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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" > <channel> <title>MLB Trade Rumors</title> <atom:link href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com</link> <description></description> <lastBuildDate>Sat, 05 Jul 2025 16:57:15 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en-US</language> <sy:updatePeriod> hourly </sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency> 1 </sy:updateFrequency> <generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.2</generator> <item> <title>Diamondbacks Activate Corbin Carroll From 10-Day IL</title> <link>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/07/diamondbacks-activate-corbin-carroll-from-10-day-il.html</link> <comments>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/07/diamondbacks-activate-corbin-carroll-from-10-day-il.html#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Mark Polishuk]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 05 Jul 2025 16:45:39 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Arizona Diamondbacks]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Transactions]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Corbin Carroll]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Tim Tawa]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=858080</guid> <description><![CDATA[Corbin Carroll is returning to the Diamondbacks’ lineup, as the club announced that the outfielder has been reinstated from the 10-day injured list. Utilityman Tim Tawa was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move. Carroll last played on June 18, when he was hit in the left wrist by a pitch from Blue Jays southpaw…]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/carroco02.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-05_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Corbin Carroll</a></strong> is returning to the Diamondbacks’ lineup, as the club announced that the outfielder has been reinstated from the 10-day injured list. Utilityman <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/tawati01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-05_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Tim Tawa</a></strong> was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move.</p><p>Carroll last played on June 18, when he was hit in the left wrist by a pitch from Blue Jays southpaw <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bruihju01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-05_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Justin Bruihl</a></strong>. The result was a chip fracture and a trip to the IL that officially began on June 21, though thankfully, it appears as though Carroll dodged the bullet of a more serious injury. Carroll felt good enough to play in an Arizona Complex League game on Thursday and he took part in a live batting practice session yesterday.</p><p>Before he was sidelined, Carroll was enjoying a huge season, and a return to the form he showed in winning NL Rookie of the Year honors in 2023. The 149 wRC+ Carroll has posted through 323 plate appearances this season is indeed even higher than his 132 wRC+ in 2023, and a big step up from his relatively disappointing 107 wRC+ last year. Carroll is hitting .255/.341/.573 with 20 homers and a league-best nine triples this season, also contributing strong baserunning and (in the view of the Outs Above Average metric) plus defensive in right field.</p><p>Getting Carroll back so quickly is a huge boost to the Diamondbacks, who remain on the outskirts of the playoff race with a 43-45 record. Arizona is 4.5 games back of the final NL wild card spot with three other teams sitting between the D’Backs and the Padres, who hold that last wild card berth. The Snakes will have to make up some serious ground in July to more properly get themselves into the hunt, and to potentially avoid a significant selloff at the deadline.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss></wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>1</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Dodgers Release Luis Garcia</title> <link>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/07/dodgers-release-luis-garcia.html</link> <comments>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/07/dodgers-release-luis-garcia.html#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Mark Polishuk]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 05 Jul 2025 15:51:50 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Los Angeles Dodgers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Transactions]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Luis Garcia]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=858045</guid> <description><![CDATA[The Dodgers have released Luis Garcia, according to the right-hander’s MLB.com profile page. Garcia was designated for assignment last week and (upon clearing waivers) had the right to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency, though L.A. streamlined that process by parting ways with the 38-year-old. Signed to a minor league contract this…]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Dodgers have released <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/garcilu03.shtml" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Luis Garcia</strong></a>, according to the right-hander’s <a href="https://www.mlb.com/player/luis-garcia-472610" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MLB.com profile page</a>. Garcia was designated for assignment last week and (upon clearing waivers) had the right to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency, though L.A. streamlined that process by parting ways with the 38-year-old.</p><p>Signed to a minor league contract this past winter, Garcia made the Dodgers’ Opening Day roster, and posted a 5.27 ERA over 27 1/3 innings with the club. The righty’s 4.25 SIERA was more respectable, as Garcia’s sky-high .388 BABIP greatly hampered his grounder-heavy approach. Bad batted-ball luck notwithstanding, Garcia also hurt himself by allowing a lot of hard contact, and walking batters at a 12.7% rate. That elevated walk rate was an unwelcome return to the control problems Garcia faced earlier in his career, though he had seemingly harnessed his control by posting a more palatable 7% walk rate from 2021-24.</p><p>Garcia missed about a month of the season due to an adductor strain, and made two final appearances for Los Angeles before he was DFA’ed. The 13-year veteran will now be changing addresses yet again after already pitching for seven different teams at the big league level over his lengthy career. This long track record figures to get Garcia another look from some team on a minors deal, and the reliever was still posting quality results as recently as the first half of 2024, before the deadline trade that sent Garcia from the Angels to the Red Sox.</p><p>If Garcia indeed signs elsewhere, new team would only owe him the MLB minimum salary for any time spent in the majors. That money would be subtracted from the remainder of Garcia’s $1.5MM salary for the 2025 season, which will be otherwise covered by the Dodgers.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss></wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>3</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Phillies Interested In Dennis Santana, David Bednar</title> <link>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/07/phillies-interested-in-dennis-santana-david-bednar.html</link> <comments>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/07/phillies-interested-in-dennis-santana-david-bednar.html#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Mark Polishuk]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 05 Jul 2025 14:58:30 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Philadelphia Phillies]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Pittsburgh Pirates]]></category> <category><![CDATA[David Bednar]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Dennis Santana]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=858063</guid> <description><![CDATA[It is no secret that the Phillies are looking to bolster their relief corps before the trade deadline, and to that end, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that the Phils have asked the Pirates about relievers Dennis Santana and David Bednar. Santana has been of interest to Philadelphia “for quite some time,” Hiles…]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It is no secret that the Phillies are looking to <a href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/06/phillies-trade-rumors-bullpen-help-relievers.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bolster their relief corps</a> before the trade deadline, and to that end, <a href="https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/pirates/2025/07/05/mlb-trade-deadline-rumors-pirates-mitch-keller-kebryan-hayes-bryan-reynolds/stories/202507050008" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette</a> reports that the Phils have asked the Pirates about relievers <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/santade01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-05_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Dennis Santana</a></strong> and <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bednada01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-05_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">David Bednar</a></strong>. Santana has been of interest to Philadelphia “for quite some time,” Hiles writes, though Bednar’s recent strong play has also gotten him onto the NL East team’s radar. <a href="https://x.com/ThePoniExpress/status/1939687399690326385" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Andrew Fillipponi of 93.7 The Fan radio</a> first mentioned the Phillies’ interest in Santana and Bednar last week, and noted that Philadelphia could look to acquire both relievers in a single trade.</p><p>MLBTR’s ranking of <a href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/07/top-40-trade-candidates-for-the-2025-deadline.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the top 40 trade deadline candidates</a> features Bednar (3rd) and Santana (9th) both in prominent positions, speaking to both their impressive performances in 2025, the <a href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/06/pirates-trade-rumors-mitch-keller-bryan-reynolds-oneil-cruz.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">likelihood</a> that the Pirates will indeed be deadline sellers, and the simple fact that basically every contender could use some bullpen help. The two right-handers are both scheduled to enter free agency after the 2026 season, so that extra year of arbitration control figures to up the Pirates’ asking price for either pitcher.</p><p>Santana’s rise from journeyman reliever to bullpen ace has been remarkable, as it was barely over a year ago that the Bucs claimed Santana off waivers from the Yankees in a transaction that drew little notice. After posting uninspiring numbers with four teams over parts of seven MLB seasons, Santana suddenly blossomed in Pittsburgh, with a 1.99 ERA, 25.16% strikeout rate, and 5.8% walk rate in 81 1/3 innings in a Pirates uniform. Santana has certainly been aided by a .206 BABIP this season since his 3.52 SIERA is over two runs higher than his 1.46 ERA, but Santana’s underlying metrics (particularly his walk rate and elite hard-contact rate) indicate that his success is no fluke.</p><p>Santana has mostly worked in a set-up role but briefly served as Pittsburgh’s closer when Bednar was optioned to Triple-A at the start of April. Between his struggles in 2024 and his early stumbles this year, Bednar looked miles removed from his past All-Star form, yet his brief stint in the minors got his career back on track. Bednar has a sparkling 1.88 ERA over the 28 2/3 innings since his recall, and his 34.7% strikeout rate is one of the best in baseball. On the other end of the batted-ball coin, Bednar had achieved this success despite a .343 BABIP, and his 2.27 SIERA is even lower than his full-season 2.73 ERA.</p><p>Either Bednar or Santana would be obvious upgrades for a Phillies team that ranks 24th of 30 teams in bullpen ERA (4.41). Closer <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/romanjo03.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-05_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jordan Romano</a></strong> has somewhat righted the ship after some major early-season struggles but isn’t the most reliable of late-inning options, while <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/alvarjo03.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-05_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jose Alvarado</a></strong> won’t be back from his 80-game PED suspension until August (and of course Alvarado isn’t eligible for postseason play). Since Philadelphia has one of the sport’s best rotations and the lineup is still as dangerous as ever, a sturdier bullpen may be the final piece the Phillies need to finally break through for the club’s first World Series title since 2008.</p><p>Considering how the bullpen has been a constant target area for a few years now, landing controllable relievers like Santana or Bednar would help the Phillies address the issue beyond just this season. Last season’s deadline saw the Phillies acquire impending free agent <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/e/estevca01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-05_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Carlos Estevez</a></strong> to strengthen the pen, yet after Estevez left to sign with the Royals, Philadelphia was somewhat left back at square one.</p><p>Bednar is the pricier of the two pitchers, as he is set to earn the remainder of his $5.9MM salary in 2025 before earning a raise in his final arb year. Santana <a href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/02/pirates-win-arbitration-hearing-over-dennis-santana.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lost an arbitration hearing</a> to the Pirates in February and thus earned a $1.4MM salary for 2025, making him quite the bargain given his production. This lower price tag could be one of the reasons why the Phillies (and surely other teams) have particular interest in Santana’s services. Because the Phillies are <a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/roster-resource/payroll/phillies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">projected</a> to be over the highest luxury-tax tier and this is their fourth year as tax-payors, any adds will come at over double the financial cost, given the associated 110% tax rate.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss></wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>28</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Mets Notes: Butto, Senga, Megill</title> <link>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/07/mets-notes-butto-senga-megill.html</link> <comments>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/07/mets-notes-butto-senga-megill.html#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Mark Polishuk]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 05 Jul 2025 14:01:59 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[New York Mets]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Notes]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Transactions]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Chris Devenski]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Jose Butto]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Kodai Senga]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Tylor Megill]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=858051</guid> <description><![CDATA[The Mets placed right-hander Jose Butto on the 15-day injured list on Friday, with a retroactive placement date of July 1. Right-hander Chris Devenski was called up from Triple-A to take Butto’s spot on the active roster. Butto is dealing with an undisclosed illness, and manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters (including the New York Post’s…]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Mets placed right-hander <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/buttojo01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-05_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jose Butto</a></strong> on the 15-day injured list on Friday, with a retroactive placement date of July 1. Right-hander <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/devench02.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-05_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Chris Devenski</a></strong> was called up from Triple-A to take Butto’s spot on the active roster. Butto is dealing with an undisclosed illness, and manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters (including <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/07/04/sports/jose-butto-placed-on-il-as-mets-injury-woes-continues/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the New York Post’s Mike Puma</a>) that the club expects to activate the righty for the first game back after the All-Star break.</p><p>Now in his fourth season in New York, Butto has been used as a full-time reliever for the first time in his MLB career and the bottom-line results have been solid. He has a 2.47 ERA over 43 2/3 innings and 31 appearances, albeit with a troublesome 11.2% walk rate and a 21.8% strikeout rate that is also below the league average. Butto’s 4.01 SIERA reflects the sizeable gap between his actual performance and expected performance, though he does have a strong 49.6% grounder rate, and very good chase and whiff rates despite his relative lack of strikeouts.</p><p>While Butto’s illness doesn’t appear to be too serious, his absence creates yet another hole in the Mets’ injury-riddled pitching staff. The Amazins now have 13 different pitchers on their IL, ranging from relatively minor situations like Butto to multiple hurlers who have been out for extended periods of time, or won’t pitch again in 2025.</p><p>One of the biggest names on the IL might be nearing a return, as <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sengako01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-05_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Kodai Senga</a></strong> is slated to pitch for Double-A Binghampton in a rehab outing today. Senga hasn’t pitched since June 12, when a right hamstring strain cut short a start against the Nationals. Since it was just a Grade 1 strain, however, the Mets were optimistic that Senga wouldn’t miss too much time, and it is possible Senga might need just the one rehab outing before rejoining the big league rotation.</p><p>After injuries sidelined Senga for almost all of the 2024 season, he has returned in good form this year, posting a 1.47 ERA over 13 starts and 73 2/3 innings. A 4.14 SIERA reveals that Senga isn’t nearly as dominant as his ERA suggests, though his <a href="https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/kodai-senga-673540?stats=statcast-r-pitching-mlb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Statcast</a> numbers are generally above average apart a 10.6% walk rate is only in the 17th percentile of all pitchers. Nonetheless, Senga’s relatively quick return is a huge boost to a Mets rotation that has been short-handed by injuries all season, let alone this second wave of health woes that have hit the staff in the last couple of weeks.</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/megilty01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-05_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Tylor Megill</a></strong> was one of those most recent absences, as the right-hander hit the 15-day IL in mid-June due to an elbow sprain. Despite the ominous nature of such injuries, Megill said at the time of the IL placement that he was only dealing with inflammation, and <a href="https://x.com/AnthonyDiComo/status/1941167840280850859" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo</a> wrote yesterday that a recent MRI showed that the inflammation had decreased to the point that Megill can resume throwing.</p><p>Since Megill has been shut down for three weeks, he’ll begin with some light work throwing off flat ground today, but the hope is that he won’t take too long to fully ramp up to starting readiness. Megill has a 3.95 ERA/3.61 SIERA in 68 1/3 innings and 14 starts for New York this season, with an outstanding 29.2% strikeout rate that helps cover for a subpar 10.8% walk rate.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss></wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>18</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Billy Hunter Passes Away</title> <link>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/07/billy-hunter-passes-away.html</link> <comments>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/07/billy-hunter-passes-away.html#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Mark Polishuk]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 05 Jul 2025 13:20:41 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Baltimore Orioles]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Obituaries]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Texas Rangers]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=858047</guid> <description><![CDATA[Former big league player, coach, and manager Billy Hunter passed away at age 97 earlier this week, the Orioles announced. Long associated with the Orioles organization for most of his career, Hunter was the last surviving player who played for both the St. Louis Browns (the Orioles’ previous incarnation) and for the franchise’s first season…]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Former big league player, coach, and manager <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/huntebi03.shtml" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Billy Hunter</strong></a> passed away at age 97 earlier this week, the Orioles announced. Long associated with the Orioles organization for most of his career, Hunter was the last surviving player who played for both the St. Louis Browns (the Orioles’ previous incarnation) and for the franchise’s first season in Baltimore in 1954.</p><p>A veteran of six MLB seasons overall, Hunter made his big league debut with the Browns in 1953 and was an All-Star as a rookie, quickly gaining notice for his strong glovework at shortstop. Following the now-Orioles’ 1954 debut season, the club included Hunter as part of the largest trade ever in terms of pure volume — a 17-player swap between the Orioles and Yankees that sent Hunter to the Bronx as part of a trade package that also included future Cy Young Award winner Bob Turley and World Series perfect game hero Don Larsen.</p><p>Hunter saw a good chunk of playing time at shortstop in 1955, but the Yankees went with longtime shortstop Phil Rizzuto down the stretch and into the postseason. Shifted into more of a clear backup role in 1956, Hunter nevertheless earned a ring for his contributions to the Yankees’ championship season, though he didn’t see any action during the 1956 World Series. New York then sent Hunter to the Athletics that offseason as part of another gigantic deal, this time a 14-player swap that saw such notables as Clete Boyer, Bobby Shantz, and Art Ditmar head to the Yankees. Hunter spent parts of the 1957 and 1958 seasons with the A’s, and finished his Major League career with 76 games with the Indians in 1958.</p><p>After a year of minor league ball, Hunter transitioned into a scouting role, and then worked as a minor league manager in the Orioles’ farm system. This work led to a job as Baltimore’s third base coach, a role Hunter held from 1964-77. He left the coaching staff in June 1977 to become the Rangers’ new manager, and Texas promptly went 60-33 with Hunter in the dugout. Though the Rangers still won 87 games in 1978, Hunter was fired before the final day of the regular season. That was his last gig in pro baseball, as Hunter went onto become a baseball coach and then athletic director at Towson State University.</p><p>Hunter appeared in 630 career games and hit .219/.264/.294 over 2052 plate appearances in the majors. His career resume includes that first-year All-Star nod, as well as three World Series titles — his 1956 ring with the Yankees, and two as a coach with Baltimore in 1966 and 70. The Orioles inducted Hunter into their franchise Hall of Fame in 1996.</p><p>We at MLB Trade Rumors send our condolences to Hunter’s family, friends, and loved ones.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss></wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>13</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Padres Outright Logan Gillaspie</title> <link>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/07/padres-designate-logan-gillaspie-for-assignment.html</link> <comments>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/07/padres-designate-logan-gillaspie-for-assignment.html#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Steve Adams]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 05 Jul 2025 12:04:20 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[San Diego Padres]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Transactions]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Logan Gillaspie]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=857414</guid> <description><![CDATA[TODAY: Gillaspie cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A El Paso earlier this week, the Padres announced. Gillaspie made the start for El Paso in yesterday’s game. JUNE 30: The Padres announced Monday that they’ve reinstated right-hander Logan Gillaspie from the 15-day injured list. Rather than add the out-of-options righty back to the active roster,…]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>TODAY</strong>: Gillaspie cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A El Paso earlier this week, the Padres announced. Gillaspie made the start for El Paso in yesterday’s game.</p><p><strong>JUNE 30</strong>: The Padres announced Monday that they’ve reinstated right-hander <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gillalo01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-06-30_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Logan Gillaspie</a></strong> from the 15-day injured list. Rather than add the out-of-options righty back to the active roster, San Diego has designated him for assignment.</p><p>Gillaspie, 28, has been out since late April due to an oblique injury. He appeared in three games for the Friars in 2025, tossing seven innings and holding opponents to just two runs. He did so with matching 12.9% strikeout and walk rates, however, and gave up quite a bit of loud contact along the way (92.1 mph average exit velocity, 45.5% hard-hit rate).</p><p>This is the fourth straight season in which Gillaspie has logged at least some big league time. He’s pitched a total of 44 2/3 MLB frames between the Orioles and Padres, logging a combined 4.63 earned run average with a 14.5% strikeout rate, 6% walk rate and 35.7% ground-ball rate. Gillaspie has averaged 95.1 mph on his four-seamer in his career (94.7 mph in 2025) and typically pairs the pitch with an 83-84 mph slider, an 87-88 mph changeup and an 82-83 mph curveball (in descending order of use). At least in his brief three-inning look this year, he’d also begun to mix in a cutter that sat 91.5 mph.</p><p>Gillaspie has worked exclusively as a reliever ever since reaching High-A. Originally signed by the Brewers as an undrafted free agent, he’s now pitched in in four Triple-A seasons as well, logging a 4.37 ERA, 23.3% strikeout rate and 8.1% walk rate in 129 2/3 innings. The Padres can trade Gillaspie or place him on waivers at any point in the next five days. Waivers are a 48-hour process, so his DFA will be resolved within a week’s time. Since Gillaspie has never been outrighted and doesn’t have three years of big league service, he’ll stick with the organization as a depth arm in Triple-A if he passes through waivers unclaimed.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss></wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>11</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Top 40 Trade Candidates For The 2025 Deadline</title> <link>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/07/top-40-trade-candidates-for-the-2025-deadline.html</link> <comments>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/07/top-40-trade-candidates-for-the-2025-deadline.html#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Steve Adams]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 05 Jul 2025 04:56:46 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[MLBTR Originals]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Newsstand]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Top Trade Deadline Candidates]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=857653</guid> <description><![CDATA[We’ve hit July and are less than a month from the trade deadline, so it’s an appropriate time for MLBTR’s first pass at which players could be on the move. While we’ve probably already seen the year’s biggest trade with the Rafael Devers stunner, the number of teams on the postseason bubble will make the…]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>We’ve hit July and are less than a month from the trade deadline, so it’s an appropriate time for MLBTR’s first pass at which players could be on the move. While we’ve probably already seen the year’s biggest trade with the <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/deverra01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Rafael Devers</a></strong> stunner, the number of teams on the postseason bubble will make the next few weeks particularly interesting. Trade volume tends not to ramp up until the second half of the month — both to allow fringe contenders more time to evaluate their playoff chances and because clubs primarily remain focused on the July 13-14 amateur draft.</p><p>As is the case for all our trade candidate lists, we’re trying to strike a balance between the player’s appeal and the likelihood that they’ll move. This isn’t purely a ranking of trade value or talent. There are players in the back half of the list who’d vault to the top if it were clear that they’d be moved. It’s an inherently subjective exercise.</p><p>This is a league-wide summary, but we’re also drilling down more specifically into each team with our new <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/06/2025-trade-deadline-outlook-series.html">Deadline Outlook</a> series for Front Office subscribers. We’ve already covered most of the clear buyers and sellers in that series and will continue checking off the bubble teams over the next couple weeks.</p><p>With that out of the way, onto the list! We’ll update and quite likely expand the rankings at least once or twice as the deadline draws near.</p><p><em>Stats are through play on July 2.</em></p><p><strong>1. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/alcansa01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Sandy Alcantara</a>, RHP, Marlins ($17MM in 2025; $17MM in 2026, $21MM club option/$2MM buyout for 2027)</strong></p><p>As a former Cy Young winner signed affordably on a rebuilding team that traded a dozen players last July, Alcantara has stood as the most prominent and obvious trade candidate for much of the season. A few factors have gummed the situation up more than expected. First and foremost, Alcantara not only hasn’t looked like his former self for much of the season — he simply hasn’t been a very good pitcher. The velocity is still strong, but Alcantara carried an 8.47 ERA into the month of June. His strikeout, walk and ground-ball rates all went in the wrong direction, relative to past levels.</p><p>Alcantara looked to be righting the ship when he rattled off four starts/23 innings with a 2.74 ERA and improved rate stats. He followed that encouraging stretch with a seven-run shellacking at the hands of the D-backs. Now, on top of his inconsistency, Miami recently won eight straight games. The Fish are still seven under .500, but they’ve graduated from “surefire seller” to merely “likely seller.” Alcantara is simultaneously the most talented and enigmatic pitcher on this list.</p><p><strong>2. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kellemi03.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Mitch Keller</a>, RHP, Pirates ($15MM in 2025; $16.5MM in 2026, $18MM in 2027, $20MM in 2028)</strong></p><p>A steady, mid-rotation workhorse who’s signed to a reasonable contract, Keller’s name has come up in connection to the Cubs and will surely garner interest from virtually every pitching-hungry team on the market. He’s working with a diminished strikeout rate this season but has missed more bats over the past two months (20.3 K%) than he did early in the year (16.8 K% through May 2).</p><p>The Pirates don’t need to move Keller, but they’re deep in young pitching and thin on young, impact position players. Flipping Keller for an interesting bat(s) and then reallocating his salary to a mid-range free agent has some merits. If the Pirates do move him, they’ll probably be seeking MLB-ready help, as the current front office regime is in year six of an increasingly interminable rebuilding process.</p><p><strong>3. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bednada01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">David Bednar</a>, RHP, Pirates ($5.9MM in 2025, arbitration-eligible through 2026)</strong></p><p>Bednar struggled in 2024, then pitched so poorly to begin the 2025 season that the Pirates optioned him to Triple-A Indianapolis. A few weeks later, he was back on the big league roster and back to peak form. Since his mid-April recall, Bednar has pitched 28 2/3 innings with a 1.88 ERA, a mammoth 36.6% strikeout rate and a 6.3% walk rate. He’s going to get a raise to the $8-10MM range in his final arbitration year, and the Pirates would probably prefer not to pay that, even for a hometown fan favorite. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/05/pirates-trade-rumors-david-bednar-bob-nutting-owner.html">Ownership has reportedly intervened</a> in past Bednar trade talks, but that doesn’t seem likely to be the case this time around — not in the wake of his roller-coaster calendar year and with just one additional (and expensive) season of club control remaining.</p><p><strong>4. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/o/ohearry01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Ryan O’Hearn</a>, 1B/DH, Orioles ($8MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)</strong></p><p>O’Hearn has gotten better every year since being traded to Baltimore in 2023 and now stands as one of the best bats not just on this list but in the entire American League. He’s hitting .295/.383/.471 (44% better than average, per wRC+) with 11 homers, 10 doubles, an 11% walk rate and just a 16.3% strikeout rate. O’Hearn is far better against righties than lefties. A contender with a righty-hitting platoon option could benefit greatly from plugging O’Hearn into the heart of its order.</p><p><strong>5. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/heanean01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Andrew Heaney</a>, LHP, Pirates ($5.25MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)</strong></p><p>In 2022, it was <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/anderty01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Tyler Anderson</a></strong>. In 2023, it was <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hillri01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Rich Hill</a></strong>. In 2024, <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/perezma02.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Martin Perez</a></strong>. This year’s veteran Pirates lefty du jour is the 34-year-old Heaney, who’s been an effective innings eater at the back of their rotation. Heaney’s velocity, strikeout rate and swinging-strike rate are all down relative to recent years, but he’s a veteran lefty who can solidify the fourth or fifth spot in a contender’s rotation before moving to the bullpen in the postseason. The Bucs have scaled back his slider usage and have Heaney throwing a sinker more frequently, so perhaps another club thinks that there’s more upside to miss bats if he reverts to his former usage rates. Heaney posted a 12% swinging-strike rate and fanned 23% of his opponents just last year in Texas.</p><p><strong>6. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mcmahry01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Ryan McMahon</a>, 3B, Rockies ($12MM in 2025; $16MM annually in 2026-27)</strong></p><p>The Rockies tend to resist selling their best players, particularly when they have multiple years of club control remaining. McMahon is no exception. They passed on truly making him available last year despite interest, then watched as McMahon torched his trade value over the remainder of the season and in the early portion of 2025.</p><p>McMahon got hot in early May, however, and while he’s slumped a bit over the past couple weeks, he looks a lot like the classic version of himself. Dating back to May 1, he’s slashing .258/.349/.478 with 10 homers, nine doubles and a triple. His strikeout rate in that span is almost 30%, but contact has long been an issue for the 30-year-old, so that’s nothing new. This looks like vintage McMahon — 20-homer pop with plus defense at the hot corner and plenty of strikeouts. We can never accurately predict what the Rockies will do, but if their current 37-win pace can’t convince them a change in approach is needed, perhaps nothing will. McMahon <span style="text-decoration: underline;">should</span> be available this time around, and Jon Heyman of The New York Post <a target="_blank" href="https://nypost.com/2025/07/03/sports/yankees-making-trade-calls-on-third-basemen-here-are-the-possibilities/">reported yesterday</a> that the Rox are more willing to listen than they have been previously.</p><p><strong>7. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sprinje01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jeffrey Springs</a>, LHP, Athletics ($10.5MM annually in 2025-26; $15MM club option/$750K buyout for 2027)</strong></p><p>The A’s traded for Springs over the winter, hoping they were buying low on a lefty who looked to have a quiet breakout with the 2022-23 Rays before blowing out his elbow. Instead, he’s pitched like a fourth starter. Springs’ velocity is down a mile per hour, and his strikeout and walk rates have both trended the wrong way since returning from surgery. He’s sitting on a 4.30 ERA but has looked better of late. Even if he’s only a fourth starter, his contract isn’t bad, and there could be upside for better performance as he further distances himself from surgery.</p><p><strong>8. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mullice01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Cedric Mullins</a>, OF, Orioles ($8.725MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)</strong></p><p>Mullins had a huge April but is hitting just .171/.215/.336 in 164 plate appearances since that time. His season-long batting line is down to right about league average. Mullins’ defensive ratings have dipped in recent years, but he’s one of the few center field options who could feasibly be on the trade market this summer. He entered the season as a pretty clear qualifying offer candidate, but if his current struggles continue, the O’s might not chance that — which only makes the notion of a trade more compelling.</p><p><strong>9. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/santade01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Dennis Santana</a>, RHP, Pirates ($1.4MM in 2025, arb-eligible through 2026)</strong></p><p>When the Pirates claimed Santana last June, few took notice. Jokes were made. Santana was a journeyman right-hander who’d ping-ponged around the league. The Pirates were looking to emerge from a lengthy rebuild and plucked a cheap power arm with an inconsistent track record off waivers.</p><p>Pittsburgh’s claim of Santana is a reminder that we never really know how even the most mundane transaction will pan out in this game. Since landing with the Pirates, Santana has pitched 80 2/3 innings with a 2.02 ERA, 25.5% strikeout rate, 5.6% walk rate and 41.3% ground-ball rate. He’s averaging 95.2 mph on his heater and proving near impossible to square up (86.1 mph average exit velocity, 4.3% barrel rate, 29.8% hard-hit rate). His lack of track record kept his arbitration price tag low. Santana now looks like a quality high-leverage arm whose salary amounts to relative peanuts. He has another season of club control remaining and probably won’t top $4MM. Nearly any bullpen-needy team would be happy to have him, and since he’s effectively found money with minimal control remaining, the Pirates should be more than willing to move him.</p><p><strong>10. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/birdja01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jake Bird</a>, RHP, Rockies (pre-arbitration in 2025, arb-eligible through 2028)</strong></p><p>Bird has worked to change the shape and speed of his slider in recent years, and he’s now throwing it more than either his sinker or curveball. The result is 48 innings with a terrific 2.63 ERA (2.96 SIERA). Bird has whiffed 29.1% of his opponents against a 9.5% walk rate. He’s “only” averaging 94.3 mph on his sinker, so he’s not necessarily a power arm by today’s standards, but he’s been extremely effective. Bird won’t reach arbitration until this offseason and is under club control through 2028. This is precisely the type of player the Rockies have resisted trading at peak value in the past. Will they change direction this time around? They should, given both the state of the organization and the fact that relief pitchers are notoriously volatile.</p><p><strong>11. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lugose01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Seth Lugo</a>, RHP, Royals ($15MM in 2025; $15MM player option for 2026)</strong></p><p>Lugo would have a case for the #1 spot on the list if he were a lock to be traded. He’s coming off a Cy Young runner-up finish and carries a 2.21 ERA through 15 starts this year. While he doesn’t have huge swing-and-miss stuff, he has proven capable of excelling as a starter and would fit well as the #2 or #3 pitcher in a postseason rotation. The Royals are hopeful of avoiding a sale, but they’ve dropped six games below .500 after a terrible June and are running out of time to get back on track.</p><p>The contract structure is the complicating factor. Lugo’s $15MM salary is a bargain for a pitcher of his caliber. He has a matching player option for 2026 that he’d almost certainly decline so long as he finishes this year healthy. That’s pure downside for an acquiring team, though. If Lugo gets injured in the final two months, they’re stuck paying that. He’d otherwise be able to walk next winter. Teams tend to be reluctant to acquire players whose deals have opt-out clauses, but there’ll be such a demand for starting pitching that someone should be willing to roll the dice and hope he stays healthy. They’ll want to price that downside into whatever they offer the Royals, which could make it tricky to find an agreeable prospect package.</p><p><strong>12. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/o/ozunama01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Marcell Ozuna</a>, DH, Braves ($16MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)</strong></p><p>It doesn’t seem as though the Braves will be all that keen on trading players controlled beyond the season, but Ozuna is a free agent who can’t be tendered a qualifying offer because he already received one earlier in his career. The 34-year-old slugger’s power output is down this year, but he’s still ripped 11 homers en route to a .242/.370/.389 batting line (116 wRC+). This year’s 16.7% walk rate is a career best, and Ozuna’s batted-ball metrics on Statcast remain excellent.</p><p><strong>13. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sorokmi01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Michael Soroka</a>, RHP, Nationals ($9MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)</strong></p><p>Soroka signed a one-year, $9MM free agent contract to work out of Washington’s rotation. He missed a month early in the season with a biceps strain but has been healthy since the second week of May. A 4.70 ERA through 59 2/3 innings isn’t eye-opening, but he’s striking out more than 26% of opponents. Soroka posted big strikeout numbers in a relief role for the White Sox late last season, so he could be a target for teams seeking rotation or bullpen help.</p><p><strong>14. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/marquge01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Germán Márquez</a>, RHP, Rockies ($10MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)</strong></p><p>After an ugly start to his season, Márquez is back on track. He’s held opponents to a 2.70 ERA over his past eight starts — a sample of 43 1/3 innings — although that includes six unearned runs at the hands of the Dodgers on June 24. He’s fanned 20.9% of his opponents and issued walks at a sharp 5.8% clip in that time. Márquez isn’t missing as many bats, generating as many grounders or throwing quite as hard as he did at his peak, but he’s an affordable 30-year-old righty with a nice track record who could potentially benefit from finally getting out of Coors Field. At his best, in 2018, Márquez posted a 3.77 ERA (3.10 SIERA) and fanned more than 28% of his opponents. He’s probably not going to get back to that level, but there’s some track record and a bit of upside here.</p><p><strong>15. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/civalaa01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Aaron Civale</a>, RHP, White Sox ($8MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end; Brewers covering portion of the salary)</strong></p><p>Civale was bounced from the Brewers’ rotation earlier this summer when they called up top prospect <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/misioja01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jacob Misiorowski</a></strong>. Given that he’s a career-long starter and impending free agent, he requested a trade, and the Brewers/White Sox accommodated him. The South Siders are surely hoping to be able to flip Civale for more than they gave up (non-tender candidate <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/v/vaughan01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Andrew Vaughn</a></strong>). He’s been a passable if unspectacular rotation option since returning from an early IL stint, logging a 3.86 ERA, 17.5% strikeout rate and 9.7% walk rate in seven starts (35 innings). A team just looking for a competent starter to keep them in the game every fifth day could flip a nominal prospect to the White Sox to get something done.</p><p><strong>16. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/housead01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Adrian Houser</a>, RHP, White Sox ($1.35MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)</strong></p><p>Speaking of White Sox starters and nominal returns, Houser has done well to rebuild some value after a brutal season with the Mets. The longtime Brewers hurler signed a big league deal in late May after being granted his release by the Rangers. He’s responded with seven starts and 42 2/3 innings of 1.90 ERA ball. Houser’s 18.1% strikeout rate, 8.2% walk rate and 46.8% grounder rate don’t support that success, which is propped up by a sky-high 87% strand rate that he won’t sustain. That said, he’s averaging a career-best 95 mph on his four-seamer and getting good results on a curveball he’s throwing at a career-high clip, so there are some tangible changes to support an ERA in the low 4.00s.</p><p><strong>17. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?pid=sanchje02,sanchje01&search=Jesús+Sánchez&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jesus Sanchez</a>, OF, Marlins ($4.5MM in 2025, arb-eligible through 2027)</strong></p><p>At $4.5MM, Sanchez is the highest-paid position player on Miami’s roster (not counting the dead money owed to <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/garciav01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Avisail Garcia</a></strong>). He’s a former top prospect who has settled in as a league-average right fielder. Sanchez has double-digit home run power and serviceable but hardly elite on-base skills. It’s tough to sell him having a much higher ceiling as he nears his 28th birthday, but he’s a straightforward target for teams that need to raise the floor in the corner outfield. He’s still reasonably affordable and controllable for two years after this one, though his expected arbitration salary may climb to a point beyond what teams are willing to pay by 2027.</p><p><strong>18. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/finneky01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Kyle Finnegan</a>, RHP, Nationals ($6MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)</strong></p><p>The Nats didn’t trade Finnegan last summer, perhaps in part because of some struggles leading up to the trade deadline. He was non-tendered after an awful second half but re-signed on a one-year deal and has been solid in 2025. Finnegan’s velocity and strikeout rate are down, but he’s still sporting a 2.61 ERA and 18 saves on the season. The dip in strikeouts and a poor 8.7% swinging-strike rate are going to impact his trade value, but the Nats should be able to flip him for a decent return.</p><p><strong>19. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lowena01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Nathaniel Lowe</a>, 1B, Nationals ($10.3MM in 2025, arb-eligible through 2026)</strong></p><p>A steadily productive first baseman for the Rangers from 2021-24 when he batted a combined .274/.359/.432 (124 wRC+), Lowe has taken a significant step back following an offseason trade to the Nationals. He’s shown signs of life recently, swatting four homers and tallying six multi-hit games since June 17. If Lowe can maintain this hot streak for another four weeks, he’ll be able to largely attribute his sub-par production to an anomalous six-week stretch from early May to mid-June. There’s a nice track record here, and Lowe should be popular in a market that’s light on impact bats.</p><p><strong>20. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/litteza01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Zack Littell</a>, RHP, Rays ($5.72MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)</strong></p><p>The Rays are in the thick of the AL East race and are not going to be true “sellers.” They never close the door on creative trade scenarios, though, and they may feel they can part with Littell without dealing a huge hit to their playoff odds. He’s an elite strike-thrower who carries a 3.61 ERA over 17 starts. Most teams probably view him as a low-end #3 or solid fourth starter. The Rays have a strong rotation and still have a shot to welcome <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mcclash01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Shane McClanahan</a></strong> back in the final month or two. Littell probably walks in free agency next offseason. Cashing him in for a controllable asset on a pitching-starved market while adding elsewhere on the roster would fit the Rays’ usual operating procedure.</p><p><strong>21. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/severlu01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Luis Severino</a>, RHP, Athletics ($15MM in 2025; $20MM in 2026, $22MM player option for 2027)</strong></p><p>The A’s brought Severino to West Sacramento on a three-year deal, and it seems like all parties involved might prefer a mulligan. Severino has recently been outspoken about the unfavorable home conditions at Sutter Health Park, where he’s pitched to a 6.79 ERA compared to a 3.04 mark on the road. Trading Severino won’t be an easy feat. The A’s overpaid to get him in the first place, and Severino is now sitting on a 5.09 ERA with a 15.4% strikeout rate that ranks 68th among 70 qualified major league starting pitchers. On top of that, he has an opt-out following the 2026 season.</p><p><strong>22. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/roberlu01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Luis Robert Jr.</a>, OF, White Sox ($15MM in 2025; $20MM club options/$2MM buyout for 2026-27)</strong></p><p>The Sox have been hopeful that the oft-injured Robert will return to his brilliant 2023 form and build up some trade value, but he keeps trending in the opposite direction. He’s still just 27 years old, but dating back to Opening Day 2024, Robert is lugging a .209/.275/.354 batting line around with him. He landed on the injured list with a hamstring strain over the weekend. He’s still a plus baserunner with strong defensive tools, but what once looked like a pair of bargain $20MM options on his contract now look unlikely to be exercised. The Sox are willing to pay down some of this year’s $15MM salary to facilitate a trade, and that might be their only true means of extracting any sort of return.</p><p><strong>23. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/beninan01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Andrew Benintendi</a>, OF, White Sox ($16.5MM annually in 2025-26; $14.5MM in 2027)</strong></p><p>He’s slumping a bit recently, but Benintendi has quietly returned to his ways as a productive hitter since last June. Over his past 557 plate appearances, Benintendi is batting .247/.315/.468 with 27 home runs. He’s been a power-over-hit corner outfielder with deteriorating defensive value for more than a calendar year now. No one is taking the full freight of Benintendi’s remaining contract, but he’s a more productive hitter than Robert and the Sox are willing to eat money to trade them both. Would another team bite if the Sox ate the rest of this year’s salary and paid Benintendi down to $5-7MM per season in 2026-27?</p><p><strong>24. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/n/naylojo01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Josh Naylor</a>, 1B, D-backs ($10.9MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)</strong></p><p>Naylor, who clubbed 31 homers for the 2024 Guardians, is striking out at a career-low 13% clip. He’s ripped 10 homers and already tied a career-high with 10 stolen bases. Naylor walks less than O’Hearn but has shown slightly more pop and makes even more contact. They’re comparable players, however, and Naylor’s .304/.359/.474 batting line (130 wRC+) would be a jolt to any team seeking help at first base or designated hitter. The D-backs aren’t selling just yet, but they’ve lost <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/burneco01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Corbin Burnes</a></strong>, <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?pid=martiju01,martin014jus&search=Justin+Martinez&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Justin Martinez</a></strong> and <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/pukaj01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">A.J. Puk</a></strong> for the season, while <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/carroco02.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Corbin Carroll</a></strong> (broken wrist) and <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/morenga01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Gabriel Moreno</a></strong> (broken finger) are also on the shelf. Their performance over the next two weeks is crucial.</p><p><strong>25. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/suareeu01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Eugenio Suárez</a>, 3B, D-backs ($15MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)</strong></p><p>Suárez has continually made the Mariners rue parting ways with him following the 2023 season. Faced with a reduced payroll, Seattle shipped him to Arizona and has seen him shake off a poor start to the 2024 campaign to post a combined .255/.320/.502 slash with the Snakes. He’s already belted 26 home runs this season. Suárez would be one of the prizes of the rental market if the Diamondbacks sell and could both solidify third base and fill a vital heart-of-the-order need for contenders seeking third base help.</p><p><strong>26. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/galleza01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Zac Gallen</a>, RHP, D-backs ($13.5MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)</strong></p><p>The 2025 season wasn’t supposed to go like this for Gallen, an impending free agent who finished top-five in Cy Young balloting in both 2022 and ’23 before posting a 3.65 ERA in an injury-shortened 2024 campaign. His run of excellent results has been snapped, decisively, by a 5.45 ERA on the season. The quality start he tossed last time out was just his sixth in 18 tries. Gallen hasn’t lost much velocity, but his command has eroded both in terms of walk rate and precision within the zone, leading to a glut of home runs. The track record is so good (3.29 ERA in 815 innings from 2019-24) that Gallen could quickly rebuild some trade value with a few more good outings. Of course, the D-backs will hope those good outings come around and propel them back into contention.</p><p><strong>27. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cabreed02.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Edward Cabrera</a>, RHP, Marlins ($1.95MM in 2025, arb-eligible through 2028)</strong></p><p>Cabrera is a former top pitching prospect whose MLB career has been inconsistent. He has shown big stuff and bat-missing ability but had been plagued by well below-average command for his first few seasons. He’s showing signs of putting it together at age 27, turning in a 3.41 ERA through 71 1/3 innings. Even that is weighed down by a pair of April clunkers. Cabrera has allowed two or fewer earned runs in nine of his past 10 starts and carries a 2.05 mark with a manageable 9% walk rate since the beginning of May. The Marlins cheaply control him for three seasons beyond this one, so they’re not facing the same financial pressure to cash him in as they are with Alcantara. This may come down to whether the front office genuinely believes he’s amidst a breakout or feels he’s pitching at an unsustainable level and would rather look to sell high.</p><p><strong>28. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/tauchmi01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Mike Tauchman</a>, OF, White Sox ($1.95MM in 2025, arb-eligible through 2026)</strong></p><p>A low-cost pickup of Tauchman after he was non-tendered by the Cubs has proven wise for the South Siders. He has had two IL stints due to a strain in his right hamstring but has produced a .262/.350/.443 slash in 140 plate appearances when healthy. Tauchman has a .358 OBP in nearly 900 plate appearances dating back to 2023, and he’s been productive against lefties and righties alike.</p><p><strong>29. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/dominse01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Seranthony Dominguez</a>, RHP, Orioles ($8MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)</strong></p><p>The hard-throwing Dominguez is sporting a career-high 32.4% strikeout rate but also a career-worst 14.4% walk rate. He’s also sporting a 3.15 ERA — his third sub-4.00 ERA in the past four seasons. Dominguez has a career 3.53 ERA with 39 saves and 69 holds.</p><p><strong>30. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sotogr01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Gregory Soto</a>, LHP, Orioles ($5.35MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)</strong></p><p>Another of Baltimore’s impending free agents, Soto is a former All-Star closer who is both tantalizing and frustrating. He has rare velocity from the left side, averaging around 97 MPH on both his sinker and four-seam fastball. The command comes and goes, but he has punched out nearly 28% of opposing hitters and has pitched well since a rough April. He carries a 3.72 ERA with a near-31% strikeout rate in 19 1/3 innings since the start of May.</p><p><strong>31. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mortoch02.shtml"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Charlie Morton</span></a>, SP, Orioles ($15MM in 2025, free agent at season’s end)</strong></p><p>The 41-year-old Morton had a horrendous start to his Baltimore tenure, giving up 29 runs across 26 2/3 innings through the end of April. That ensures he’s going to have a poor overall stat line and obscures that he has pitched quite well for the last six weeks. Morton found his footing amidst a brief stint in the bullpen in May. He drew back into the rotation on May 26 and has posted a 2.90 ERA with a 27% strikeout rate over his last six starts. He’s still sitting in the 94-95 MPH range on his fastball and has a near-11% swinging strike rate. The season-long 5.63 ERA is still ugly, but a strong July would lend more credence to the idea that he’s back to his mid-rotation form after a fluke month.</p><p><strong>32. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kittran01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Andrew Kittredge</a>, RHP, Orioles ($9MM in 2025; $9MM club option/$1MM buyout for 2026)</strong></p><p>Kittredge missed two months due to a knee injury but has fired 18 solid innings since his debut. His 4.50 ERA is pedestrian, but he’s fanned 23.8% of his opponents against a 7.5% walk rate. As is often the case for relievers with small samples of work, a significant portion of the damage against Kittredge came in one appearance wherein he served up four runs to the Rays. Kittredge has a 2.66 ERA in exactly 200 innings since 2020, and he’s controllable into 2026 via a reasonably priced club option.</p><p><strong>33. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/laurera01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Ramon Laureano</a>, OF, Orioles ($4MM in 2025; $6.5MM club option for 2026)</strong></p><p>Laureano has been the inverse of Mullins in 2025; after an awful first month, he’s been absolutely on fire, slashing .313/.393/.550 over his past 150 plate appearances. It’s his most productive stretch since returning from an 80-game PED ban in 2021. Laureano has far better career numbers versus lefties, but he’s been crushing right-handed pitching as well in 2025.</p><p><strong>34. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/garciad02.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Adolis Garcia</a>, OF, Rangers ($9.25MM in 2025, arb-eligible through 2026)</strong></p><p>Garcia’s production has declined sharply since his 2023 postseason heroics. He hit .224/.284/.400 a year ago and is down to a .232/.276/.393 slash with 10 homers this season. He’d need a big second half to convince the Rangers to tender him an eight-figure contract for his final season of arbitration. If they expect to move on during the offseason regardless, Texas could shop Garcia as a change-of-scenery candidate. That’d be true even if they don’t commit to selling, as a trade would open more spending room beneath the luxury tax threshold as they try to inject some life into a mediocre offense.</p><p><strong>35. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bendean01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Anthony Bender</a>, RHP, Marlins ($1.42MM in 2025, arb-eligible through 2027)</strong></p><p>Bender’s strikeout rate has cratered from 25.9% in 2024 to just over 18% this season. His fastball, which averaged 98 mph back in 2022, is down to “just” 95.9 mph in 2025. Those red flags notwithstanding, Bender touts a 2.19 ERA in 37 frames for the Fish. He has a career 3.12 mark in 170 1/3 innings, and he’s controlled an additional two years beyond the current season.</p><p><strong>36. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/fairbpe01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Pete</a></span><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/fairbpe01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"> Fairbanks</a>, RHP, Rays ($3.82MM in 2025; $8MM club option/$1MM buyout for 2026)</strong></p><p>Fairbanks is having another solid season as Tampa Bay’s top high-leverage arm. He owns a 2.45 ERA with 15 saves in 17 opportunities across 34 appearances. He’s getting grounders at a 50% clip but has seen his once excellent strikeout rate fall to a career-low 21.2%. That’s not much of a concern while he’s playing on a bargain salary that checks in below $4MM. Fairbanks’ deal contains a more expensive club option for next year. He has already boosted its value to $8MM and is trending towards pushing it into eight figures based on his appearance and games finished totals. That’d be a heavy price for the Rays to pay a reliever. An offseason trade may be more likely with the team fighting for a playoff spot, but Tampa Bay probably wouldn’t close the door on a deadline deal for the right price.</p><p><strong>37. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/duranja01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jarren Duran</a>, OF, Red Sox ($3.85MM in 2025, arb-eligible through 2028)</strong></p><p>Duran is a season removed from a top-10 MVP finish when he hit .285/.342/.492 while appearing in 160 games. His numbers are down this year, as he carries a league-average .253/.312/.409 slash in nearly 400 plate appearances. Duran almost never misses a game and has 20-homer upside. He’s an excellent baserunner who has shown the ability to play a plus left field — though the defensive metrics differ on his performance this season. The optics of trading him within six weeks of dealing Devers would be terrible. Still, the Red Sox recently added top prospect <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/anthoro01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Roman Anthony</a></strong> to a heavily left-handed outfield. They could get a haul for Duran at three and a half seasons of control.</p><p><strong>38. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/abreuwi02.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Wilyer Abreu</a>, OF, Red Sox (pre-arb in 2025, arb-eligible through 2029)</strong></p><p>The same logic about Boston’s outfield applies to Abreu. He hasn’t shown quite the ceiling that Duran did in 2024 but he’s having the better ’25 season of the two. Abreu is already at a career-high 17 homers with a .261/.329/.506 line in 76 games. Most of that has come in a platoon capacity, as he hasn’t had much of a chance to improve upon his lifetime .198/.274/.302 slash against left-handed pitching. Abreu is still a year from arbitration and controllable for four seasons beyond this one. The Sox would demand a significant return even if he’s more of a strong-side platoon bat than a true All-Star caliber everyday player.</p><p><strong>39. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/reynobr01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Bryan Reynolds</a>, OF, Pirates ($12MM in 2025; $14MM in 2026, $15MM per year from 2027-30 with $2MM buyout on 2031 club option)</strong></p><p>Reynolds is only two seasons into a franchise-record seven-year, $100MM contract extension. He’s having a down year, hitting .237/.301/.393 with 10 homers in what would easily be the worst 162-game season of his career. Reynolds’ batted ball metrics are still impressive, though, and there’d certainly be teams willing to bet on the track record. If another team is willing to absorb most or all of the contract, would the Pirates be willing to sell low to clear the money? They’re reportedly only making <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/skenepa01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Paul Skenes</a></strong> and franchise legend <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mccutan01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Andrew McCutchen</a></strong> truly untouchable, but this would be another blow to a lineup that already can’t score.</p><p><strong>40. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cruzon01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Oneil Cruz</a>, OF, Pirates (pre-arb in 2025, arb-eligible through 2028)</strong></p><p>Pittsburgh’s toolsy center fielder was also notably excluded from the reported list of Pirates’ untouchables. That doesn’t make a trade likely, but there’ll certainly be teams that try to pull him from Pittsburgh. Cruz’s defensive miscues and big strikeout totals are frustrating, but he brings as much raw power as anyone this side of <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/judgeaa01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Aaron Judge</a></strong>. He’s on pace to surpass 40 stolen bases and could approach or exceed 30 homers in a relative down season. He’s playing for barely more than the league minimum and controllable for three seasons after this one.</p><p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Players to Watch on Fringe Contenders/Playoff Hopefuls</strong></span></p><p><strong>Angels: <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/anderty01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Tyler Anderson</a></strong>, LHP; <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/janseke01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Kenley Jansen</a></strong>, RHP; <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/moncayo01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Yoan Moncada</a></strong>, IF; <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rengilu01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Luis Rengifo</a></strong>, IF</p><p><strong>Athletics: <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/u/uriaslu01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Luis Urias</a></strong>, 2B</p><p><strong>Braves: </strong><strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/i/iglesra01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Raisel Iglesias</a></strong>, RHP; <a target="_blank" href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/murphse01.shtml"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Sean Murphy</strong></span></a>, C</p><p><strong>Cardinals: </strong><strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/feddeer01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Erick Fedde</a></strong>, RHP; <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/helslry01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Ryan Helsley</a></strong>, RHP; <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/matzst01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Steven Matz</a></strong>, LHP; <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mikolmi01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Miles Mikolas</a></strong>, RHP</p><p><strong>Diamondbacks: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/beeksja02.shtml"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Jalen Beeks</span></a></strong>, LHP; <a target="_blank" href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kellyme01.shtml"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Merrill Kelly</span></strong></a>, RHP; <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/millesh01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Shelby Miller</a></strong>, RHP</p><p><strong>Guardians: </strong><strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hedgeau01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Austin Hedges</a></strong>, C; <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/junisja01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jakob Junis</a></strong>, RHP; <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/santaca01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Carlos Santana</a></strong>, 1B; <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sewalpa01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Paul Sewald</a></strong>, RHP; <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/thomala02.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Lane Thomas</a></strong>, OF</p><p><strong>Marlins: </strong><strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/fauchca01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Calvin Faucher</a></strong>, RHP; <a target="_blank" href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/forteni01.shtml"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Nick Fortes</strong></span></a>, C; <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/henriro01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Ronny Henriquez</a></strong>, RHP; <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/q/quantca01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Cal Quantrill</a></strong>, RHP</p><p><strong>Nationals: <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rosaram01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Amed Rosario</a></strong>, IF</p><p><strong>Orioles: <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sanchga02.shtml">Gary Sanchez</a></span></strong>, C</p><p><strong>Pirates: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/falteba01.shtml"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Bailey Falter</span></a></strong>, LHP <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/ferguca01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Caleb Ferguson</a></strong>, LHP; <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hayeske01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Ke’Bryan Hayes</a></strong>, 3B; <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kineris01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Isiah Kiner-Falefa</a></strong>, SS</p><p><strong>Rangers: </strong><strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/armstsh01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Shawn Armstrong</a></strong>, RHP; <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/corbipa01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Patrick Corbin</a></strong>, LHP; <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/heimjo01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jonah Heim</a></strong>, C; <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/higasky01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Kyle Higashioka</a></strong>, C; <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?pid=jackslu01,jackso008luk,jackso007luk&search=Luke+Jackson&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Luke Jackson</a></strong>, RHP; <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?pid=martich02,martin022chr&search=Chris+Martin&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Chris Martin</a></strong>, RHP; <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/milneho01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Hoby Milner</a></strong>, LHP</p><p><strong>Rays: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/morelch01.shtml"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Christopher Morel</span></a></strong>, LF; <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wallsta01.shtml">Taylor Walls</a></span></strong>, SS</p><p><strong>Reds: </strong><strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/haysau01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Austin Hays</a></strong>, OF; <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/luxga01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Gavin Lux</a></strong>, INF/OF; <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?pid=martini01,martin027nic&search=Nick+Martinez&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Nick Martinez</a></strong>, RHP; <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/paganem01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Emilio Pagan</a></strong>, RHP; <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rogerta01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Taylor Rogers</a></strong>, LHP; <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/singebr01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Brady Singer</a></strong>, RHP; <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/suterbr01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Brent Suter</a></strong>, LHP</p><p><strong>Red Sox: </strong><strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/buehlwa01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Walker Buehler</a></strong>, RHP; <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/chapmar01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Aroldis Chapman</a></strong>, LHP; <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/giolilu01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Lucas Giolito</a></strong>, RHP</p><p><strong>Rockies: <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/e/estrath01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Thairo Estrada</a></strong>, 2B; <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/feltnry01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Ryan Feltner</a></strong>, RHP</p><p><strong>Royals: </strong><strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/e/estevca01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Carlos Estevez</a></strong>, RHP; <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/i/indiajo01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jonathan India</a></strong>, INF/OF; <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lorenmi01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Michael Lorenzen</a></strong>, RHP; <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/schrejo01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">John Schreiber</a></strong>, RHP</p><p><strong>Twins: </strong><strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/baderha01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Harrison Bader</a></strong>, OF; <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/castrwi01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Willi Castro</a></strong>, INF/OF; <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/couloda01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Danny Coulombe</a></strong>, LHP; <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/francty01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Ty France</a></strong>, 1B; <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/paddach01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Chris Paddack</a></strong>, RHP</p><p>Currently on the injured list: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/andujmi01.shtml"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Miguel Andujar</strong></span></a>, 3B/OF (Athletics); <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/e/eflinza01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Zach Eflin</a></strong>, RHP (Orioles); <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mountry01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Ryan Mountcastle</a></strong>, 1B (Orioles); <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mahlety01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Tyler Mahle</a></strong>, RHP (Rangers); <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/grayjo02.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jon Gray</a></strong> (Rangers); <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mccorch01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-03_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Chas McCormick</a></strong>, OF (Astros)</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss></wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>144</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Orioles Outright Matt Bowman, Emmanuel Rivera</title> <link>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/07/orioles-outright-matt-bowman-emmanuel-rivera.html</link> <comments>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/07/orioles-outright-matt-bowman-emmanuel-rivera.html#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Darragh McDonald]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 05 Jul 2025 04:38:26 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Baltimore Orioles]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Transactions]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Emmanuel Rivera]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Matt Bowman]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=858040</guid> <description><![CDATA[The Orioles announced today that right-hander Matt Bowman and infielder Emmanuel Rivera have cleared outright waivers and accepted assignments to Triple-A Norfolk. Both players had been designated for assignment in recent days. Bowman, 34, signed a minor league deal with the club in December. Since then, he has bounced on and off the club’s roster.…]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Orioles announced today that right-hander <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bowmama01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-05_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Matt Bowman</a></strong> and infielder <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/riverem01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-05_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Emmanuel Rivera</a></strong> have cleared outright waivers and accepted assignments to Triple-A Norfolk. Both players had been designated for assignment in recent days.</p><p>Bowman, 34, signed a minor league deal with the club in December. Since then, he has bounced on and off the club’s roster. Four times this year, he has been selected to the roster, designated for assignment, cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to the Tides.</p><p>Around those transactions, he has thrown 23 1/3 innings for the O’s with a 5.79 earned run average, 15.7% strikeout rate, 5.6% walk rate and 34.6% ground ball rate. For his career, he now has 239 1/3 big league innings under his belt with a 4.32 ERA, 18.7% strikeout rate, 8% walk rate and 52.4% ground ball rate.</p><p>The constant shuttling might be unwelcome for some but it appears Bowman is content with his relationship with the Orioles, as he has the right to reject outright assignments but hasn’t done so this year. The O’s seem likely to be deadline sellers later this month and have a number of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/07/top-40-trade-candidates-for-the-2025-deadline.html">trade candidates</a> on their pitching staff, so perhaps Bowman can get a more stable role in the final two months of the schedule.</p><p>Rivera, 29, has between three and five years of major league service time. That means he has the right to reject an outright assignment but would have to forfeit his remaining salary commitments in order to do exercise that right. He and the club avoided arbitration in the winter by agreeing to a $1MM salary.</p><p>The combination of that contractual situation and his out-of-options status has led to him also bouncing on and off the Baltimore roster, with this being his third outright of the year. Around those transactions, he has posted a .229 /299/.271 batting line while providing solid defense at third base, along with occasional appearances at the other infield corner.</p><p>Similar to Bowman, he could get more regular playing time down the stretch. The O’s could perhaps move corner infielders like <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/o/ohearry01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-05_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Ryan O’Hearn</a></strong>, <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mountry01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-05_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Ryan Mountcastle</a></strong> and/or <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/u/uriasra01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-05_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Ramón Urías</a></strong> in the coming weeks.</p><p><em>Photo courtesy of Reggie Hildred, Imagn Images</em></p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss></wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>2</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Cubs Sign Ryan Jensen To Minor League Deal</title> <link>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/07/cubs-sign-ryan-jensen-to-minor-league-deal.html</link> <comments>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/07/cubs-sign-ryan-jensen-to-minor-league-deal.html#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Darragh McDonald]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 05 Jul 2025 04:11:45 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Chicago Cubs]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Minnesota Twins]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Transactions]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Phil Bickford]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Ryan Jensen]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=858036</guid> <description><![CDATA[The Cubs have signed right-hander Ryan Jensen to a minor league deal, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He had been in the Twins’ system but was released a little over a week ago. The Cubs also released right-hander Phil Bickford, according to his tracker. Jensen, 27, was a first-round pick of the Cubs…]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Cubs have signed right-hander <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=jensen002rya&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-05_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Ryan Jensen</a></strong> to a minor league deal, according to his <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlb.com/player/ryan-jensen-686754?stats=career-r-pitching-minors&year=2025">transactions tracker</a> at MLB.com. He had been in the Twins’ system but was released a little over a week ago. The Cubs also released right-hander <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bickfph01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-05_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Phil Bickford</a></strong>, according to his <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlb.com/player/phil-bickford-641360">tracker</a>.</p><p>Jensen, 27, was a first-round pick of the Cubs back in 2019. On his way up the minor league ladder, significant control problems seemed to get in his way. From 2019 to 2022, he tossed 151 2/3 minor league innings with a 4.04 earned run average. He struck out 26.3% of batters faced and got ground balls on more than half the balls in play he allowed but he also gave out walks at a 13.1% pace.</p><p>Despite the control problems, the Cubs gave him a 40-man spot in November of 2022, not wanting him to be plucked in the Rule 5 draft. Less than a year later, he was on the waiver wire, getting claimed by the Mariners. He would subsequently go to the Marlins and Twins, also on waiver claims, until the Twins passed him through waivers in February of last year.</p><p>Along the way, the control problems haven’t improved. From the start of 2023 to the present, he has thrown 149 2/3 minor league innings with a 5.35 ERA, 27.8% strikeout rate and plenty of ground balls but an 18.3% walk rate. The Twins have apparently given up but his original organization will take a flier and see what happens.</p><p>Bickford, 29, signed a minor league deal with the Cubs in the offseason. He may have triggered an opt-out in that deal because he has been dominant this year. He has thrown 27 2/3 innings for Triple-A Iowa with a 2.60 ERA, 34% strikeout rate and 5.7% walk rate.</p><p>He also has some good major league work on his track record. Over the 2021 and 2022 seasons, he tossed 112 1/3 innings in the big leagues with a 3.85 ERA, 27.8% strikeout rate and 7.3% walk rate. In 2023, he was still getting punchouts but his walk rate spiked to 12.8%. Last year, he only got a brief MLB look, which didn’t go well. He tossed 8 1/3 innings for the Yankees with an 8.64 ERA.</p><p><em>Photo courtesy of Chris Tilley, Imagn Images</em></p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss></wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>7</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Yankees Sign Joel Kuhnel To Minors Deal</title> <link>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/07/yankees-sign-joel-kuhnel-to-minors-deal.html</link> <comments>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/07/yankees-sign-joel-kuhnel-to-minors-deal.html#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Darragh McDonald]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 05 Jul 2025 03:24:37 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[New York Yankees]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Philadelphia Phillies]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Transactions]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Geoff Hartlieb]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Joel Kuhnel]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=858032</guid> <description><![CDATA[The Yankees announced today that right-hander Geoff Hartlieb elected free agency in lieu of accepting an outright assignment. That indicates he cleared waivers after being designated for assignment earlier this week. Because he has been previously outrighted in his career, he has the right to reject all future outright assignments. The Yankees also added an…]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Yankees announced today that right-hander <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hartlge01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Geoff Hartlieb</a></strong> elected free agency in lieu of accepting an outright assignment. That indicates he cleared waivers after being designated for assignment earlier this week. Because he has been previously outrighted in his career, he has the right to reject all future outright assignments. The Yankees also added an arm, signing right-hander <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kuhnejo01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Joel Kuhnel</a></strong> to a minor league deal, according to his <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlb.com/player/joel-kuhnel-669270">transactions tracker</a> at MLB.com. He was with the Phillies on a minor league deal but was released yesterday.</p><p>Hartlieb, 31, signed a minor league deal with the Yanks in the offseason. He was selected to the roster on Monday and designated for assignment on Wednesday. In between, he tossed one inning against the Blue Jays on Tuesday, allowing three earned runs on two hits and three walks while striking out three. He is out of options so the Yankees effectively had to designate him for assignment in order to remove him from active roster while making space for a fresh arm.</p><p>That was a rough outing but he was in good form in the minors prior to getting called up. He tossed 35 innings for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre with a 3.34 earned run average, 26.2% strikeout rate, 6.9% walk rate and 41.3% ground ball rate.</p><p>He also has some previous big league work on his résumé, though it’s not especially sparkling, as he has a 7.62 ERA in 80 1/3 innings. His 48% ground ball rate is strong but his 20.3% strikeout rate and 14.9% walk rate are both subpar figures, particularly the latter. He’ll head to the open market and see what kind of opportunities are out there for him.</p><p>Kuhnel, 30, may have triggered an opt-out provision in his deal with the Phils because he has been putting up good numbers this year. In 32 1/3 innings for Triple-A Lehigh Valley, he had a 3.62 ERA. His 20.6% strikeout rate was a bit below average but his 3.1% walk rate was tiny and he got ground balls on a huge 66.3% of balls in play.</p><p>That’s generally been Kuhnel’s recipe. In 93 2/3 big league innings in his career, he has only struck out 18.7% of batters faced but has limited walks to a 5.9% pace and gotten opponents to pound the ball into the ground at a 52% clip. That’s led to a 5.86 ERA but his .311 batting average on balls in play and 63.8% strand rate are both on the unfortunate side. His 4.46 FIP and 3.77 SIERA paint him in a more favorable light.</p><p>The Yankees love groundballers and, as the old saying goes, there’s no such thing as a bad minor league deal. Kuhnel has been assigned to the RailRiders and will try to work his way onto the big league roster.</p><p><em>Photo courtesy of Nathan Ray Seebeck, Imagn Images</em></p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss></wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>3</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Yohan Ramírez Opts Out Of Pirates Deal</title> <link>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/07/yohan-ramirez-opts-out-of-pirates-deal.html</link> <comments>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/07/yohan-ramirez-opts-out-of-pirates-deal.html#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Darragh McDonald]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 05 Jul 2025 02:46:09 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Pittsburgh Pirates]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Transactions]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Peter Strzelecki]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Yohan Ramirez]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=858030</guid> <description><![CDATA[The Pirates have released right-handers Yohan Ramírez and Peter Strzelecki, per Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Gorman adds that Ramírez triggered a release clause in his contract. Ramírez, 30, signed a minor league deal with the Bucs in the offseason. He has been putting up good numbers this year, so it’s understandable that he…]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Pirates have released right-handers <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/ramiryo01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Yohan Ramírez</a></strong> and <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/strzepe01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Peter Strzelecki</a></strong>, per <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/KevinGormanPGH/status/1941277097693176086">Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review</a>. Gorman adds that Ramírez triggered a release clause in his contract.</p><p>Ramírez, 30, signed a minor league deal with the Bucs in the offseason. He has been putting up good numbers this year, so it’s understandable that he triggered his release clause. He has thrown 29 innings for Triple-A Indianapolis with a 3.41 earned run average. His 28.2% strikeout rate and 52.9% ground ball rate are both well above average, while his 8.4% walk rate is right around par.</p><p>Despite that solid work, the Pirates didn’t call him up. He’ll head to the open market to see what other opportunities are out there for him. In addition to his recent minor league numbers, he has some decent major league work on his track record. He threw 169 innings for various clubs over the previous five seasons with a 4.58 ERA, 22.8% strikeout rate, 11.3% walk rate and 44.6% ground ball rate.</p><p>Other clubs around the league have shown interest in him in the past. He exhausted his final option year in 2023, which led to him getting passed around the league. He went to the White Sox, Mets, Orioles, Mets again, Dodgers and Red Sox from September 2023 to July of 2024 via waiver claims or small trades. He eventually cleared waivers late last year and was able to elect free agency at season’s end, which led to his deal with the Bucs. Based on all of that previous interest, his phone could be ringing in the coming days.</p><p>As for Strzelecki, 30, his case seems to be more of a straightforward release. Outrighted off the big league roster in March, he has posted a 9.90 ERA in 20 Triple-A innings this year. A tiny 43.5% strand rate played a role there but he also had subpar strikeout and walk rates of 14.7% and 11.8% respectively.</p><p>That’s a small sample size and he has some decent big league numbers in his past as well. He logged 83 2/3 innings over the past three seasons with a 3.44 ERA, 24% strikeout rate and 8.4% walk rate. His poor form in 2025 will naturally tamp down interest but perhaps there’s a club out there that feels there’s a way to get him back on track.</p><p><em>Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images</em></p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss></wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>10</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Red Sox Notes: Anthony, Yoshida, Bregman</title> <link>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/07/red-sox-notes-anthony-yoshida-bregman.html</link> <comments>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/07/red-sox-notes-anthony-yoshida-bregman.html#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Darragh McDonald]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 05 Jul 2025 02:04:12 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Boston Red Sox]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Notes]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Alex Bregman]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Masataka Yoshida]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Roman Anthony]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=857798</guid> <description><![CDATA[There has been a lot of extension speculation surrounding Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony but he tells Rob Bradford of WEEI that no real progress has been made on that front. “There hasn’t even been a single peep about it since I’ve been here,” Anthony said. He also said “both sides have handled that well…]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There has been a lot of extension speculation surrounding Red Sox outfielder <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/anthoro01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Roman Anthony</a></strong> but he tells <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/bradfo/status/1940393778453577829">Rob Bradford of WEEI</a> that no real progress has been made on that front. “There hasn’t even been a single peep about it since I’ve been here,” Anthony said. He also said “both sides have handled that well in terms of just letting me go and play.”</p><p>The Sox came into the year with three top prospects in Anthony, <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mayerma01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Marcelo Mayer</a></strong> and <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/campbkr01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Kristian Campbell</a></strong>. There were extension rumors surrounding all three in the winter and Campbell eventually did put pen to paper, signing an eight-year, $60MM deal in early April.</p><p>A deal for Anthony might be a bit trickier than one for Campbell, as he is two years younger and was more of a highly-touted prospect on his way up the ladder. Anthony is currently only 21 years old. If he stays up in the minor leagues for good, he’s slated for free agency after the 2031 season, which will be his age-27 campaign.</p><p>That gives him a tremendous amount of earning power down the line, if he is able to develop as hoped. He has only hit .219/.345/.356 so far, but in a tiny sample of 87 plate appearances. If the Sox have faith in his ability to hit his ceiling, they will be motivated to lock him down as soon as possible. Otherwise, his earning power will only increase as he gets more established and closer to arbitration and free agency.</p><p>Though from the perspective of Anthony and his representatives, they surely see a path to a healthy free agent market a few years down the line and would need strong motivation to give up on that. For now, based on Anthony’s comments, it seems he’s primarily focused on his gameplay. Perhaps there will be more of a focus on contract talks in the offseason.</p><p>Elsewhere in news surrounding the Red Sox, <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/y/yoshima02.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Masataka Yoshida</a></strong> started a rehab assignment yesterday as he looks to finally return from ongoing shoulder problems. Part of that rehab appears to be some first base drills, though manager <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/coraal01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Álex Cora</a></strong> downplayed the significance of that work.</p><p>Per <a target="_blank" href="https://www.masslive.com/redsox/2025/07/why-red-sox-are-getting-masataka-yoshida-light-work-at-first-base-during-rehab-assignment.html">Sean McAdam and Chris Cotillo of MassLive</a>, Cora framed the work as mostly Yoshida preparing for an emergency. “I don’t anticipate him starting at first base,” said Cora, “but if something crazy happens, at least he can catch throws and knock down a ground ball.”</p><p>Yoshida has only played the outfield in his career, both in North America and in Japan. However, the Sox currently have a fairly crowded mix on the grass consisting of Anthony, <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rafaece01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Ceddanne Rafaela</a></strong>, <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/duranja01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jarren Duran</a></strong>, <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/abreuwi02.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Wilyer Abreu</a></strong> and <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/refsnro01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Rob Refsnyder</a></strong>. Meanwhile, the club has been trying all sorts of things at first base since the <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/casastr01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Triston Casas</a></strong> injury. <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/deverra01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Rafael Devers</a></strong> didn’t want to play there, which led to his trade to San Francisco. Utility players <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/toroab01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Abraham Toro</a></strong> and <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gonzaro01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Romy González</a></strong> have been splitting the time at first lately.</p><p>That gives some logic to having Yoshida get some work there. It also aligns with his injury, as he has largely been able to hit this year, but throwing has been the problem. With Devers having been in the designated hitter spot for much of the year, the inability to throw essentially made Yoshida unrosterable. Now that Devers is gone and Yoshida is getting healthy, he’s not quite as blocked from playing time as before, but adding first base to his repertoire still makes sense.</p><p>Speaking of roster shuffling, third baseman <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bregmal01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Alex Bregman</a></strong> could be back from the injured list soon. Per <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=857798&action=edit&classic-editor">Chris Cotillo of MassLive</a>, Cora hopes Bregman can return in the club’s homestand prior to the All-Star break, which goes from this Monday to next Sunday. Mayer has largely been covering that spot recently, so he could get moved to second base when Bregman returns. Campbell has been optioned to the minors, leaving <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?pid=hamilda03,hamilt006dav&search=David+Hamilton&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">David Hamilton</a></strong> at the keystone most nights. Hamilton is hitting just .174/.215/.278 this year, so he should get bumped to the bench or the minors.</p><p>Bregman was having a great season before a quad strain sent him to the IL, having hit .299/.385/.553 for a wRC+ of 158. That made him very likely to trigger his opt-out at the end of this season and return to free agency. If he can pick up where he left off, he would provide a big boost to the Boston lineup and also get back on track for triggering that opt out.</p><p>His contract situation has led to recent speculation in two different directions. With his looming potential return to free agency, there has been <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/07/mariners-trade-rumors-alex-bregman-ryan-ohearn-josh-naylor.html">a bit of smoke</a> on the trade front, while it <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/06/alex-bregman-open-to-extension-talks-with-red-sox.html">also seems possible</a> that the Sox could use some of the money saved in the Devers trade to lock up Bregman for the long term. They are currently 44-45 and 2.5 games back of a playoff spot.</p><p><em>Photo courtesy of Joe Nicholson, Imagn Images</em></p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss></wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>69</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Cardinals Front Office Expects Ownership Support At Deadline</title> <link>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/07/cardinals-front-office-expects-ownership-support-at-deadline.html</link> <comments>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/07/cardinals-front-office-expects-ownership-support-at-deadline.html#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Darragh McDonald]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 05 Jul 2025 01:27:59 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[St. Louis Cardinals]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Erick Fedde]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Michael McGreevy]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=858019</guid> <description><![CDATA[With the deadline less than a month away, the Cardinals will have to make some decisions about their plans. If they decide to be buyers, president of baseball operations John Mozeliak expects ownership to support that. “I do think ownership, if they saw we were in a spot and it made sense to do something,…]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>With the deadline less than a month away, the Cardinals will have to make some decisions about their plans. If they decide to be buyers, president of baseball operations John Mozeliak expects ownership to support that. “I do think ownership, if they saw we were in a spot and it made sense to do something, I think they’d support it,” Mozeliak tells <a target="_blank" href="https://www.stltoday.com/sports/professional/mlb/cardinals/article_52e17802-175f-40c2-8f65-bdc9859add56.html">Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch</a>. Mozeliak elaborated that he hasn’t done a “deep dive” into how ticket sales and the club’s broadcast deal have impacted things, but he expects ownership to invest in a contending club.</p><p>The Cards went into the most recent offseason looking to transition into a new era. The club struggled to compete in 2023 and 2024 and their broadcast revenue was going to drop in 2025. The plan was to shift focus away from investing in the big league roster with a greater priority on development. As part of that shift, this is going to be Mozeliak’s final year in his role, with Chaim Bloom to take over after that. Currently, Bloom is focused on overhauling the club’s player development apparatus.</p><p>As part of that transition, it seemed the franchise hoped to cut payroll, but they struggled to do so. Well-paid players like <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/grayso01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Sonny Gray</a></strong>, <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/contrwi01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Willson Contreras</a></strong> and <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mikolmi01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Miles Mikolas</a></strong> were apparently unwilling to waive their respective no-trade clauses. <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/arenano01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Nolan Arenado</a></strong> was open to waiving his but blocked a trade to the Astros in the offseason and ultimately ended up staying.</p><p>When those efforts to trim the roster and the payroll stalled, the Cardinals essentially pivoted to standing pat. They could have tried trading players without no-trade clauses, such as <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/feddeer01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Erick Fedde</a></strong> or <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/helslry01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Ryan Helsley</a></strong>, but didn’t seem inclined to. Their investments in the club were modest, to put it mildly. Their $2MM deal for <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/matonph01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Phil Maton</a></strong> was their biggest expenditure.</p><p>They now find themselves in a sort of limbo position, in more ways than one. Not only are they in this transition season between front office regimes, but they are also hovering close to contention. Despite the lack of investment in the roster, the club has gone 47-42. That puts them just half a game back of a playoff spot, as of this writing.</p><p>Taken all together, it would be fair to wonder about the bottom line. Even with the winning record, would ownership want to invest in a club when they were trying to cut the budget just a few months ago? Nothing is confirmed and Mozeliak suggests some conversations still need to be had, but he has been with the club for decades and presumably has a decent feel for the room in St. Louis. He adds that he has not been told to trim payroll.</p><p>It’s possible that the next few weeks will be key for the Cards. If they stay in the race through the end of the month, buying will be more likely. If they fall a few games back, the odds of selling should increase.</p><p>They could also do a bit of both, as Goold lays out. He mentions that the club believes in <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mcgremi01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Michael McGreevy</a></strong> and wants to give him a shot in the rotation, but he doesn’t currently have a spot. The starting staff currently consists of Gray, Mikolas, Fedde, <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/pallaan01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Andre Pallante</a></strong> and <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/liberma01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Matthew Liberatore</a></strong>. Perhaps a trade of someone in that group could be used to open a spot for McGreevy while the club simultaneously adds elsewhere.</p><p>Fedde would be the most likely candidate to go as an impending free agent. As mentioned, Gray and Mikolas have no-trade protection while Pallante and Liberatore can be cheaply controlled for years to come. They also have Helsley, Maton and <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/matzst01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Steven Matz</a></strong> as impending free agents in the bullpen. Perhaps the Cards would consider flipping someone from that group while still hoping to have an effective bullpen overall. If other clubs are interested, the Cards will seemingly pick up the phone.</p><p>“Trying to understand what someone may want to give you for something is probably worth hearing or at least listening,” Mozeliak said. “You can always say no. The mindset of us going in is to remain open-minded.”</p><p>For now, it’s all still speculative. Much could change in the coming weeks. The club’s wins and losses will be a factor while player health could also be a key factor. “I do feel like when you look at where we are that week leading up, the 72 hours leading up to the trade deadline, that may affect how we make our decisions,” Mozeliak said. He added that he and Bloom will both be involved in the deadline decision making as part of a collaborative process. “I hope we have really hard decisions to make come July 31 because that means we’re playing well.”</p><p><em>Photo courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski, Imagn Images</em></p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss></wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>37</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Royals Select Luke Maile</title> <link>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/07/royals-select-luke-maile-2.html</link> <comments>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/07/royals-select-luke-maile-2.html#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Darragh McDonald]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 05 Jul 2025 00:40:29 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Kansas City Royals]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Transactions]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Drew Waters]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Luke Maile]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=858022</guid> <description><![CDATA[The Royals announced that they have selected the contract of catcher Luke Maile. Outfielder Drew Waters has been optioned to Triple-A Omaha in a corresponding active roster move. The 40-man roster had a vacancy, so no corresponding move was required there. As noted by Anne Rogers of MLB.com, the move is related to some calf…]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Royals announced that they have selected the contract of catcher <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mailelu01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Luke Maile</a></strong>. Outfielder <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/waterdr01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Drew Waters</a></strong> has been optioned to Triple-A Omaha in a corresponding active roster move. The 40-man roster had a vacancy, so no corresponding move was required there.</p><p>As noted by <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/anne__rogers/status/1941291719481491740">Anne Rogers of MLB.com</a>, the move is related to some calf tightness that <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/perezsa02.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Salvador Perez</a></strong> is experiencing. Perez is in tonight’s lineup as the designated hitter, with <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/fermifr01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Freddy Fermin</a></strong> behind the plate, but Maile gives them a bit of extra protection at the catcher spot for the event that there’s a negative development with Perez.</p><p>Maile, 34, previously spent a bit more than two weeks on Kansas City’s roster under similar circumstances. He was called up in early May with Perez battling hip soreness. Maile got into three games and put up a massive .375/.500/.750 line in ten plate appearances before being designated for assignment and outrighted to Omaha.</p><p>He obviously wasn’t going to maintain that kind of offensive production. He has a career batting line of .209/.276/.322 in 1,260 trips to the plate. But he’s carved out a decade-long career in the big leagues thanks to a solid reputation for his work while donning the tools of ignorance.</p><p>His status on the roster is presumably tied to the health of Perez. If Perez is fine, then Maile will likely end up cut from the roster just like he was back in May. Though if the calf injury worsens or lingers, Maile could stick around for a lengthier as Fermin’s backup.</p><p><em>Photo courtesy of Gregory Fisher, Imagn Images</em></p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss></wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Astros Re-Sign Tayler Scott To Minor League Deal</title> <link>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/07/astros-re-sign-tayler-scott-to-minor-league-deal.html</link> <comments>https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/07/astros-re-sign-tayler-scott-to-minor-league-deal.html#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Darragh McDonald]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 05 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Houston Astros]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Transactions]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Tayler Scott]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=858016</guid> <description><![CDATA[The Astros have re-signed right-hander Tayler Scott to a minor league deal, reports Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Rome adds that Scott is already with Triple-A Sugar Land. In the past week, he was designated for assignment by the Diamondbacks and then elected free agency. Scott and the Astros also linked up on a minor…]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Astros have re-signed right-hander <strong><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/scottta02.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2025-07-04_br" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Tayler Scott</a></strong> to a minor league deal, reports <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/Chandler_Rome/status/1941272828688597090">Chandler Rome of The Athletic</a>. Rome adds that Scott is already with Triple-A Sugar Land. In the past week, he was designated for assignment by the Diamondbacks and then elected free agency.</p><p>Scott and the Astros also linked up on a minor league deal going into the 2024 season. That turned out to be quite a successful arrangement. He made the club’s Opening Day roster and went on to make 62 appearances for Houston last year, logging 68 2/3 innings with a 2.23 earned run average. That ERA was at least partially misleading. His 25.2% strikeout rate and 42.4% ground ball rate were fine figures but he walked 12.4% of batters faced. He got a lot of help from a .230 batting average on balls in play and 84.9% strand rate.</p><p>His luck turned this year. In 16 2/3 innings with the Astros to start the year, his BABIP jumped to .313 and his strand rate fell to 65.2%. He also didn’t do himself any favors by having his walk rate jump to 15.4% and his strikeout rate fall to 20.5%. Those factors all helped him post a 5.40 ERA through mid-May.</p><p>Since he is out of options, the Astros designated him for assignment at that time, which led him to the Diamondbacks. He got into nine games with that club but allowed nine earned runs. He improved his walk rate but struck out fewer opponents. He got bumped off that club’s roster and returned to the open market.</p><p>Put together, Scott has an unpleasant 6.66 ERA in 25 2/3 innings on the year. But for the Astros, it’s a guy they are familiar with and there’s no such thing as a bad minor league deal. He’ll provide them with some non-roster bullpen depth and try to get in good form with the Space Cowboys.</p><p><em>Photo courtesy of Thomas Shea, Imagn Images</em></p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss></wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>2</slash:comments> </item> </channel></rss> 
