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The MLB Trade Deadline is less than a week away and with the team mired in a 40-game funk of mediocrity (a 20-20 record during that stretch), one of their star players openly challenging his boss to make improvements and that star player’s manager rebuffing those challenges, rumors persist the Phillies are interested in an upgrade for their infield.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported Wednesday that Angels shortstop Zach Neto is high on their list of targets.

In his report, Passan mentioned an acquisition of Neto, who is just 25, would require moving Bryson Stott to third base and either Neto or Trea Turner to second. Passan also notes the Phils would not be the only big market teams in on the young shortstop, along with the Yankees, Dodgers and Red Sox as potential suitors.

There are a number of reasons why Neto would be appealing.

Since becoming a starter in 2024, the righty swinger has hit .248/.320/.452 with a wRC+ of 114, meaning he has been 14% better than league average at his position at the plate. His .772 OPS over that stretch would be 10th-highest among qualified shortstops over that span and is the exact same number as Turner. Turner’s wRC+ of 112 is slightly behind Neto’s. Essentially, they’ve produced nearly identical offensive production over the last three seasons. However, Turner’s fWAR of 11.2 is much higher than Neto’s 8.7, which is tied for 14th.

Neto is a right-handed hitter, a commodity in short supply across this year’s Trade Deadline. In 105 games and 471 PAs this season, Neto is batting only .234, but his .325 on-base percentage is decent thanks to a dramatic increase in his walk rate, from 6.0% in 2025 to 10.2%. He has been good, but not spectacular, against left-handed pitching, with a .255 batting average and an .832 OPS against southpaws this year. For his career his OPS against them is .868.

Neto’s also a solid base stealer, with 14 bags swiped this year and seasons in which he’s stolen 30 and 26 bags the two previous years. And he’s tallied 2.0 fWAR in 2026 thanks, in part, to solid defensive metrics.

In terms of Defensive Runs Saved, his +2 mark ranks 7th among 18 qualified shortstops. That position has been a black hole defensively all year, with Turner’s -13 DRS dead last. He’s also started the 4th-most double plays at shortstop (28). Turner’s 15 is second-lowest.

He would also be an inexpensive addition contractually. He’s under team control for four additional years after this year, becoming a free agent after the 2030 season. He’s making $4.15 million in ‘26 and, while he will see raises in arbitration each of the next three off-seasons, he’d be far more affordable than a free agent signed over the winter.

There are areas of concern, however.

Why are the Angels giving up on a player with this much team control and a salary this low? One would think this is a player even a struggling team like Los Angeles would build around. What’s going on there?

In addition to seeing his walk rate improve, he’s also seen his strikeout rate take a jump as well. It was 23.3% in ‘24, 26.9% last year and 31.4% this season. He’s swinging at a career-high 36.5% of pitches outside the zone (30.0% in 2025). His Baseball Savant page has more “blue” on it than one would like.

Here’s what it looked like a season ago.

The addition of Neto would almost certainly result in either Alec Bohm being dealt or moving Bohm to first base and shifting Harper to right field full-time, a switch that would improve the Phillies’ outfield production, even with Harper slumping in July.

Neto isn’t the only Angel Dombrowski could target. As one of MLB’s clear sellers at the deadline, outfielder Jo Adell is almost certainly available. He has failed to follow up last year’s 37-homer season with a similarly productive power performance, slugging just 16 HRs with a .695 OPS and .291 OBP, although his .941 OPS against left-handers would be a dominant feature in a platoon role.

There is the yearly trade deadline speculation of Mike Trout being willing to waive his no-trade clause, but there has never been any indication the Phils are as interested as the fanbase in bringing the 34-year-old outfielder home. Trout’s had a solid season, with an .852 OPS in 90 games, but lugs around another four years at $37 million a season and a constant worry of injury with him.

Starters Reid Detmers (4.03 ERA in 22 starts) and Jose Soriano (3.29 ERA) are starting pitchers who could interest Dombrowski, as could left-handed relievers Brent Suter (4.26 ERA) and Sammy Natera (2.08 ERA in 21.2 innings), could be added in any potential Neto deal, too.

Acquiring Neto would almost certainly require them giving up their top prospect, pitcher Gage Wood. So Dombrowski needs to ask himself one main question.

Is he the guy to go all-in on at the Trade Deadline?

This year’s trade deadline approaches, with four days to go until the point where teams are mostly locked in to what they’ve got already for the rest of the season. The Orioles are 2.5 games out of a wild card spot with 53 games still to play. Their playoff odds, as reckoned by sites like Baseball Reference and FanGraphs, are in the range of 20-25%. They are too close to give up and too far out of real contention to deplete the farm just to push to make something happen this year.

Unless there’s a sweep in either direction in this weekend’s series against the Phillies, the question of whether the Orioles should buy or sell is probably not going to get a decisive answer. They’ll be plugging along in the periphery, still below .500 and still sort of contending. What’s Mike Elias supposed to do about that? There’s not an easy answer.

Nationally in The Athletic and locally in The Baltimore Banner, the latest is that the Orioles could possibly end up doing a little bit of selling and a little bit of buying at the same time. Ken Rosenthal describes the team as a “classic example of a team working both buy and sell angles, unsure what to make of their club.” Anybody who’s been following this team all year can relate to that feeling. I am also unsure what to make of this club.

In The Banner, Andy Kostka breaks it down like this (emphasis mine):

The Orioles are holding out as long as possible to determine their deadline approach, although they are making plans for buying, selling, and a mix of both, according to multiple sources throughout the industry, and are expected to be active ahead of the deadline. The likeliest path forward, sources said, is for Baltimore to buy and sell.

Each of these reports highlights a trio of players who are in their final season before free agency as the ones who the Orioles are gauging their value. That’s starting pitcher Trevor Rogers, reliever Andrew Kittredge, and outfielder Taylor Ward. These players could be traded while the Orioles seek to upgrade in other deals with players who would ideally help both this year and beyond.

Rosenthal’s report also lists the Orioles as “pricing” Adley Rutschman, though Kostka mostly shoots that down, saying that while “teams have called to check on the availability” of both Rutschman and Jackson Holliday, “the Orioles aren’t actively shopping” either player. Kostka believes that the right-handed relievers in the bullpen are a group where the Orioles might deal away even if they also buy, listing not just Kittredge but also Yennier Cano, Rico Garcia, and Tyler Wells.

Orioles fans might be packing Garcia’s bags for him after he’s given up home runs in three of his last four appearances. Other teams probably have some modest interest in Garcia for the same reason that manager Craig Albernaz keeps putting him in the pressure situations: They know he can be better than his recent worst. Cano or Wells would be real subtractions, not just from the current bullpen but also next year’s. However, betting that a good reliever will stay good is not always a good bet to make.

Whether Rogers or Ward are dealt might depend on whether other teams are willing to pony up with an offer that’s just too good for Mike Elias to refuse. If teams are going to value Rogers based on his 4.27 season-long ERA, the Orioles are probably better off hanging on. If they’re willing to value him like a guy who has a 2.21 ERA since June 1 after having a 1.81 ERA last season, maybe that’s too good to pass up, even if it weakens the rotation.

Ward is in a similar situation there. If somebody who’s a more serious contender, pushing to shore up a roster for October rather than just to maybe squeak into the postseason, sees Ward .383 on-base percentage as a right-handed batter and thinks that’s just the thing to cure what ails them, there’s a real case to make to make that deal. The sheer number of contenders could make this a seller’s market.

Depending on how the Orioles shuffled their roster in the aftermath of that deal, they might even end up with an improved outfield defense without Ward regularly getting playing time out there. “Trade Ward and bring up Enrique Bradfield” might not work, but it’s not the craziest idea out there.

It’s tougher to believe the same about losing Rogers from the Orioles rotation, unless you’re really, really a fan of pitching prospect Nestor German, who’s been pitching pretty well for Triple-A Norfolk. Or if you’re really, really a believer that Chris Bassitt is going to come back from his back surgery looking like the 2025 version of Bassitt that Elias probably hoped he was signing. I am not a believer. I do not want to hear anything like “it’s like we got someone at the deadline” come out of Elias’s mouth about Bassitt or about Félix Bautista as he works back from rotator cuff surgery.

Elias has pressed the plunger and exploded a fringe contender before. That was in 2022, when he ruffled the feathers of the fanbase (and perhaps also the team) by trading Trey Mancini and Jorge López at that year’s deadline. Doing the public-facing damage control for those decisions was when he uttered his now-infamous statement that “It’s liftoff from here.” The implication of that was that he’d be adding aggressively to improve the team, an implied promise that he has not lived up to overall. The Orioles did go 101-61 in the next season, though. They did lift off. Getting into a steady orbit has proven tougher.

The central question remains: What are the Orioles supposed to do in this situation? Elias’s cold analytical assessments often don’t produce outcomes that line up with what the hearts of Orioles fans want to happen. Sometimes, subsequent events have vindicated the Elias approach. Others have repudiated it. How he looks at this situation is going to come down to what the Orioles do over the next three days. No pressure, guys.

12. Herick Hernandez – LHP

How he got to the Braves: 2024 4th round pick (#129 overall)

The Braves took Herick Hernandez in the fourth round two years ago and the lefty out of Miami is already in Triple-A. He’s split the year between three levels, though the one start in Augusta was a rehab start after missing a little time early on in the year. In his 11 starts in Double-A he has posted a 2.80 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, and 64 strikeouts to 31 walks in 45 innings. In his first two starts with Gwinnett he has allowed eight runs in 8.2 innings, striking out seven but also walking seven.

Hernandez was dominating for Columbus and had posted a 12.8 K/9 rate thanks to a nasty curve and a fastball which has good life on it. He has the four-pitch mix needed to start, but his problem has always been his well below average command. When he is on he has proven to be unhittable in the minors, but he is also a guy walking 6.1 BB/9 this year and 5.8 for his career.

Hernandez is already about to turn 23 in the first half of August, so if he can’t get the command ironed out by the end of next year he would likely be looking at a reliever role in the big leagues. Hernandez has real potential as a middle reliever or lefty setup man, but the Braves would obviously prefer if he was able to reach his middle of the rotation upside as a starter first. Now that he is in Triple-A, his big league ETA is any time as he could potentially get a call to help out of the pen should the need for a lefty arise.

11. Conor Essenburg – OF

How he got to the Braves: 2025 5th round pick (#157 overall)

Last year the Braves spent on Illinois prep two-way star Conor Essenburg in hopes that he had a promising power bat to develop. The early returns have been promising as he has hit .250/.397/.452 with 10 doubles, two triples, eight homers, 46 walks, and 80 strikeouts in 237 plate appearances for Augusta. The strikeout totals have been high, but the 19-year-old, who won’t turn 20 until mid-September, still has plenty of time to work on cutting down on them. He has split the year between right and center field – though his likely future would come in right, where he has a big arm to profile as a prototypical right fielder.

Essenburg is still filling in his 6’2’, 200-pound frame and learning how to get his power to translate more frequently but his advanced approach and a feel for making hard contact are big plusses for a kid who has only been a full time hitter for the last year. Essenburg will have the upside to be a legitimate solid big league starting outfielder who has value for both his bat and glove. He is probably not going to be ready for the big leagues until sometime in 2029, but he is looking like a strong pick early on.

10. Kaiden McCarthy – RHP

How he got to the Braves: 2026 2nd round pick (#48 overall)

Kaiden McCarthy was the first of the overslot prep arms the Braves invested in during the 2026 MLB draft, and he comes in with an electric fastball that is the cornerstone of a balanced arsenal. McCarthy is a young arm even for a prep player and doesn’t turn 18 until next week, and blends present day talent with a moldable future. Coming from cold-weather Vermont McCarthy’s exposure to scouts was lesser than his peers, but he impressed enough that most projected him as a day one pick if he was signable, and that is what happened. McCarthy has shown a feel for spin as a prep player and flashed a changeup, though the latter pitch is not well developed yet as is common with high power prep arms. McCarthy mostly gains attention for a fastball that can touch 99 mph, which he can throw with both a four seam and sinker variant.

McCarthy is going to be a project and comes with all of the drawbacks that hard-throwing prep pitchers have, though he has a clean delivery and a the athleticism to project to average command at the next level. The Braves will have the opportunity to mold the rest of his arsenal to their liking, and with him already showing the potential to spin two average or better breaking balls there is plenty to work with. McCarthy will require patience, but the Braves have had success developing young pitchers with his athleticism/experience profile in recent years. His lower mileage as a cold weather arm could be a benefit to his health, though as we have seen that is hardly a predictable metric and hard-throwing prep arms always come with concern of future arm trouble. McCarthy is a bit undersized at an even six-foot-tall, and though that serves his four seam fastball well up in the zone it raises the requisite concerns about durability. McCarthy and the rest of his pitching cohort are going to likely make significant moves next season once we get looks at them in Single-A, though for right now he is a player that comes into the system with our confidence to stamp him with the first of the top 10 prospects.

9. Jensen Hirschkorn – RHP

How he got to the Braves: 2026 3rd round pick (#84 overall)

Drafted using the savings from going under-slot on the first two picks Jensen Hirschkorn enters a farm system with some of the highest performing teenage pitching in baseball. The Braves needed upwards of $3.9M to sign Jensen out of his commitment to LSU and a very quick glance of some video easily shows why the Braves are gambling on the big, talented arm. Coming into the draft, Jensen was considered the #15 rated player in the entire draft according to Baseball America, and a clear five-star prospect.

Standing at a mammoth 6’7”, Jensen is already a presence on the mound despite the ability to add on a solid amount of weight onto the frame. Jensen, at 18, already projects at having three plus pitches thanks to some very advanced command for his age. His ability to command his fastball, that currently sits 95-96 that many believe will increase with more conditioning, at the top of the zone consistently puts him ahead of most of his class. Jensen also has a very good ability of generating spin which has helped him with his slider that also grades as plus. Lastly, while his changeup is behind both the fastball and slider, it shows enough depth that it is also projected to be a plus pitch. Even as someone that’s watching video – it’s already difficult to pick up the ball out of his hand because of his natural arm action making him that much more difficult to hit which can be seen by his 0.71 ERA as a high school senior.

With his plus slider, it will be interesting to see if the Braves employ their normal pitcher strategy and have him toy with a sweeper. If not, they may focus on the fastball, and potentially add a cutter, or two-seam, as the Braves have done to pretty much every single pitcher in the organization. Jensen has some of the highest upside in the organization, including position players, and with his plus command on all three pitches he will likely move faster than you expect from a prep pitcher. Along with Cam Caminiti, and Briggs McKenzie, the Braves will roll out a three headed monster a top their prospect list for quite some time.

8. Diego Tornes – OF

How he got to the Braves: 2025 International Free Agent

The Braves top international free agent last year, Diego Tornes hit .279/.395/.402 with five doubles, five triples, 24 steals, 23 walks, and 32 strikeouts in 147 plate appearances in the DSL last season. He moved up to the FCL this year where he has hit .196/.274/.304 with four doubles, four triples, eight steals, eight walks, and 27 strikeouts in 124 plate appearances – though his FCL season ended a little early due to injury.

Despite his stats Tornes has looked like a potential five tool player with serious power potential, even though he hasn’t hit a professional home run to date. His FCL numbers this year weren’t ideal, but his underlying numbers looked better than his stat line indicates. Tornes is potentially fast, powerful, and has big time bat speed along with having a real chance to stick in center defensively.

Tornes is likely to move to Augusta next season for just his age-18 season. The upside for the young Cuban is enormous, maybe higher than any hitter in the system, it is just that he is years away from being ready. I would say his ETA looks like 2030, with a chance to move that up if things really start to click sooner for him.

7. Owen Murphy – RHP

How he got to the Braves: 2022 1st round pick (#20)

With all of the pitching prospects the Braves paid to bring into the fold in 2026, Owen Murphy is a great example of the blueprint Atlanta has followed in spreading money between a handful of pitchers. As the headliner of an impressive 2022 class Murphy came in with high expectations and has done nothing but beat them at every step of his journey. In his first full season he struck out nearly 30% of batters faced between two levels, then went two High-A in 2024 and posted one of the best seven-start stretches in recent memory. Murphy started 2024 with a 1.54 ERA/2.22 FIP and 38.7% strikeout rate across 41 innings, but went down with a UCL tear and missed the rest of that season and most of 2025. He returned to High-A in 2025 less sharp and with a noticeable decline in stuff, but another offseason of rest has Murphy stronger than ever in 2026. He got off to a shaky start due to some uncharacteristic command issues at Double-A, but received a promotion to Triple-A nonetheless and really found his stride in mid-May. In his final nine Triple-A starts Murphy had a 2.86 ERA/3.11 FIP with a 30.1% strikeout rate, and earned his first big league call up on July 6th. Murphy has been solid in inconsistent action, pressed to Atlanta more out of need than readiness, and armed with knowledge of his shortcomings has returned to Triple-A to further develop his arsenal.

Murphy’s arsenal hinges on a plus fastball, which is not a phrase typically associated with a player who averages 92.4 mph on his fastball in Triple-A this season. Murphy saw some velocity regression after being drafted though largely it has rebounded since Tommy John surgery, but his other fastball traits are impressive enough to escape his below average velocity. Murphy’s fastball has plus carry and he does such a terrific job of commanding the pitch at the top of the strike zone that he still produces a good whiff rate and plus results on the pitch. The Braves have done a lot of work to lock down exactly how his secondaries will look at the major league level, and right now he is nearly 80% fastball-slider with curveballs and changeups mixed in to combat left-handed batters. He throws his slider hard and spins it well, and it has produced good results at Triple-A and projects to be an average pitch. His changeup is the pitch he hasn’t fully developed into a major league quality weapon yet, and stands as the next barrier to him cracking a major league rotation as a full-time starter. He has the command of his arsenal and the two pitches primed to work through major league lineups multiple times, but he needs a real third weapon to reach his potential and right now his changeup is not that pitch. Murphy projects as a reliable back end starter and has a high chance to reach that projection at this stage in his development, though he may not have the ceiling of other starters in this range. Murphy’s plus command makes everything look better and gives him less variability than others his age with his lack of experience, and finding a consistent feel for how to attack lineups deep into games is an area Murphy has improved on. Murphy has managed to maintain his success missing bats at the upper levels, and like many with velocity limitations he can run into home run trouble but keeps his fastball away from the middle of the zone enough that it hasn’t been a killer to an otherwise sparkling profile statistically. Any regression in his command could be problematic, but given his age, simple mechanics, and plus athleticism there is no reason to think he won’t do anything but continue to improve in coming seasons. It’s a narrow profile but one that Murphy and the Braves are honing to perfection.

Another article – another Marlins’ trade target. This time slugger Kyle Stowers.

You can view our larger trade deadline piece here as we discuss a wider pool of options the Guardians may consider. To make my position clear, I expect the Guardians to make smaller moves, like trading Bo Naylor and getting a castoff/undervalued reliever. But, in the interest of exploring potential larger moves, we are doing a series looking at some of those bigger names. So far, we have discussed Spencer Steer, Luis Arraez, Shea Langeliers, Taylor Ward, Heliot Ramos, Jo Adell, Ty France, Tyler Soderstrom and Heriberto Hernandez. Although the Guardians’ greatest need is hitting, the market is aflush with starting pitching so it also may make sense for the Guardians to see if they can find a good value there, as we wrote here and looked at specifically with Jose Soriano.

Stowers broke out in 2025 and has a 131 wRC+ with a .503 slugging percentage over the past two years, 29.5/9.9 K/BB%. He does not hit left-handers well. Ok, well, we don’t have anyone hits right-handers particularly well right now. Stowers grades out as a below average left-fielder and an average right-fielder. He has a career 106 wRC+ as a DH so seems to be figuring out how to make those rhythms work. He is 28 years old and under arbitration control through 2029, making him a piece the Marlins should consider moving.

I think Stowers is one of the few true sluggers who could be available because he looks like a platoon bat with a 71 wRC+ against LHP over the past two years and because he is having a bit of a down year from last year’s breakout. Stowers has been increasing his pulled-fly-ball rate over the past two years and should be able to maximize the production in that ability in Progressive Field with the short right field corner. This would be a gamble on finding a true slugger who can actually punish the 75% of right-handed pitchers the team sees, and, for that, I’d be willing to part with one of the Genao/Velazquez/Doughty/Chourio/Ingle bunch to get him as well as an additional valuable prospect.

The resulting lineup could be:

1. Kwan CF
2. Jose 3B
3. DeLauter DH
4. Stowers RF
5. Bazzana 2B
6. Martinez LF
7. Manzardo 1B
8. Bailey C
9. Rocchio SS

What are your thoughts about targeting Stowers as a potentially available slugger? Let us know in the comments below.

Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below. Check out the previous day’s recap here.

AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (53-50) won 7-5 (BOX SCORE)

Sugar Land got on the board in the first inning on a Whitcomb 3 run home run. McPherson got the start for Sugar Land but struggled allowing 4 runs over 3.1 innings. Sugar Land took the lead in the 4th inning on a Sacco solo home run and Ferreras RBI single. After the Bees tied it in the 6th, Sugar Land took the lead again in the 7th scoring 2 runs on a Meyers 2 run double. The pen closed it out with scoreless innings down the stretch as Sugar Land won 7-5.

Note: Whitcomb is hitting .277 in Triple-A.

• Cavan Biggio, 1B: 0-for-4, R, BB
• Pascanel Ferreras, 2B: 2-for-5, RBI
• Joey Loperfido, DH: 0-for-4, R, BB
• Shay Whitcomb, RF: 2-for-3, 2 R, HR, 3 RBI, BB, SB
• Ray Delgado, 3B: 1-for-3, R, BB
• Jake Meyers, CF: 1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI
• Tommy Sacco, SS: 2-for-3, R, HR, RBI, BB, 2 SB

• Brandon McPherson, RHP: 3.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 4 K
• Trey McLoughlin, RHP: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
• Kai-Wei Teng, RHP: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• Christian Roa, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K (WIN)
• Alimber Santa, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• Roddery Munoz, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K (SAVE)

AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (45-53) lost 13-12 (BOX SCORE)

The Hooks got on the board in the first inning on Sisneros and Whitaker RBI singles. Hertzler got the start and went 3 innings allowing 1 run. Santos allowed a run in the 4th inning but the Hooks got 2 runs in the 5th on an Austin 2 run home run. The pen struggled in the 6th allowing 9 runs as Frisco opened up a big lead. The Hooks rallied in the 9th scoring 8 runs on 8 hits but the comeback fell short with a man on second as the Hooks fell 13-12.

Note: Austin has a .840 OPS this season.

• Yamal Encarnacion, 2B: 2-for-6, 2 R, 2B
• Jason Schiavone, 1B: 2-for-4, 2 R, 2B, 2 RBI
• Will Bush, C: 2-for-5, 2 R, 2B, RBI
• Trevor Austin, LF: 3-for-5, 2 R, 2B, HR, 3 RBI
• Cameron Sisneros, DH: 1-for-4, R, RBI, BB
• Tyler Whitaker, RF: 1-for-5, R, RBI
• Max Holy, SS: 2-for-5, R, 2 2B, RBI
• Kenni Gomez, CF: 3-for-5, R, 2B, 2 RBI
• Alberto Hernandez, 3B: 1-for-5, R, 2B, RBI

• Cole Hertzler, RHP: 3.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
• Alex Santos, RHP: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
• Jose Guedez, RHP: 0.1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
• Jack Dashwood, LHP: 1.0 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• Ramsey David, RHP: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K

A+: Asheville Tourists (33-63) lost 13-1 (BOX SCORE)

Santos started for Asheville but struggled allowing 4 runs retiring just 2 batters. He was relieved by Ogando who allowed 2 runs over 2 innings. The offense got on the board in the 3rd inning on a Thomas solo home run. The pen continued to struggled with Steinbaugh allowing 6 runs as the Drive extended their lead. The offense was quiet the rest of the way as Asheville fell 13-1.

Note: Thomas has 13 home runs this season.

• Justin Thomas, CF: 1-for-5, R, HR, RBI
• Xavier Neyens, 3B: 0-for-2, 2 BB
• Anthony Huezo, DH: 1-for-4

• Yeriel Santos, RHP: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 6 BB, 1 K
• Joan Ogando, RHP: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
• Conor Steinbaugh, RHP: 1.0 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
• Michael Cuevas, RHP: 3.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
• Colby Langford, LHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
• Francisco Frias, RHP: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (49-47) won 5-4 (BOX SCORE)

Forcucci started for the Woodpeckers but struggled allowing 4 runs, 2 earned, over 1.2 innings. The Woodpeckers got on the board in the first inning on an Alvarez RBI single. In the 4th, Sierra connected on a 2 run home run to cut into the lead. In the bottom of the 6th, Alvarez hit a solo home run to tie the game. Verdugo pitched in relief and pitched well tossing 6 scoreless innings with 4 strikeouts. In the bottom of the 9th, the Woodpeckers won on a walk-off walk to Diaz.

Note: Alvarez is hitting .330 over his last 27 games.

• Waner Luciano, 3B: 1-for-4, R, 2B
• Kevin Alvarez, DH: 2-for-2, 3 R, HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB
• Jadyn Fielder, LF: 1-for-4
• Juan Sierra, RF: 1-for-4, R, HR, 2 RBI

• Ryan Forcucci, RHP: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 2 K
• Grayson Saunier, RHP: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• Ryan Verdugo, RHP: 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 4 K (WIN)

Today’s minor league starters:

SL: Jason Alexander – 7:05 CT

CC: Brett Gillis – 7:05 CT

AV: Kellan Oakes – 4:05 CT

FV: TBD – 5:35 CT

Good morning A’s fans!

The trade deadline is nearly upon us and with the Athletics where they are in the standings it’s time for them to begin getting rid of anything not nailed down. That means it’s time to start saying our likely goodbyes to guys like Jeff McNeil and Jeffrey Springs, two veterans on expiring contracts. Neither of whom are going to be on the next A’s playoff team and it’s time for the A’s to make room for younger players who could be on the next playoff squad.

After those two veterans though there’s not much in the way of rental players for the Athletics to offer on the trade market. New starting catcher Jonah Heim could be of interest to catchy-needy teams and there’s a larger than usual number of contenders seeking help behind the plate this year. Considering he’s also a free agent at season’s end it makes sense to trade him, but then that saddles the club with Brian Serven as the starter for the final two months of the year. Heim’s glove alone could be worth more to the Athletics’ young pitchers over the final two months than a small-time prospect in the lower minors.

It’d be a major shock to see any other position players traded by the A’s this deadline season but there could be more action in regards to what little pitching we do have. Lefty Jose Suarez has been a solid option for Mark Kotsay over the past couple months after starting the year in Atlanta. He’s got a tough 4.63 ERA on the year but a much more respectable 3.79 mark in 29 games with the A’s. More importantly, the 28-year-old is controlled for one more year after this season wraps up. That should boost the prospect cost to acquire his services.

The other two bullpen arms other teams might be considering are Hogan Harris and Luis Medina, who are both now into the arbitration years and getting raises this offseason. Medina, once considered a building block for the starting rotation, has settled into a bullpen role this year and adapted well to the new spot on the team. His 3.70 ERA is the second-best mark in the A’s bullpen and he’s also under contract for three more years. That extra team control gives the A’s options in regards to the right-hander. If a team wants his services they’ll need to pay a decent package for the three-plus years they’ll have him.

The left-handed Harris has been often mentioned by other fans and pundits as a dark-horse trade candidate and it’s easy to see why. Like Medina, outside of a tough June the 29-year-old has been one of the few consistent arms for Kotsay out of the ‘pen. His 61 appearances are the fourth-most in the American League and his nine saves leads the team. He’s a lefty but he’s actually been more effective against right-handed hitters this year. And, again like Medina, he’s got lots of club control after this year so teams will need to pay up.

The squad will be finding out soon enough how far the A’s go this deadline season, but all indications are we shouldn’t expect any massive swaps. First pitch is at 6:40 again tonight. Until then, have a great day everyone.

A’s Coverage:

• Red Sox Edge A’s 4-2 in Extra-inning Heartbreaker
• A’s Squeak by Red Sox 4-3
• Grand Slam Sinks A’s Against Red Sox
• Parity (Mediocrity) Could Make For An Interesting Trade Deadline
• Sources: A’s star Langeliers may miss rest of ‘26
• A’s Lose Finale (And Series) To Twins 11-8
• A’s Prevail 2-0 in Tightly Contested Pitching Duel
• Athletics prospect Ryan Lasko says feeling in his legs returning
• Cuban’s investment group purchases minority stake in Athletics
• Chan Ho Park joins A’s group; 1st Korean to buy stake in MLB club
• A’s place rookie Joshua Kuroda-Grauer on injured list with ruptured testicle
• Another ‘step in the right direction’ for Lopez in hunt to regain rookie form
• Blogfather Saves The Day With Pearls Of Most Excellent Advice
• What will the Athletics do leading up to Trade Deadline after cold streak?
• A’s Add Next Wave of Prospects in 2026 Draft
• Athletics Get Hitting Help by Claiming Hot Bat off Waivers

MLB News and Interest:

• Top prospect Max Clark — No. 13 overall — summoned by Tigers (source)
• With questions about Ohtani, are Dodgers preparing big push for Skubal?
• Cubs Considering Tarik Skubal
• Rangers acquire catcher O’Hoppe, reliever Silseth from Angels
• Twins’ Byron Buxton returns to 10-day IL with hip injury
• Royals put Vinnie Pasquantino on 10-day IL with sore wrist
• Ideal trade destinations for 7 Deadline targets
• Nationals To Activate Jake Irvin
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

Not good news in the slightest:

Mason Barnett getting the start tonight:

A leader in the clubhouse:

I had the pleasure of writing one of these birthday profiles for legendary Yankees manager and the head honcho for the late 90s dynasty, Joe Torre. There aren’t many who can match Torre’s managerial career, and even fewer can live up to what he did as a player in the major leagues. Now, we get the opportunity to do remember the man who inspired Torre, beginning his career with the men in pinstripes nine years after Torre’s birth in Brooklyn.

Charles Dillon “Casey” Stengel
Born: July 30, 1890 (Kansas City, MO)
Died: September 29, 1975 (Glendale, CA)
Yankees Tenure: 1949-1960

Charles Dillon Stengel was born a Midwest kid in the late 1800s, where he would go to sandlots around his home turf and play baseball with his friends and anyone who wanted a game. By the time he was 20, his time playing in the sandlot was gone, but his dream for Major League Baseball remained after a few years in the semi-pro ranks. Thanks to the Kansas City Blues of the American Association, he began his professional baseball journey.

Stengel began his time as a pitcher, but when he made it to Double-A, his pitching skills were not up to par. So, he was moved to the outfield, where he still needed some work to be done. Kansas City optioned Stengel to the Class C team in Kankakee, Illinois, where he batted .251. Around this time, he did consider other options and even began school to become a dentist. Fortunately for the sport, those dalliances didn’t pan out.

The young Stengel was in the minors for three seasons before he began his major league career with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1912. He played 17 games with a slash line of .316/.466/.386 playing center field. He made his debut on September 17, 1912 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he went 4-for-4 with two RBI’s and two stolen bases. He would play with the Dodgers from 1912 to 1917 (with Ebbets Field opening in 1913), amassing 676 games played with a slash line of .272/.346/.393 for an OPS+ of 119 — so well above average for the era. Brooklyn was the organization that Stengel played the most with, so, naturally, he gathered his most walks, RBI’s, stolen bases, and more there as well.

Of course, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for Stengel with Brooklyn. In 1915, at the age of just 24, he dealt with illness as early as spring training, showing up 20 pounds weaker than he was the previous year. And as a result of the illness, which was addressed as venereal disease (after the thought was typhoid fever), he had the worst full season of his playing career. He was also consistently stuck in contract disputes with Charles Ebbets, co-owner of the Dodgers, despite teammate Chief Meyers in the book The Glory of Their Times saying his play was key to the Dodgers’ 1916 pennant win prior to their World Series loss to the Boston Red Sox — and 21-year-old pitcher Babe Ruth.

Stengel was traded to the Pirates after another contract holdout with Dodgers ownership and played for Pittsburgh in the 1918 and 1919 seasons, but he seemed to have little interest in playing for the club. In his first year, he only played in 39 games while working and running Brooklyn Navy Yard’s baseball team. After another contract dispute and a bit of antics from Stengel on the field in 1919 involving a sparrow that was released from his cap when he tipped it after the crowd booed him, Bucs ownership had had enough, and he was moved to Philadelphia.

After one season in 1920 with the Phillies, he was moved again in 1921 to the New York Giants, where he finished that season and played two more, winning back-to-back Fall Classics in two all-Polo Grounds series against a Yankees team that now starred Ruth. He also faced his future club in a third in 1923, memorably hitting an inside-the-park homer in the ninth inning of Game 1 to key a Giants victory during the very first World Series game at the original Yankee Stadium. Another Stengel homer in a 1-0 win in Game 3 put the Giants ahead in the series 2-1, but Ruth’s Yankees rallied for three-straight victories to secure their first championship.

Following a two-season stint in the Boston Braves organization, Stengel hung up the playing spikes, after he was hitting only .077 and was sent to Worcester as player-manager and president for their minor-league squad. He played in 100 games, batted .320, and led the team from last place to third. His legendary managerial career began when an opportunity to take over as manager of the Toledo Mud Hens came out of the woodwork; Stengel released himself as a player, since he was player-manager, and then, as president, he fired himself as manager.

Stengel was manager of the Mud Hens for six seasons, and in 1931 he was hired as a first base coach for the Dodgers by former Pittsburgh teammate Max Carey. The former Dodger had a reputation that preceded him, which gave managers a reason not to hire him for any job, but Carey’s call to allow Stengel into the fold ended his absence from MLB and set him on the road to new heights as a manager. After Carey would not respond to a jab at the Dodgers in the press, he was fired, and Stengel took over for the first time as a manager of a major league ball club. He managed until 1936 and was fired due to poor team performance and not getting enough out of the talent he had at his disposal. After sitting out entirely in 1937, the owner of the Braves, Bob Quinn, offered Stengel the manager chair in his organization, and he took it.

From 1938 to 1943 — Stengel’s tenure at the helm — the team never finished in the top half of MLB and finished seventh four straight years between 1939 and 1942. And while he did see some excellent names come across his lineup card (including Warren Spahn, whom Stengel eventually sent down because he viewed him as not having any “heart”), the progress wasn’t nearly enough to constitute a longer tenure. So, Casey was fired.

Stengel returned to the minors for another four seasons, not sure if or when his major league managing career would ever restart. But after enough work to win Minor League Manager of the Year with the powerhouse Pacific Coast League’s Oakland Oaks, he was finally hired as the manager of the Yankees (eventually bringing along one of his favorite Oaks players, a firestarter named Billy Martin).

Yankees brass were not keen on bringing Stengel in at first. While he had his name tossed around in conversations years before his hiring, those who had a stake in the club knew of Stengel’s reputation and didn’t feel like it was worth pursuing. Like Torre decades later, Casey was also perceived as someone who had never won much of anything as a manager and was undeserving to manage this already-prestigious franchise led by Joe DiMaggio. However, after those who opposed his hiring were either fired or sold their stake, there was no way to block the move.

While Stengel tried to keep a low profile, it was almost impossible for the newest Yankees bench boss. It was hard for Stengel at first to fit in, but he did after a while. Early in his first season, he criticized players heavily, including in one players-only meeting held after a doubleheader loss to Philadelphia. Still, he also made sure to tell them that he knew everything was going to work. He believed they could win. And after DiMaggio returned from injury, that’s exactly what they did.

The Yankees of 1949 finished the season with a plethora of injuries plaguing them, but also a 97-57 record, good enough for the American League pennant and a chance to win a World Series. But it came against Stengel’s former team, the Dodgers, just as it would through most of Stengel’s time as manager. And after five games, the last three of which the Yankees won despite some antics from Stengel in Game 4 that got him reprimanded by the commissioner, Happy Chandler, he won his first championship as a manager — again like Torre in his first year.

In wake of his championship in 1949, Stengel went back to being the man who earned himself the reputation that preceded him: talkative, forceful, brash, you name the adjective, and he was probably that. He knew the job he still had to do, but when you win it all, you have a bit more leeway to do as you see fit. He and DiMaggio had their battles, especially with the Yankee Clipper being in the back end of his career, but Stengel also did an excellent job with the younger players. Names like the already-ascendant Yogi Berra, lefty Eddie Ford (soon to be famous as Whitey), the versatile Gil McDougald, the aforementioned Martin, and others came to the forefront, and Stengel found a player before the 1951 season who could take the franchise’s reins: 19-year-old Mickey Mantle.

The 1950 and 1951 Yankees finished with the same record (98-56), and both came out of the season as world champions, both against two of Stengel’s old teams, the Phillies and Giants. Three seasons, three championships for Stengel as manager of the Bombers, and it had only just begun.

DiMaggio retired from baseball in 1951, and the Yankees continued their reign as kings of Major League Baseball, defeating the Jackie Robinson-led 1952 Dodgers in seven games. The Yankees won another World Series in 1953 against Brooklyn with Martin walking it off in the Game 6 clincher, making that five championships in a row for the Stengel-led pinstriped men. And he felt the love, as the charismatic man dubbed “the Ol’ Perfesser” grew to become a national figurehead not just for the franchise but for baseball as well.

The 1954 campaign was the first that Stengel’s Yankees fell short, though oddly enough, their 103-51 mark was the best of Casey’s time with the Yankees but still eight fewer wins than Cleveland. They quickly bounced back in 1955 with a record of 96-58 and another pennant win. They lost to the Dodgers in the World Series in seven games, but from there, it flip-flopped, with the Yankees winning the World Series over Brooklyn in 1956 (keyed by Stengel’s gutsy call to start Don Larsen in Game 5 mere days after he was dreadful in Game 2), only the pennant in 1957, and a seventh title in 1958, avenging the previous year’s loss to the Milwaukee Braves. Over that period, there were issues within the organization and how Stengel managed the players off the field, with rumors leading to a media circus when players stayed out too late or even were involved in a brawl at the Copacabana nightclub — leading to Martin’s ouster. But as long as they were winning, Stengel did not mind one bit.

By the time he won his seventh World Series as manager, Stengel was 67 years old and was seen falling asleep in the dugout. According to his players, he had also grown significantly more irritable. He needed a new contract and was visibly wearing down. Still, management decided to keep him involved anyway because of that 1958 triumph, even though his contract was set to expire.

Casey was given another two-year deal set to expire in 1960. A 79-75 record and distant third-place finish in 1959 was a clear example of the problems within the Yankees dugout. Despite winning his 10th pennant in 1960, the decision to not renew Stengel as Yankees manager had effectively been made, and it was only secured by strange decisions during that last Fall Classic. Stengel’s ace, Ford, was incensed that his skipper refused to start him in Game 1 against Pittsburgh, which Art Ditmar lost, 4-2. It was a strange series, as the Yankees outscored the Pirates by more than any team in World Series history across seven games, but New York lost three close games along the way to force a Game 7 — which Ford could not start because he wasn’t used until Games 3 and 6 (blowout wins).

Bill Mazeroski’s series-winning homer off Ralph Terry was the last moment of Stengel’s Yankees career. Overall, he finished with a 1149-696 record with the Yankees, along with seven World Series championships and 10 AL pennants. Stengel went on to manage the New York Mets from 1962 to 1965, where he finished with a record of 175-404 for the expansion club that was still finding their identity — though he remained a beloved figure in the media for everything he did to stir up interest in his otherwise-subpar Metsies.

While he was a brash character both during his playing days and during his time as a manager, Stengel will always be remembered for the effect he had on his players and his leadership during the best years in Yankees history. He was blessed with great players, but some of the best seasons in MLB history came under his tenure. For that, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1966 alongside legendary Red Sox outfielder Ted Williams.

Stengel helped build and foster some of the best teams and players the game will ever know, making his mark permanently on the sport’s history. His No. 37 was retired in 1970, allowing him one more moment in the Bronx sun prior to his passing five years later at age-85.

Happy birthday, Casey!

See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.

Hi there!

As you know, Thomas Smith is away on vacation.

To keep this feature going, I’m going to post simply the WPA numbers and plays of the game, and a poll so you can vote on your choice for Player of the Game. Thomas will update the Rizzo Award standings when he returns.

Game 108, July 29: Cardinals 3, Cubs 2 (61-47)

Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.

THREE HEROES:

• Superhero: Matthew Boyd (.438). 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 5 K
• Hero: Pete Crow-Armstrong (.302), 1-5, HR
• Sidekick: Caleb Thielbar (.135). 1 IP, 2 K

THREE GOATS:

• Billy Goat: Trent Thornton (-.806). 0.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R (2 ER)
• Goat: Dansby Swanson (-.259). 0-4, R
• Kid: Ian Happ (-.136). 0-4, 2 K

I’ll let Thomas weigh in when he returns from vacation, but I’d guess that -.806 WPA score for Thornton is not only the worst of the year for a Cub, but one of the worst in the history of our Heroes and Goats feature.

WPA Play of the Game: Ivan Herrera’s game-winning two-run double in the 10th (.670).

Cubs Play of the Game: PCA’s two-run homer in the top of the 10th (.415).

The two plays above were the top two WPA plays of the entire game.

Up next: The series finale, with Javier Assad facing Andre Pallante. The Cubs still have a chance to win the series.

As Thomas would say: Keep stacking wins.

As the Tampa Bay Rays sit in a strong position in the American League standings in late July 2026, the organization faces a familiar but critical decision point.

With the trade deadline set for August 3, speculation has intensified around potential moves to bolster the major league roster. Yet, recent reporting from Ken Rosenthal underscores a compelling reason for caution: the Rays’ exceptionally deep farm system, headlined by top prospect Theo Gillen, represents a foundation that should not and cannot be compromised lightly.

Theo Gillen, the Rays’ No. 1 prospect and a top-10 talent across Major League Baseball, has delivered a breakout 2026 campaign. The 20-year-old outfielder has excelled at Double-A Montgomery, showcasing plus power from both sides of the plate, speed, and a polished approach that has produced multi-home run games and extended hitting streaks. Ranked as high as No. 9 overall by MLB Pipeline, Gillen embodies everything a seller would want at the trade deadline: high-upside and a controllable timeline.

Accordingly, Gillen is also the type of player the Rays need — unless the new owners want to drop top dollar on expensive veterans alongside a new ballpark — to have sustained competitiveness over the coming years.

The Rule 5 Imperative

Compounding the value of retaining top-end talent is the impending Rule 5 Draft. With a dozen or so quality players from the Rays’ organization eligible next offseason, Erik Neander and the front office must weigh the risk of losing developed depth against any short-term gains from trades. If you’ve been reading the site over the last month, this is nothing new, as Ben Whitelaw has been mapping such prospects into proposed trades in his articles over the last few weeks with a similar reminder.

Protecting these assets typically means prioritizing additions to the 40-man roster or strategic retention over aggressive selling of future value. In a market where the Rays are positioned more as buyers than sellers given their playoff odds, the calculus favors measured moves that supplement the current roster without mortgaging the years ahead.

Said more plainly: if the Rays are going to make a move, these are the players they need to prioritize in their trade discussions.

The Goodman Inquiry and Setting Boundaries

Ken Rosenthal at The Athletic reported the most recent Rays rumor when discussing the potential availability of breakout young catcher Hunter Goodman in Colorado:

How badly do you want him?

The staring contest between the Rockies and teams seeking to trade for Goodman is on.

Three AL East clubs — the Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees — are among the teams expressing varying interest in Goodman, according to people briefed on the Rockies’ conversations but granted anonymity to speak freely. The Rockies, however, face no urgency to move Goodman, who is under club control for three additional seasons. So, they’re asking for multi-player packages led by teams’ No. 1 prospects — outfielder Theo Gillen from the Rays, Franklin Arias from the Red Sox and so on.

[The Athletic]

This highlights the problematic market dynamics at play. The Rockies, seeking a substantial return for Goodman, have reportedly inquired about Gillen as the centerpiece of any package from the Rays. Goodman, as a productive power bat at home and on the road with years of control remaining, understandably appeals to contending clubs. However, the Rockies’ high asking price—centered on a top prospect—aligns with their lack of urgency to move a player under club control through 2029 and the realities of a sellers market.

For the Rays, this inquiry should serve as a firm boundary. Asking for Gillen can — and should — slam the door shut on any trade negotiations.

Trading Gillen, even in a package for an established major leaguer, would represent a significant departure from the model that has sustained contention. While the Rays have demonstrated willingness to move prospects in the past when they feel the return justifies the cost, both team history — typically waiting until the offseason for such moves when leverage is neutral — and the current depth and Rule 5 considerations tilt strongly toward preservation.

A Sustainable Path Forward

Rays fans understand the franchise’s philosophy around trades is rooted in avoiding the boom-and-bust cycles that plague other markets. The current farm system offers an opportunity to extend the team’s success.

As the August 3 deadline approaches, the expectation is that Neander and company will have explored upgrades, but also while remaining disciplined. The goal remains building a roster capable of not only reaching the postseason this year, but one that ensures relevance for years to come.

Let me finish by acknowledging the devil (rays)’s advocate: Is there a scenario where the Rays could move the likes of Gillen? Yes, of course! But such a deal would be unreasonable, and thus the return must also be one you might consider unreasonable. It would need to be a Godfather offer, one you cannot refuse. There are players that could fit that bill: shortstops Bobby Witt Jr. or Konnor Griffin come to mind. But it’s hard to imagine either being for sale, and even typing it out feels foolish.

It’s not all doom and gloom. Perhaps the Rays will still add a player here or there before August 3rd, a backup catcher and/or a reliever, but at this point I’d rather promote Brayden Taylor to the majors to give him a whirl at second base than trade him alongside Brody Hopkins for the likes of JJ Bleday.

Tampa Bay’s strength has always been foresight. In this moment, it might mean recognizing that the best deals are sometimes the ones not made — especially when they involve the future stars who will define the next era of Rays baseball.