency

Darragh McDonald — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 20:30:13 +0000

Infielder Nick Solak has elected free agency after being outrighted by the Padres, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He had been designated for assignment a few days ago. He had the right to opt for the open market because he had been previously outrighted in his career.

Solak, 31, signed a minor league deal with the Padres in the offseason. He had been performing well at Triple-A, slashing .333/.412/.512 for a wRC+ of 125. The Friars added him to the roster when Miguel Andujar hit the 10-day injured list with a hamstring strain. That IL placement was backdated by two days and Andujar quickly healed up, so he was reinstated from the IL eight days later. Solak got ten plate appearances in the interim, with one walk, one hit-by-pitch and one single.

He’ll now head to free agency to see what opportunities await him. He will surely be limited to minor league offers. If any club wanted to give him a big league job, they could have just claimed him off waivers.

Solak is a former second-round pick and prospect of note. He has continually put up good numbers in the minors but hasn’t been able to translate those to the majors. In 995 trips to the plate in the big leagues, he has a .249/.325/.367 line and 91 wRC+. That’s not atrocious production but he was never a good defensive second baseman. That pushed him into being more of a first base and corner outfield guy, positions where the barrier for acceptable offense is a bit higher.

As mentioned, he keeps swinging it in the minors. Dating back to the start of the 2024 season, he has a .325/.410/.482 line and 133 wRC+ at the Triple-A level. That has led to limited big league looks but he doesn’t really have the defensive versatility teams look for in a bench bat and he is out of options, so he often gets squeezed off rosters. He has appeared for Texas, Atlanta, Detroit, Pittsburgh and San Diego over the past few years.

Photo courtesy of James A. Pittman, Imagn Images

Tigers Claim Yilber Díaz

Steve Adams — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 20:15:05 +0000

3:15pm: Outfielder Wenceel Pérez is being transferred to the 60-day injured list as the corresponding 40-man move, per Evan Woodbery of MLive Media Group. Perez hit the 10-day IL a week ago after a freak accident. A plyo band snapped and hit him near his eye, fracturing one of his orbital bones. His full timeline is unclear but it appears the Tigers don’t expect him back soon. This transfer means he can’t be reinstated until the middle of August.

1:32pm: The Tigers have claimed right-hander Yilber Díaz off waivers from the Diamondbacks, reports Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Detroit’s 40-man roster is full, so they’ll need a corresponding move to accommodate their latest waiver addition.

Díaz, 25, has made only one big league appearance this season. To say it went poorly would be an understatement. He recorded two outs but was tagged for seven runs on seven hits and a walk, resulting in one of the more outlandish ERA marks you’ll ever see next to a pitcher’s name: 94.50. Of course, that’s merely one awful appearance. Prior to that brutal day, Díaz carried a 4.31 ERA in 31 1/3 big league innings, dating back to 2024.

Not long ago, Díaz was considered one of Arizona’s top prospects. Baseball America listed him third among D-backs farmhands heading into the 2025 season. At the time, he was coming off 104 1/3 innings of 3.80 ERA ball split between Double-A and an exorbitantly hitter-friendly setting in Triple-A Reno. He’d also made his big league debut in that same ’24 season, tossing 28 1/3 frames with a 3.81 ERA.

Díaz’s 2025 season as a disaster across the board. He allowed three runs in his only three major league frames and was shelled in Reno. The Venezuelan-born righty pitched 41 innings with the Diamondbacks’ Triple-A club and was rocked for an 11.63 ERA while battling poor command and a huge susceptibility to home runs. That brutal season understandably tanked his prospect stock, although the 2026 season has been a bit better — at least in the minors.

This year, Díaz has pitched 32 Triple-A frames and allowed a 4.50 ERA while striking out 29.1% of his opponents. His 14.2% walk rate is still far too high, but he’s reined in the home runs, cut back on his walks and hasn’t been charged with even on wild pitch. He threw 10 wild pitches in last year’s 41 frames with Reno. It’s still poor command, of course, but Díaz has at least taken a step in the right direction in that regard and has several other intriguing traits.

Díaz is sitting 96.8 mph on his four-seamer this year — an offering that’s previously drawn plus grades from scouting reports. His 12.9% swinging-strike rate is more than two percentage points north of the major league average. And, a year after allowing a huge 90.7 mph average exit velocity and a big 43.1% hard-hit rate in Reno, opponents have averaged a modest 87.7 mph with a much-improved 37.8% hard-hit rate.

Díaz is in the last of three minor league option years, so the Tigers won’t need to plug him straight onto the big league roster. They can and likely will send him to Triple-A Toledo, where they can work with him on any tweaks they envision to improve his command while ideally retaining his strong velocity and bat-missing abilities. He’s a pure development flier right now, but considering he’s barely a year removed from being ranked at the back end of FanGraphs’ top 100 prospects, there’s little harm in taking a free look — even after a disastrous calendar year for the hard-throwing righty.

Blue Jays Designate Simeon Woods Richardson For Assignment

Darragh McDonald — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 20:10:56 +0000

The Blue Jays announced that they have recalled left-hander Adam Macko. Righty Simeon Woods Richardson has been designated for assignment as a corresponding move. That drops the club’s 40-man roster count to 39, though they reportedly plan on selecting infielder Sean Keys tomorrow, so that spot may not stay vacant for long.

Woods Richardson, 25, was acquired from the Twins earlier this month after being designated for assignment. That was a bit of a homecoming, as Woods Richardson was once a Blue Jays prospect. Acquired from the Mets in the 2019 Marcus Stroman trade, he was sent to Minnesota in the 2021 José Berríos trade. Though he was once a prospect of note, he struggled to develop into a viable rotation candidate in Minnesota. He exhausted his options and got squeezed into DFA limbo, which led to the trade to Toronto.

The Jays used him in a long relief role. His results were great in a surface-level way, as he tossed ten scoreless innings over three outings. However, he was walking a fine line. He only struck out 13.2% of batters faced in that small sample and gave out walks at an awful 18.4% pace. He kept the runs off the board thanks to a .154 batting average on balls in play and 100% strand rate.

The club has a less of a need for Woods Richardson now, compared to when they made the trade. Dylan Cease and Shane Bieber were both on the IL at the time but have since been activated. Those two are now in the rotation alongside Trey Yesavage, Kevin Gausman and Patrick Corbin, meaning the Jays should be doing fewer bullpen games going forward.

Woods Richardson tossed three innings in relief of Gausman last night, throwing 43 pitches in the process. He wasn’t going to be available for a few days and the Jays now have a fresh bullpen, since Woods Richardson’s coverage meant no one else had to pitch last night, so the Jays have squeezed Woods Richardson off the roster.

He now heads into DFA limbo once again. That can last as long as a week, though the waiver process takes 48 hours, so the Jays can take as long as five days to explore trade interest. It seems likely that he’ll find another opportunity elsewhere. His results this year haven’t been good, as he has a combined 6.40 ERA between the Twins and Jays, but he was a passable back-end starter over the previous two seasons. Over the 2024 and 2025 campaigns, he logged 245 innings with a 4.11 ERA, 21.5% strikeout rate and 9% walk rate.

There are several clubs dealing with mounting rotation injury situations, perhaps most notably the Cubs, but also the Diamondbacks, Royals, Angels, and others. Someone could give him a shot and hope he holds down a spot for a while. It’s also possible a rebuilding club with long-term pitching needs, such as the Rockies or Giants, takes a shot. Woods Richardson is under club control for four seasons after this one, though he’ll obviously have to turn his season around for that to be something worth thinking about.

Photo courtesy of Jaiden Tripi, Imagn Images

Guardians Select Cooper Ingle

Darragh McDonald — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 19:45:36 +0000

The Guardians announced that they have selected the contract of catcher/outfielder Cooper Ingle. Outfielder Stuart Fairchild has been designated for assignment to open both an active roster and 40-man roster spot.

Ingle, 24, was a fourth-round pick in the 2024 draft. Throughout his minor league career, he has shown a great approach from the batter’s box. He has stepped to the plate 1,208 times as a professional. 17.3% of those have resulted in a walk, a massive rate. For context, MLB league average is usually 8 to 9%. His 16.5% strikeout rate is also a strong figure, with MLB average typically in the 22 to 23% range. He only hit 33 home runs in that time but the overall approach has worked for him. He has a combined line of .282/.408/.461 and 149 wRC+.

Despite all that strong offense, there have been questions about how he fits into the plans in Cleveland. His work behind the plate isn’t nearly as well regarded as his work with a bat in his hands. That’s particularly notable for this club. The Guardians clearly put a priority on catcher defense. They have repeatedly signed Austin Hedges over the years. He is one of the worst big league hitters of the past decade but is considered one of the best defenders with the pads on. He often shared the catching duties with Bo Naylor, another poor hitter with a strong defensive reputation. Last month, the Guards acquired Patrick Bailey from the Giants. Bailey is yet another light hitter with a great reputation for his defense.

After acquiring Bailey, the Guards started playing Ingle in left field in the minors. Ingle is still very new to the position, with just 65 innings over seven starts under his belt. Perhaps the Guards are pleased enough with his initial foray onto the grass that they will call him up to get his bat into the lineup. Despite his defensive questions, Ingle is considered one of the top prospects in the league. Baseball America currently lists him 91st overall. MLB Pipeline has him at #68.

The Guardians put both Angel Martínez and Chase DeLauter on the injured list earlier this month, subtracting two outfielders from their group. Since then, they have been using Fairchild, Steven Kwan, Petey Halpin, Daniel Schneemann, David Fry and Kahlil Watson on the grass. No one in that group has a wRC+ above 96 this year. Cleveland has received a collective .229/.304/.358 line and 87 wRC+ from the outfield this year. If Ingle can hit like he has in the minors, and play a passable left field, then he can carve out some playing time.

There’s also the designated hitter spot, as Rhys Hoskins and Kyle Manzardo have been getting a lot of playing time there while also sharing the first base position. Manzardo is doing well enough but Hoskins is hitting .175/.313/.349 this year.

Ideally, Ingle can help the Guardians get a bit more offensive production without hurting them too much on defense. If he proves to be a really poor defender in left, then perhaps the Guards would give more serious thought to trading him. He already popped up in some trade rumors after Bailey came to town. If the left field experiment doesn’t pan out, he could focus on developing behind the plate. In that case, the Guards could look to flip him elsewhere while they roll with their glove-first favorites. In that scenario, any offensive success that Ingle has will be a boost to his value.

The Guards could also keep him, of course, with Hedges being an impending free agent. But given their aforementioned preferences, there’s a chance the Guards may not consider a Bailey-Ingle pairing to be sufficient from a defensive point of view.

Fairchild, 30, is a glove-first journeyman outfielder. The Guards signed him to a minor league deal in the offseason. He was added to the roster in late May. He has put up a wonky .158/.407/.158 slash line since then, with seven walks and 14 strikeouts in 27 plate appearances. It seems he basically decided to not swing and hope for the best. He only offered at 38.2% of pitches in that time, well below the 47.1% league average and his 49.2% career rate.

He is out of options and will now head into DFA limbo. For his career, he has a .221/.309/.377 line and 88 wRC+. But in over 1500 outfield innings, he has been credited with ten Defensive Runs Saved and nine Outs Above Average. Perhaps there are other clubs looking for a good defender off the bench. If he were to clear waivers, he would have the right to elect free agency since he has at least three years of service time.

Photo courtesy of Samantha Madar, Imagn Images

Big Kid Adds (Week 13)

Jeff Zimmerman — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 19:30:29 +0000

A slow week for adds.

Source

Reds Place Tony Santillan On Injured List

Darragh McDonald — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 19:20:32 +0000

2:20pm: Santillan’s full timeline still isn’t clear but manager Terry Francona tells Charlie Goldsmith of Charlie’s Chalkboard that the strain is significant.

12:42pm: The Reds announced today that right-hander Zach McCambley has been recalled from Triple-A Louisville. He’ll take the roster spot of righty Tony Santillan, who has been placed on the 15-day injured list with a left oblique strain, retroactive to June 23rd. It’s unclear how much time the Reds expect Santillan to miss.

Santillan, 29, has been a key part of the Cincinnati bullpen for a while. Over the 2024 and 2025 seasons, he made 109 appearances, allowing 2.60 earned runs per nine. He walked 9% of batters faced while striking out opponents at a 28.6% clip. He earned seven saves and 37 holds.

His results haven’t been as strong this year, as he has a 5.23 ERA through 31 innings. His strikeout rate has dropped all the way down to 20.9% while his walk rate has ticked up slightly to 10.4%. Despite the diminished results, it’s a blow for the Reds. They lost both Emilio Pagán and Graham Ashcraft to the IL last month, depriving them of their closer and one of their top setup arms.

Those injuries pushed Santillan into a more prominent position in the relief corps. He recorded saves in three straight appearances from June 13th to 21st. Now the Reds are losing yet another arm from their late-game mix. That will mean that guys like Brock Burke, Pierce Johnson, Sam Moll and Tejay Antone will have to handle the leverage work for the time being.

Ashcraft isn’t going to be back soon. The Reds placed him directly onto the 6o-day IL at the end of May with a UCL sprain. Pagán shouldn’t be too far off though. A hamstring strain put him on the 15-day IL in early May. He was sent to Triple-A Louisville for a rehab assignment yesterday and was going to start last night’s contest but it was rained out. Once Mother Nature allows him to get a few appearances in, he should be good to rejoin the big league club. He had a 6.43 ERA before hitting the IL and will obviously be looking to get that number down.

The Reds have been cold lately and have fallen to 37-42, which puts them 5.5 games out of a playoff spot. The trade deadline is a little over a month away, so they will need to gain some ground in over to avoid a summer selloff. Doing that with a banged-up bullpen is going to be a challenge.

Photo courtesy of Sam Greene, Imagn Images

MLB Weekend Series Preview: NL Central Foes Cubs and Brewers Meet

Justin Alston — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 19:02:24 +0000

Division races and wild card battles highlight the top five series.

The post MLB Weekend Series Preview: NL Central Foes Cubs and Brewers Meet appeared first on Pitcher List.

Padres, Luis Rengifo Agree To Minor League Deal

Steve Adams — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 18:59:32 +0000

The Padres and infielder Luis Rengifo are in agreement on a minor league contract, reports Dennis Lin of The Athletic. Rengifo, a client of Evolv Sports Management, was released by the Brewers earlier this week after being designated for assignment.

More to come.

Front Office Subscriber Chat With Anthony Franco

Anthony Franco — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 18:59:06 +0000

MLBTR’s Anthony Franco is holding a live chat, exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers!

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Blue Jays To Select Sean Keys

Darragh McDonald — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 18:50:13 +0000

The Blue Jays are calling up infielder Sean Keys, reports Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. The Jays will need to make corresponding moves to add Keys to both the 40-man and active rosters. He probably won’t be officially added until Saturday, per Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.

Keys, 23, was a fourth-round pick in the 2024 draft. He got into 22 Single-A games after that draft selection, making 98 plate appearances. His 21.4% strikeout rate was around average while he drew walks at a strong 13.3% clip. He slashed .293/.378/.451 for a 134 wRC+. He spent 2025 at the High-A level with more strong results. He hit 19 home runs and drew walks at a 16.3% clip. Despite a low .250 batting average on balls in play, he slashed .217/.365/.408 for a 119 wRC+.

He has been even better here in 2025. He started at Double-A and got promoted to Triple-A earlier this month. Between those two stops, he already has 21 homers on the year. His 23.1% strikeout rate is fine and his 13.6% walk rate quite strong. He has a combined .284/.409/.619 line and 164 wRC+ on the year. Baseball America lists him as the club’s #14 prospect, with his bat receiving much more praise than his speed or his glovework.

Given that impressive run of strong results from the batter’s box, the Jays will call him up to see if he can give their big league lineup a jolt. What remains to be seen is how they will fit him in defensively. Keys has only ever played first or third base in his professional career. Nicholson-Smith reported this week that the Jays had started thinking about getting Keys some corner outfield reps, but that hasn’t happened in any official game capacity yet.

The Jays have Vladimir Guerrero Jr. as their regular first baseman, Kazuma Okamoto at third and George Springer as the regular designated hitter. Guerrero has been having a rough season, relative to his own lofty standards. He only has four home runs. He has missed some time this month with some back tightness, without going on the injured list. Perhaps the presence of Keys will allow him to head to the IL or simply just sit more often.

Okamoto’s first MLB season has seen him strike out a lot but he leads the team with 18 home runs, more than double anyone else on the squad. He will stay in the lineup, though perhaps he could spend more time at first if Guerrero is going to take some time off. Okamoto did play some left field in Japan but made just 26 appearances there after the 2019 season.

Springer hasn’t played the field yet this year but logged over 400 innings in the outfield last year. Manager John Schneider told Matheson earlier this month that the Jays were considering putting Springer in right field from time to time. If Springer were to put on his glove occasionally, that could cut into the playing time of other outfielders. The Jays use Nathan Lukes and Jesús Sánchez mostly against righties, while Myles Straw and Davis Schneider see more time against lefties.

Time will tell how the Jays make the playing time work but it’s understandable that they would look boost their lineup. The team has a collective .249/.311/.391 line and 96 wRC+ this year, putting them in the bottom third of the clubs in the majors. They have a lackluster 39-42 record, though that’s enough for them to be tied for a playoff spot in the weak American League field. Any kind of edge could be a difference-maker in that tight race, so they’ll see if Keys can help them unlock some more offense.

Photo courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel, Imagn Images

Tigers To Claim Yilber Díaz

Steve Adams — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 18:32:05 +0000

The Tigers have claimed right-hander Yilber Díaz off waivers from the Diamondbacks, reports Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Detroit’s 40-man roster is full, so they’ll need a corresponding move to accommodate their latest waiver addition.

Pitcher Playing Time Changes: June 26, 2026

Jon Becker — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 18:30:46 +0000

The latest in playing time projection changes for pitchers, starters-only edition.

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Waiver Relief: Week 14

Alex Kamberis — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 18:30:22 +0000

The best RP pickups in fantasy baseball, every week, all season long.

The post Waiver Relief: Week 14 appeared first on Pitcher List.

Fantasy Baseball Subscriber Chat With Nicklaus Gaut

Nicklaus Gaut — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 18:00:07 +0000

Nicklaus Gaut will be talking fantasy baseball with Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers today at 1 PM Central time. Get your question in early or participate in the live event at the link below!

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This Week in Baseball History – 6-26-26

Joe Landolina — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 17:30:06 +0000

Dubious claims about a catch at Fenway and a baby alligator's death.

The post This Week in Baseball History – 6-26-26 appeared first on Pitcher List.

Asset Valuation Part 3: Finding Bargains Cont’d.

Jonathan Vander Lugt — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 17:30:00 +0000

A follow-up from Monday’s post diving into the weeds of baseball’s thrift shops.

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Front Office Subscriber Chat With Anthony Franco: TODAY At 2:00pm Central

Anthony Franco — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 16:58:06 +0000

MLBTR’s Anthony Franco will be holding a live chat today at 2:00 pm Central, exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers!

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Rockies Outright Sammy Peralta

Steve Adams — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 16:51:07 +0000

Rockies southpaw Sammy Peralta cleared waivers following his recent DFA and has been assigned outright to their Triple-A affiliate in Albuquerque, per the team’s transaction log at MLB.com. He’s been outrighted in the past and will thus have the right to reject this assignment in favor of free agency if he prefers to explore other opportunities.

The 28-year-old Peralta pitched 2 2/3 innings with the Rox prior to his DFA, surrendering three runs on three hits and a pair of walks. He struck out four of the 15 batters he faced. This marked the lefty’s fourth straight season with at least some degree of major league work under his belt. He’s now pitched a total of 48 1/3 major league frames between the Rockies, Angels and White Sox. Peralta carries a 5.40 earned run average, a 17.9% strikeout rate, an 11.4% walk rate and a 39.6% ground-ball rate in that time.

Peralta has pitched in parts of five Triple-A seasons and has a lifetime 4.79 ERA in 229 1/3 innings there. He’s fanned a much stronger 23.2% of opponents at the top minor league level and shown far better command there as well, evidenced by a tidy 7.1% walk rate.

While Peralta has typically been a four-seam/slider/changeup lefty, he began to work more off a sinker last year. He’s never had good velocity, sitting in the 89-90 mph range with both heaters, but this year’s 51.1% ground-ball rate in the minors would be his best since originally moving up to Triple-A as a 24-year-old back in 2022. Peralta’s command in Triple-A took a big step forward with the Angels’ Salt Lake affiliate last year (when he first started ramping up the use of his sinker); he walked only 4.8% of his opponents in 70 2/3 innings. He hasn’t been quite as precise this year, but his 5.7% walk rate is still excellent. Even if he’s not throwing hard or missing bats in droves, Peralta could earn himself another big league look this season if he can continue to post plus ground-ball and walk rates.

Fantasy Baseball Relief Pitcher Roundup: 6/25

Rick Graham — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 16:26:16 +0000

A Review of Key Bullpen and Reliever Usage from Yesterday's Games

The post Fantasy Baseball Relief Pitcher Roundup: 6/25 appeared first on Pitcher List.

Ben Brown Diagnosed With Stress Reaction In Neck; Cubs Continuing To Seek Rotation Help

Steve Adams — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 15:52:04 +0000

When the Cubs placed righty Ben Brown on the 15-day injured list earlier this week, the injury was initially announced as a “neck strain.” The team didn’t provide a concrete timetable for his return. Manager Craig Counsell offered more specifics last night in an appearance on 104.3 FM The Score, stating that follow-up testing has revealed a stress reaction in Brown’s neck (audio link). Brown is seeking additional opinions, but Counsell said the right-hander is “looking at, basically, limited activity for about a month here.” Brown will be reevaluated at that point.

It’s not at all the update Cubs fans were hoping to hear on the breakout righty. Brown has been dominant this season. After a strong run of 12 relief appearances, he’s stepped seamlessly into the rotation. The 26-year-old has pitched 68 innings and notched a masterful 1.85 earned run average. Brown has set down 24.5% of his opponents on strikes, limited walks at a 7.2% clip and induced grounders at a solid 44.6% clip. He’s only surrendered two home runs on the year. Brown has done everything well, and done so in whatever role the Cubs have asked.

A month of limited activity followed by reevaluation points to a fairly lengthy absence, however. Even if he’s cleared for full baseball activity in late July, he’d surely need to build back up. Presumably, that’d entail starting with bullpen sessions, then live batting practice, and then at least one — probably multiple — minor league rehab starts. A mid-August return is probably something of a best-case scenario, based on this latest update from Counsell.

The Cubs already made one move to help stop the bleeding in a depleted rotation this week, acquiring southpaw David Peterson in a rare June swap with the Mets. Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer tells The Athletic’s Will Sammon that he plans to continue searching for rotation help but acknowledged that it’s difficult at a time when few teams are willing to sell off veteran pieces due to the tightly packed Wild Card scene in each league. Trades of more consequence — for any team — don’t feel likely until much closer to the Aug. 3 deadline, Hoyer suggested.

Brown joined Justin Steele, Cade Horton, Edward Cabrera and Jameson Taillon on the injured list when he was placed there earlier in the week. Horton’s season is over after he underwent UCL surgery two months ago. Steele isn’t likely to return any time soon; if he’s back at all this season, Hoyer conceded recently that it’d likely be as a reliever. Cabrera only landed on the shelf three days ago. Taillon has been out since early June with a hamstring strain and is expected to be out beyond the All-Star break.

All those injuries leave the Cubs with a rotation comprised of Shota Imanaga, Matthew Boyd (who just returned from his own IL stay yesterday), Colin Rea, Javier Assad and the newly acquired Peterson. Chicago also recently claimed swingman Bryse Wilson off waivers from the Phillies and has another journeyman swing option, Vince Velasquez, in the bullpen at the moment after selecting his contract from Triple-A earlier this week.

Even with the rotation in shambles, the Cubs currently sit 44-37. That puts them six and a half games behind the NL Central-leading Brewers but in possession of the second Wild Card spot in the National League. They’re a half-game up on the Cardinals, who currently hold the third spot. The Padres, Marlins, D-backs and Nationals are all within three games of a Wild Card spot and within three and a half games of the Cubs in the standings. The Cubs’ next nine games will be pivotal, as they’re set for three games in Milwaukee followed by six games against their two closest pursuers in the Wild Card hunt: the Cardinals and Padres.

Top 150 Hitters for Fantasy Baseball 2026 – Week 13

Scott Chu — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 15:27:48 +0000

Scott Chu updates his top 150 hitters for fantasy baseball.

The post Top 150 Hitters for Fantasy Baseball 2026 – Week 13 appeared first on Pitcher List.

Starting Pitcher Streamer Ranks Fantasy Baseball: 6/26 & 6/27 & 6/28

Nick Pollack — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 15:17:00 +0000

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

The post Starting Pitcher Streamer Ranks Fantasy Baseball: 6/26 & 6/27 & 6/28 appeared first on Pitcher List.

H&J 154 – Rising Royals

Brett Ford — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 15:00:13 +0000

Brett and Scott talk through the best bats in fantasy baseball

The post H&J 154 – Rising Royals appeared first on Pitcher List.

Ottoneu Starting Pitching Planner: June 29–July 5

Jake Mailhot — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 14:30:30 +0000

Ottoneu Starting Pitcher sit/start recommendations for the week of June 29–July 5.

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Starts and Sits - All Starting Pitcher Matchups for Fantasy Baseball (June 22 - June 28)

Nick Mariano — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 14:00:07 +0000

Let's make sure our rotations are in order with a refreshed starting pitcher starts/sits for fantasy baseball for the week ahead - Monday, June 22 through Sunday, June 28. This article will cover who is pitching, their opponent, and a confidence/startability score based on our exceptional tools. We do this to supply you with a […]

Relief Pitcher Streamer Rankings Fantasy Baseball: 6/26

Rick Graham — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 13:44:33 +0000

The Best Reliever Streamers for Today with Updated Bullpen Usage Charts

The post Relief Pitcher Streamer Rankings Fantasy Baseball: 6/26 appeared first on Pitcher List.

Rookie Check In: Hitters With Small Samples and Tools

Corbin Young — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 13:30:51 +0000

These rookie hitters have tools and small samples that intrigue us.

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Mets Fire Manager Carlos Mendoza

Steve Adams — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 13:30:42 +0000

The Mets’ disastrous season has apparently reached a tipping point. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports that the team has fired manager Carlos Mendoza. Former Padres skipper Andy Green, who’d been with the club in a player development role, will step in as interim manager for the remainder of the season. The team announced the switch a few minutes after Heyman’s initial report.

“Carlos has led the organization with passion and grace and is beloved by everyone who works with him on a daily basis,” president of baseball operations David Stearns said in a press release announcing the change. “Carlos’ impact on our players, staff, and culture over the last three seasons has been transformative. Unfortunately, we know we are falling short and change is necessary to move forward.”

Mendoza, 46, was in his third season as the skipper in Queens. He led the Mets to an 89-73 record and an NLCS berth against the Dodgers as a rookie skipper back in 2024, but the Mets missed the postseason after an epic second-half collapse in 2025. The 2026 season, obviously, has been an abject nightmare. The Mets entered the season with the game’s second-largest CBT payroll and the largest actual cash payroll in the sport but have flopped with a 34-47 record that’s left them buried in the NL East cellar and 9.5 games back in the Wild Card chase. The Giants and Rockies are the only clubs in the National League with a worse record.

More to come.

MLB News & Moments: Boston Takes First of Four-Game Set Against Yanks

Michael Hanlon — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 13:30:08 +0000

While the Phils set a ninth-inning homer record in another comeback.

The post MLB News & Moments: Boston Takes First of Four-Game Set Against Yanks appeared first on Pitcher List.

The Opener: Phillies, Rays, All-Star Voting

Charlie Wright — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 13:11:03 +0000

As promised, our Top 35 Trade Candidates article came out on Thursday. We’re also kicking off our trade deadline preview series, which will feature an in-depth look at each team. Anthony Franco got the ball rolling with the Yankees’ trade deadline outlook (Front Office subscription required).

1. Phillies win it in the ninth inning … again

The Nationals coughed up another late lead on Wednesday, giving up five runs across the sixth and seventh innings to relinquish a 5-0 margin, then five more in the ninth inning to seal the loss. Bryce Harper played the hero in yesterday’s comeback win, launching a go-ahead homer off Gus Varland. The Phillies scored eight times in the ninth inning on Tuesday to erase a two-run deficit. Recent addition Derek Hill came through with a game-winning two-run homer on Wednesday. Philadelphia is the first team to have three consecutive games with a go-ahead homer in the ninth inning, per Elias Sports Bureau (relayed by Byron Kerr of MLB.com).

2. Rays fall two outs short of no-no

Tampa Bay nearly put together a combined no-hitter on Thursday against the Royals. Using the opener/bulk reliever strategy they made famous, the Rays entered the bottom of the ninth inning having yet to allow a hit. The club turned to veteran Craig Kimbrel, who issued a leadoff walk, then struck out the next batter. Royals catcher Carter Jensen ended the no-hit bid with a long home run to right-center. The star of the near no-hitter was lefty Ian Seymour. In typical Rays fashion, he’s been used in a variety of roles this year, racking up two saves and 10 holds while also working in long relief. Seymour tossed a season-high 6 2/3 frames on Thursday, striking out seven and permitting just one baserunner.

3. Ohtani, Clement earn ASG starting spots

The first round of All-Star Game voting wrapped up yesterday. The top vote-getters for each league were Shohei Ohtani and Ernie Clement, which means they’ve earned automatic starting spots. The next round of voting begins on Monday. Fans will narrow down the starting lineup by choosing from the top two vote-getters at each position, along with the top six outfielders, excluding the spots already taken by Ohtani and Clement. The winners from the second round, plus pitchers and reserves, will be announced on July 4.

Photo courtesy of Brad Mills, Imagn Images

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Picks: 6/26/26

Scott McDermott — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 13:00:58 +0000

There's another Ewing in the New York sports scene.

The post Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Picks: 6/26/26 appeared first on Pitcher List.

Starting Pitcher Chart – June 26th, 2026

Paul Sporer — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 12:26:55 +0000

Top heavy board that drops off big time in the middle

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Fantasy Baseball SP Roundup 6/25: Imai Be Time For Tatsuya

Jake Crumpler — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 11:34:14 +0000

Jake Crumpler reviews every starting pitcher performance from Thursday.

The post Fantasy Baseball SP Roundup 6/25: Imai Be Time For Tatsuya appeared first on Pitcher List.

Roto Riteup: June 26, 2026

Vlad Sedler — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 11:30:49 +0000

Kick the weekend off rite!

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The Shallows EP 020 – First Half Fun

Erik Hinrichsen — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 11:00:59 +0000

top performers of the week, first half takeaways, all-stars!

The post The Shallows EP 020 – First Half Fun appeared first on Pitcher List.

Daily Fantasy Baseball News and Notes | First Pitch 6/26/26

Carson Picard — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 11:00:20 +0000

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

The post Daily Fantasy Baseball News and Notes | First Pitch 6/26/26 appeared first on Pitcher List.

Top 35 Trade Candidates For The 2026 Deadline

Anthony Franco — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 04:59:04 +0000

Trade deadline season is approaching. There’s still a muddled standings picture in both leagues, but teams can have an idea of how their contention chances are shaping up by mid-late June. Even though significant trade activity is unlikely to pick up until after the All-Star Break, front offices need to begin mapping out buy/sell trade scenarios.

A shakeup in the standings always changes the calculus in July, so we’ll do at least one or two more iterations of this list leading up to the August 3 deadline. MLBTR has also begun our team by team preview series for Front Office subscribers with a look at the Yankees’ deadline priorities.

Before we get to the list, a note on methodology. This isn’t a strict ranking of players’ trade value, nor is it solely about likelihood of being moved. We’re trying to balance both of those things, an inherently subjective exercise. The #1 player on the list probably is the most impactful player who has any real chance of being dealt, but there are players in the back half who’d clearly be much higher if the list were based on impact alone. If there’s more reason to believe some of those players will be traded, they’ll skyrocket up future editions.

Note: Stats are through play on June 24.

Onto the names!

1. Tarik Skubal, LHP, Tigers ($32MM salary, impending free agent)

Skubal is easily the best player in the upcoming free agent class. The two-time defending AL Cy Young winner has made a remarkably quick return from surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow, seemingly pioneering the less invasive NanoNeedle procedure in the process. His fastball averaged 97.9 mph in his first game back, a tick above where he’d been working in April. He has a 3.32 ERA with a 28.2% strikeout rate over 59 2/3 innings.

Skubal is one of the three best pitchers on the planet. He’d be the Game 1 starter for virtually any team in baseball. Among players who have any chance to move, no other acquisition more meaningfully raises a team’s odds of winning the 2026 World Series.

Of course, he’s a pure rental — Skubal isn’t signing an extension a few months in advance of what should be the largest pitching contract ever — but any team with legitimate World Series aspirations should be involved. Teams generally balk at surrendering top prospect talent for impending free agents, but players as good as Skubal don’t hit the market most years. Detroit should be able to net a top 25-50 prospect in the game as a headliner if they make him available.

Whether they do that depends heavily on how they play over the next few weeks. Skubal is by no means a lock to be traded. Detroit is 12 games below .500 at 34-46 but only five games back in the Wild Card picture. Even a 7.5-game deficit in the AL Central isn’t insurmountable. That’d be a much tougher hill to climb if they haven’t made up any ground by the end of July, but this is one the front office figures to take right up to the final weekend.

2. Luis Arraez, 2B, Giants ($12MM salary, impending free agent)

Arraez is among the likeliest players to move. He rebuffed interest on multi-year deals to sign a one-year, $12MM free agent pact with the Giants. Arraez correctly bet on himself to play a strong second base in moving back to his original position. His offensive profile is the same as it has been throughout his career. He is baseball’s best contact hitter and in the mix for a fourth batting title. Arraez carries a .321/.358/.445 line over 332 plate appearances.

This is about as straightforward as trade candidates get. The Giants are 13 games below .500 and above only the Rockies in the National League. There hasn’t been any reporting about extension talks. San Francisco could make him a qualifying offer, but they’d only receive a compensatory pick after Competitive Balance Round B (roughly 75th overall). They should find a more valuable trade return than that.

3. Freddy Peralta, RHP, Mets ($8MM salary, impending free agent)

It has been a disappointing year for the Mets, who acquired Peralta to slot atop the rotation alongside Nolan McLean. The offseason trade acquisition has himself been underwhelming, posting a 4.83 ERA across 16 starts. That’s skewed in part by a 10-run drubbing at the hands of the Phillies over the weekend, but his 3.90 ERA going into the start was itself off his usual level. His strikeout rate has dropped to a career-low 22.1% mark, and he hasn’t worked as deep into games as hoped. Peralta certainly isn’t trending towards a second straight top five Cy Young finish, but he’d still project as a playoff starter for whomever acquires him.

Peralta and the Mets didn’t get far in extension talks this spring, seemingly held up by contract length. The All-Star righty’s agent, Seth Levinson of ACES, recently told Bob Nightengale of USA Today they’d establish their contract goals “after the season.”

The Mets parted with two borderline Top 100 prospects in Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams to acquire Peralta in January. They’re not going to match that return — he hasn’t been as good and an acquiring team could no longer make him a qualifying offer — but one prospect in that range might be attainable. As luxury tax payors, the Mets would get a compensatory pick after the fourth round if they don’t trade him and he rejects a QO. The only reason not to trade him would be if they think they can this season around. New York has fallen a season-worst 12 games under .500 and nine back of a playoff spot with their ongoing five-game losing streak.

4. Casey Mize, RHP, Tigers ($6.15MM salary, impending free agent)

All the reasons that Skubal might be available apply equally to Mize. He’s an impending free agent on a long shot contender and pitching as well as ever. The former first overall pick holds a 2.95 ERA with a career-best 25.1% strikeout rate across 11 starts. Mize has had a couple injured list stints for minor left groin issues but is currently healthy and pitching like a playoff-caliber starter. He’s much cheaper than Skubal and wouldn’t require the same prospect capital as Joe Ryan, who has an extra year of club control.

Detroit can and very likely would make Mize a qualifying offer if they hold him to the end of the season. That’d entitle them to at least a 2027 compensatory pick after Competitive Balance Round B, and it’d climb to a selection after the first round if Mize signed elsewhere for at least $50MM. A headlining prospect with some buzz at or near the back half of a Top 100 list is a reasonable ask.

5. Aroldis Chapman, LHP, Red Sox ($12MM salary, $13MM option for ’27 vests at 40 IP)

Chapman was named the American League’s Reliever of the Year in 2025. He might be even better this year, with only the Red Sox’s inability to get him many save opportunities sapping some of his value. Chapman’s 23 appearances are well off last year’s pace, but that’s the fault of the team in front of him. He’s 14-for-15 in save chances and has only allowed five runs on the season. He’d run off 17 straight scoreless appearances from April 4 until last week.

Even at 38, Chapman is a top three closer and arguably the best left-handed reliever in the game. He’s playing on a $12MM salary and trending towards vesting a $13MM option for next year. That’s fine for the team, as it’d be good value if Chapman continues at anything like his 2025-26 pace. The option may give the Red Sox at least some pause in trading him, but they’ll probably cash him in this summer when prices for relievers are highest. Every contender could make this work by bumping their current closer into the eighth inning. Even the Padres were linked to Chapman a few weeks ago despite having one of the few better closers in Mason Miller.

6. Sonny Gray, RHP, Red Sox ($31MM salary; $10MM mutual option buyout due at end of season)

The Red Sox acquired Gray from the Cardinals over the winter. The veteran righty has held up his end of the bargain but the rest of the team has not. Gray figures to be back on the market as one of the better starters available, but his trade candidacy isn’t without complications.

Gray has a full no-trade clause, giving him complete control over his destination. He told The Boston Globe this week that he’s willing to consider waiving that if the team approaches him about a sell-off. Any trade would require the Sox to eat some money. Gray is playing on a $31MM salary. More importantly, there’s a massive $10MM mutual option buyout at the end of the year. The Cardinals kicked in $20MM as part of the trade sending him to Boston, and the Red Sox are presumably willing to pay some of his salary and/or buyout down to facilitate a new deal.

Assuming the financials can be sorted out, Gray should be a target for teams looking for a veteran arm who’d slot into their playoff rotation. He carries a 2.95 ERA through 76 1/3 innings, and while he’s not striking out as many batters as he did in St. Louis, he’s getting more ground-balls to compensate. Gray has previously received a QO and is ineligible for a second, so the Sox wouldn’t receive any compensation for holding him for the remainder of the season.

7. Joe Ryan, RHP, Twins ($6.1MM salary plus $100K mutual option buyout, arb-eligible through ’27)

The Twins surprisingly elected to hang onto Ryan last offseason. An ownership change at the top and a handful of minority investors led Minnesota to stay somewhere in the middle, neither making a genuine effort to contend nor further continuing what seemed like the start of a teardown.

An open AL playoff field has kept the Twins within a couple games of the Wild Card picture even as they sit six games below .500. General manager Jeremy Zoll has already declared Byron Buxton off limits and implied they’re not yet at a point where they’d consider selling

Ryan has been one of the 20 or so best pitchers in MLB for a couple seasons. He’s arguably amidst the best year of his career, touting a personal-low 3.18 ERA with a 28.5% strikeout rate through 17 starts. Ryan commands the ball well and has thus far mitigated the home run trouble that was the only slight mark against him in prior seasons. He’s a slam dunk playoff starter who’d fit any team’s budget for two potential runs through October. Past trades of this ilk (e.g. Garrett Crochet, José Berríos, Luis Castillo) usually net multiple Top 100 prospects and a couple more mid-level upside plays.

8. Taylor Ward, LF, Orioles ($12.175MM salary, impending free agent)

Baltimore acquired Ward from the Angels last offseason, parting with four years of team control over talented but injury-prone starter Grayson Rodriguez. Ward has had an odd season, only connecting on five home runs after popping a career-best 36 longballs for the Halos. While the power has evaporated, he has dramatically cut his strikeouts and increased his walk rate. He’s getting on base at a career-high .389 clip, a top 10 mark among qualified hitters. Only Nick Kurtz and Mike Trout have taken more free passes.

It’s probably not the exact production the O’s expected, but Ward has unquestionably been a welcome addition to their lineup. Baltimore could consider a qualifying offer but seems likely to at least consider trade scenarios if they’re still a few games under .500 at the deadline. The Padres, Guardians, Phillies, Diamondbacks, Astros and Rays are among teams that could use a corner outfielder.

9. Antonio Senzatela, RHP, Rockies ($12MM salary, $14MM club option for ’27)

Senzatela isn’t the most exciting name, but he’s performing well and a near lock to move. The veteran righty battled injuries and was simply ineffective for most of the past few seasons working out of the Colorado rotation. The Rockies moved him to the bullpen late last season. Senzatela’s average fastball has jumped two mph and he’s added a cutter that now serves as his best secondary pitch. He’s alternating between single-inning stints in high leverage and multiple innings earlier in an appearance.

The 31-year-old carries a 2.13 ERA across 42 1/3 innings. His 21.2% strikeout rate is a little below average but easily a career high, as is his 11.1% swinging strike mark. Senzatela would fit as the third or fourth best reliever on a contender and should net Colorado a couple mid-tier prospects. The Rox have a $14MM club option for next season that’d carry over to a new team. For lower-payroll clubs, that might feel rich for a good but not elite reliever. Those clubs will probably view him as a rental. Either way, he’s one of the better relievers who’ll definitely be available.

10. Ryan Jeffers, C, Twins ($6.7MM salary, impending free agent)

Jeffers would be higher on this list if he were healthy. He has been out since mid-May due to a left hamate fracture that required surgery. The team hasn’t announced a specific return timeline but a standard recovery could have him back between the All-Star Break and the deadline. Jeffers was among the best catchers in MLB for the first six weeks, hitting .295/.408/.541 with seven homers across 148 plate appearances.

The 29-year-old is the clear top catcher in the upcoming free agent class. He’d be a borderline qualifying offer candidate. If Minnesota sells, he’d likely be the best catcher to move. Jeffers has already been linked to the Yankees, whose desire for a righty bat behind the plate has been apparent for months.

11. CJ Abrams, SS, Nationals ($4.2MM salary, arb-eligible through ’28)

Entering the season, Abrams was probably the favorite for the top spot on our midseason trade list. It’s to the Nationals’ credit that it’s an open question whether they should still be willing to make that kind of move. They’re surprisingly hanging around the playoff picture as the highest scoring team in the league.

Abrams is a massive part of that. He’s hitting .287/.370/.533 with 17 home runs and 13 steals across 332 plate appearances. He’s going to cruise past his previous career mark of 20 homers and is on track for what’d easily be a career season. Abrams has a habit of starting hot and tailing off in the second half, but this is a new level even compared to his excellent early-season numbers from 2024 and ’25.

His glove at shortstop still isn’t good, and there are likely teams that’d immediately move him to second base (or even center field) if they acquired him. The positional fit isn’t a huge deal when Abrams is driving a lineup the way he has.

The Nats control him for two seasons beyond this one. They’d get a m

Trade Deadline Outlook: New York Yankees

Anthony Franco — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 04:58:50 +0000

MLBTR’s team-by-team trade deadline preview series is back for a second year. The Trade Deadline Outlook series, exclusive for Front Office subscribers, launched last year. This year’s edition kicks off with an obvious buyer. Over the next month or so, each team will get an entry, broadly starting with the most obvious buyers and sellers. The more borderline teams will be kept for later so that their plans can become more clear.

The Yankees are atop the American League, holding a 2.5 game cushion over the Rays in the division. They’ve gone 12-8 this month despite losing Aaron Judge and probably have the best roster in the AL. They’re clear deadline buyers and have a few needs to address by August 3.

Record: 48-31 (99.6% playoff odds, per FanGraphs)

Buy Mode

Potential needs: Catcher, high-leverage relief, utility infield

The Yankees have gotten above-average production out of seven lineup spots this season. The lone exceptions are third base and catcher. Their outfield is as good as any team’s, while their first base duo of Ben Rice and Paul Goldschmidt has been fantastic. Jazz Chisholm Jr. has turned things around after a slow start, and they’re presumably fine at shortstop with Anthony Volpe.

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Twins Likely To Get Luke Keaschall Outfield Playing Time

Anthony Franco — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 04:06:49 +0000

For the first time in his MLB career, Luke Keaschall played the outfield on Saturday. The Twins sent him out to right field for the final inning of a 16-8 win over the Diamondbacks.

One mop-up appearance doesn’t mean much. Matt Olson and Rhys Hoskins have also been pressed into outfield action mid-game this season. However, Keaschall’s appearance seems to be the start of an attempt by Minnesota to expand his flexibility. Manager Derek Shelton told reporters Wednesday that the second-year player is likely to get more outfield work moving forward (via Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star-Tribune). He has been taking pregame outfield drills and made four left field appearances during Spring Training.

Keaschall has played nearly 1000 innings in his MLB career. They’ve all been at second base aside from the lone frame in right field. Keaschall is tied with Nasim Nuñez for the MLB lead among second basemen with eight errors this year. While Nuñez has compensated for the mistakes with excellent range, Keaschall hasn’t fared well by the public metrics. Defensive Runs Saved has him six runs below average, the fourth-worst mark at the position. He’s above only Kansas City’s Nick Loftin in Outs Above Average with a -5 grade.

The Twins aren’t moving Keaschall off second base, to be clear. It seems they’ll sprinkle in some outfield reps in addition to his primary work at second. Still, the middling defensive grades align with his general reputation as a bat-first player. He lived up to that as a rookie, batting .302/.382/.445 in a debut season limited to 49 games by a broken right arm. Keaschall hasn’t been nearly as productive in his second year. He’s hitting .249/.331/.325 with two homers over 302 trips to the plate. He’s still very difficult to strike out but hasn’t hit the ball with authority.

Keaschall has started 72 of Minnesota’s 82 games at the keystone. The other 10 starts have been scattered between Orlando Arcia, Tristan Gray, Kody Clemens and Royce Lewis. The latter three players remain on the MLB roster. The Twins are using Lewis mostly at first base and Clemens in right field. Gray, who has been overtaken as the starting shortstop by Ryan Kreidler, got the start at second base against Shohei Ohtani in Wednesday’s series finale with the Dodgers.

Clemens and Trevor Larnach have flanked Byron Buxton in the outfield most days. Larnach and Clemens each hit from the left side. Austin Martin, on hand as a right-handed complement, has gone cold since an excellent April. Keaschall is already in the lineup at second base versus lefty starters but could be an option to pinch hit and stay in the outfield against a left-handed reliever.

Larnach and Clemens could also come up in trade conversations if the Twins drop a few games back in the playoff picture. General manager Jeremy Zoll has already declared Buxton off the table, but Larnach stands as an apparent trade candidate if Minnesota sells.

Marlins To Option Connor Norby

Darragh McDonald — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 02:21:28 +0000

9:21pm: Pauley will come back up from Jacksonville in the corresponding move, reports Kevin Barral of Fish On First.

5:23pm: The Marlins are going to option infielder Connor Norby, reports Christina De Nicola of MLB.com. The corresponding move isn’t known yet. The Marlins are off tonight, so the full slate of moves might not be known until tomorrow.

Norby goes out on optional assignment for the first time in almost two years. The Marlins acquired him from the Orioles at the 2024 deadline, alongside Kyle Stowers in the Trevor Rogers trade. In the immediate aftermath of that trade, Norby was kept at Triple-A Jacksonville, but he was recalled on August 19th of that year. Apart from stints on the injured list, he has been on the big league roster since then.

Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to establish himself at the big league level. He got into 88 games last year, missing time due to a left oblique strain, a hamate fracture and a left quad strain. He slashed .251/.300/.389 for a 90 wRC+ and got poor marks for his third base defense.

He has mostly been deployed at first base this year, with mixed reviews for his glovework. Regardless of how one views the defense, the offensive bar is higher at that position and Norby hasn’t delivered. He has a .205/.313/.325 line and 82 wRC+ in 233 trips to the plate this year. His 10.3% walk rate is a nice jump from last year’s 5.3% pace, but his strikeout rate has also jumped from 26.7% to 30%.

Norby is a former second-round pick and top 100 prospect, so the Fish surely had higher hopes when they acquired him. He has shown the ability to be a much better hitter than this. From 2022 to 2024, he slashed .287/.365/.501 in the minors for a 125 wRC+. The Marlins will send him down to Jacksonville try to get him back on track.

For the club, they have clearly decided it’s time to shake up the first base spot. Christopher Morel was designated for assignment a few days ago, after hitting .162/.219/.206 in 73 plate appearances. Now Norby is removed from the active roster as well, though he still holds a 40-man spot.

Liam Hicks has played some first base this year but he is currently on the injured list. Stowers has been getting a decent amount of playing time at first this year and could stay there, while Heriberto Hernández, Owen Caissie and Griffin Conine cycle through the outfield corners and designated hitter spot.

It’s also possible the corresponding move impacts that outlook. Deyvison De Los Santos and Graham Pauley are both hitting well in the minors and could be recalled. Pauley is a strong third base defender and could take over that spot if he comes up, which would cut into the playing time of Leo Jiménez and Javier Sanoja. De Los Santos has third base experience but has only been playing first in the minors this year.

Turning back to Norby, the timing of this move is potentially notable for him. He came into this season with his service time clock at one year and 57 days, putting him 115 days shy of the two-year mark. Just over 90 days of this season have elapsed so far, meaning he hasn’t quite reached that threshold yet. If he struggles or get hurt and doesn’t get recalled at any point in the remainder of the campaign, his path to free agency would be delayed by one year.

Photo courtesy of Kyle Ross, Imagn Images

Marlins Outright Christopher Morel

Anthony Franco — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 01:37:35 +0000

The Marlins sent first baseman Christopher Morel outright to Triple-A Jacksonville, according to the MLB.com transaction tracker. Miami designated him for assignment over the weekend when Griffin Conine returned from hamstring surgery.

Morel will surely accept the assignment and remain in the organization. He has less than five years of service time, so he’d forfeit the remainder of his $2MM salary to test free agency. Teams passed on taking that money off Miami’s books.

Miami made four big league free agent signings last offseason, all on one-year deals. Chris Paddack and Morel have already been jettisoned from the roster. Their big acquisition, Pete Fairbanks, has a 6.75 earned run average over 24 innings. Lefty sinkerballer John King — signed for just $1.5MM on the eve of Spring Training — has been by far their best of the free agent pickups. King has given Miami 34 2/3 innings of 2.08 ERA ball while handling hitters of either handedness.

The Fish added Morel to take over first base even though he’d been coming off consecutive replacement level seasons. The position unsurprisingly remains an issue. Connor Norby, their leader in first base playing time, was just optioned to Triple-A this evening. Liam Hicks has had a breakout season but went on the injured list over the weekend with a lower back strain. Miami has used Kyle Stowers as their primary first baseman of late.

Miami has been the hottest team in baseball this month. They entered June eight games below .500 but are now 42-39 and within a game and a half of a Wild Card spot. It’s plausible they’ll approach the deadline looking to add a bat. Acquiring a first baseman would allow them to move Stowers back to his natural left field position.

Morel, who missed most of April after straining his oblique warming up on Opening Day, has appeared in 22 games this season. He hasn’t homered and is batting .162 with 28 strikeouts in 73 plate appearances. He’ll qualify for minor league free agency at the end of the season if Miami doesn’t call him back up.