Category: MLB

The late actor and director Rob Reiner was a devoted Dodgers fan.

Sunday would have meant a lot to him.

Jake and Romy Reiner threw out the ceremonial first pitches at Dodger Stadium before the team’s game against the Boston Red Sox, more than seven months after their parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, were found dead at their Brentwood home.

Jake Reiner, a 35-year-old actor and reporter, threw his pitch straight down the middle to Dodgers outfielder Alex Call behind the plate. Romy Reiner, a 28-year-old actor and writer, sent her pitch a little high and outside, but her catcher, Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas, had no trouble handling it.

Read more:Rob Reiner receives posthumous Emmy nomination for 'The Bear'

Afterward, the siblings shared a heartfelt hug next to the mound.

Jake Reiner, who co-hosts the Dodgers-based podcast “The Incline,” wrote about his and his father’s connection through the Boys in Blue in a Substack column posted in April.

“We loved the Dodgers more than anything,” Jake wrote. “We went to so many damn games. I’ll never go to Dodger Stadium again without feeling my dad’s presence and hearing his voice tell me why Shohei Ohtani should never bat in the leadoff spot.”

When Rob Reiner threw out a ceremonial first pitch before a Dodgers-Braves game in 2010, Jake was photographed helping him warm up.

Rob Reiner told People in 2023 that he became a die-hard fan through his own father, Carl Reiner, and that he made it a point to pass the same love for the sport on to Jake. The family has had Dodgers season tickets for about 60 years, with Reiner telling People that he and Jake “would go to at least 25 or 40 games a year.”

Read more:Commentary: As news of Rob Reiner's killing worsens, let's remember his legacy rooted in empathy

“Every time we come to the ballpark, even today when we walked in, I said to Jake, ‘There’s nothing like being at the ballpark,’” Rob Reiner said. “I love coming here. We look out at the grass. The green, it’s so beautiful.”

Rob Reiner, 78, and his wife, Michele, 70, were found by Romy Reiner when she went to their home the afternoon of Dec. 14. Their other son, Nick Reiner, 32, was arrested on suspicion of murdering his parents by stabbing in December. He has pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder.

Nick Reiner has struggled with addiction for years and had been living in a guesthouse on his parents’ property, according to a family friend. His mother was said to have become increasingly concerned about his mental health in the weeks leading up to her death.

“The Dodgers express our deep sorrow and share our condolences over the passing of longtime fan Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele,” the team posted Dec. 15 on X.

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Better positioned to attack the market than any other club, the Dodgers were aggressive at this year’s deadline. Contextualizing for the position they were in, what they set out to accomplish, and what it took to get there, it’s inevitable to conclude it was a successful deadline for the reigning back-to-back champs, worthy of an A grade.

No matter what were to happen, the Dodgers would still come out of the deadline as the favorites to win the World Series. That being said, the addition of Tarik Skubal combined with more underwhelming moves from their top rivals justifies their current odds as +160 to complete the threepeat. Even though all three division leaders in the National League possess similar records, the Dodgers are still heavy favorites to secure the NL’s number one seed, currently at -370.

Dodgers trade deadline grade: A

As evident now as ever, one of the keys to the Dodgers’ success is the ability to make measured decisions with both the short-term and long-term future in mind—a team unafraid to fully explore their vast resources without being inconsequential in their approach. Skubal’s acquisition fulfilled plenty of expectations, but no one can accuse the Dodgers of being held hostage by the Tigers.

Even with the departure of Zyhir Hope as the headliner, the Dodgers retain a loaded pool of outfield prospects from which they can benefit for years to come. When it comes to River Ryan, his development needed a breakthrough only a guaranteed big league spot with no leash could provide, and that was more than the Dodgers could afford to give him right now.

It was the perfect storm not only for the Dodgers to acquire Skubal but also to do so with a reasonable package, if there is such a thing. For most teams competing at an absolute high level, the reward of two months-plus of Skubal wasn’t worth the loss of such highly prized assets as the ones the Dodgers gave up.

Depth is also what allows the Dodgers to go on the trading market for not one but two currently sidelined pitchers, whose potential contributions in 2026 are major question marks. Kris Bubic represents a shot in the dark, which was reflected in the return sent to the Royals—the lefty is still roughly a month away from returning to a big league mound and is a free agent at the end of the year. Now, Seth Halvorsen is a far more intriguing addition, possessing the raw ability to be molded into a weapon out of the bullpen capable of reaching triple digits, and also controllable through the end of the 2030 campaign. Halvorsen is currently in the minors completing a rehab assignment, still with 3 MiLB options.

Going back to familiar names, the Dodgers added catching depth by acquiring both Ben Rortvedt and Hunter Feduccia from the Mets and Rays, respectively. The Dodgers will be able to freely select who stays on next to Rushing in the big league roster since Feduccia still has one option and Rortvedt is not currently on the 40-man roster. Alongside Feduccia, the Dodgers also added minor leaguer Jacob Kmatz, a 23-year-old pitcher currently with a sub-1.00 WHIP in Double-A.

Between Landyn Vidourek and Nick Frasso going to the Rockies, Carlos Duran to the Royals, Chayce McDermott to the Mets, and Jack Suwinski to the Rays, the hit that the organizational depth of the Dodgers takes to complete these moves is minimal.

If we want to get extremely nitpicky, assessing the price for a few of the veteran relievers who were moved, such as Luke Weaver and A.J. Minter, the Dodgers could’ve pulled the trigger on adding a more experienced option. And that may be the only thing keeping us from an A+.

The MLB trade deadline is behind us, and numerous All-Stars have been shipped elsewhere to play out the remainder of the 2026 season. With the departure of those superstars comes an influx of minor league talent, players that may not be household names just yet, but they may very well be in a few years.

That said, there may not be such a massive shift in these rankings. Prior to the start of the trade frenzy, USA TODAY Sports rated the Los Angeles Dodgers as boasting the best farm system in Major League Baseball. Despite trading for the crown jewel of the deadline in two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, the Dodgers didn't have to give up very much at all, only giving up one of their top-five prospects in the deal.

So, do the Dodgers retain their top spot? Who's the biggest riser? And who gave up the most of their future? We're looking beyond the 2026 trade deadline at which teams boast the best pool of prospects in their minor league systems.

Power Ranking MLB farm systems

NOTE: Top prospects listed per mlb.com

30) San Diego Padres - Previous Ranking: 27

Top 5 prospects:

• C Ethan Salas
• LHP Kruz Schoolcraft
• C TJ Harvey
• OF Ryan Wideman
• RHP Bryan Balzer

A team everyone thought would sell wound up buying at the deadline, acquiring LHP Robbie Ray from divisional rival San Francisco. In doing so, they did need to give away a top-five prospect in Miguel Mendez, though. They also needed to send another borderline top-10 prospect as well.

They couldn't stop there though. The Padres also acquired Casey Mize and Gage Workman from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for their No. 2 prospect Kash Mayfield. The Padres have somehow managed to give away all of their future talent not named Ethan Salas over the last few seasons.

An already shallow pool of prospects was made even shallower.

29) Houston Astros - Previous Ranking: 29

Top 5 prospects:

• OF Kevin Alvarez
• 3B/SS Xavier Neyens
• C/1B Jason Schiavone
• SS/3B Albert Fermín
• RHP Bryce Mayer

While Alvarez and Neyens are two of the best prospects the Astros have had in years, the Astros still don't boast a very impressive farm system. The team had a great opportunity to sell at this year's deadline but after winning 11 of 12 games between July 20 and August 2, the team burst into the buyer category, thus putting their farm system at even greater risk.

Thankfully for the organization's future, the team did not make any deals involving prospects, though Houston did trade starting RHP Spencer Arrighetti to the Toronto Blue Jays for Daulton Varsho. Maybe it's because they realized they couldn't afford to trade away what little talent they had left. Or maybe it was because the team continuously got outbid by teams with better prospect pools.

28) Chicago Cubs - Previous Ranking: 24

Top 5 prospects:

• OF/1B Josiah Hartshorn
• C/1B Owen Ayers
• OF Ethan Conrad
• OF Kane Kepley
• RHP Jaxon Wiggins

The Cubs did well at this year's deadline to acquire exactly what they needed without giving up too much in return. Still, in acquiring starting pitcher and two-time All-Star Kevin Gausman from the Blue Jays, the Cubs did have to send away two solid prospects in CF Brett Bateman and SS Ty Southisene.

The pair have each immediately jumped into the Blue Jays' top-20 prospects, who don't have a bad farm system themselves. That shows you the level of talent they gave up, hence why they fall in these updated rankings.

The biggest loss was in the acquisition of Clay Holmes, trading away No. 2 prospect Jefferson Rojas to the New York Mets.

27) Arizona Diamondbacks - Previous Ranking: 26

Top 5 prospects:

• 2B/3B Demetrio Crisantes
• SS Kayson Cunningham
• RHP David Hagaman
• 2B JD Dix
• RHP Daniel Eagen

The recent graduation of key prospects such as Ryan Waldschmidt drastically lower the ceiling for this group. Just a few weeks ago, Waldschmidt was still considered a prospect, hence why they were rated slightly higher in our previous rankings.

The only move of note from the D-Backs was the acquisition of Lars Nootbaar from the St. Louis Cardinals, which slightly lowers the D-Backs in our rankings.

26) New York Mets - Previous Ranking: 30

Top 5 prospects:

• RHP Jonah Tong
• LHP Jonathan Santucci
• SS Elian Peña
• 3B/1B Jacob Reimer
• SS/2B Mitch Voit

When we last ranked these teams, the Mets stood in last place, and despite trading away players like Brooks Raley, Huascar Brazobán, and Freddy Peralta, the team didn't add any game-changing prospects until the Clay Holmes trade. Adding Jefferson Rojas is a huge get for the Mets, and a huge blow for the Cubs.

While the team did add some depth beyond their top 10 in players like Aidan Smith, Émilien Pitre, and Gary Gill Hill, their trade deadline lacked any serious punch to immediately enhance their future. It's a good step for a lowly farm system, but given how weak it was before, adding depth doesn't do much to help.

25) Los Angeles Angels - Previous Ranking: 28

Top 5 prospects:

• RHP Tyler Bremmer
• OF Nelson Rada
• LHP Johnny Slawinski
• RHP George Klassen
• C/3B Gabriel Davalillo

Finally! It seems like the Angels are actually starting a rebuild. The shining moment of the trade deadline was undoubtedly the move to send Jose Soriano to the Blue Jays. Acquiring Arjun Nimmala was a massive get for this team as he will likely slot into the Angels' top-five prospects immediately.

24) Kansas City Royals - Previous Ranking: 25

Top 5 prospects:

• RHP Kendry Chourio
• SS/3B Josh Hammond
• LHP David Shields
• OF Angeibel Gomez
• C Blake Mitchell

The Royals didn't have much to offer at this year's deadline but did make slight improvements to their farm system, adding Lucas Braun to the team via the Lane Thomas trade. Braun is a borderline top-10 prospect within the Royals' organization but adds to an already loaded group of right-handed pitchers near the top of the farm system.

23) Toronto Blue Jays - Previous Ranking: 19

Top 5 prospects:

• SS JoJo Parker
• RHP Nolan Perry
• LHP Johnny King
• LHP Ricky Tiedemann
• INF Sean Keys

In trading away Kevin Gausman, the Blue Jays were able to add a bit of depth to a somewhat top-heavy farm system. It was a solid move and about as much as the team could've expected to get for someone of Gausman's caliber.

The big blow came when the team traded away SS Arjun Nimmala to the Angels. Given the strength of the AL East this season, the lack of high-end talent in the farm currently, and Soriano's struggles as the 2026 season has worn on, this feels like a poor deal that has set the Blue Jays' farm system back.

22) Atlanta Braves - Previous Ranking: 21

Top 5 prospects:

• LHP Cam Caminiti
• OF Eric Hartman
• 2B/SS Tate Southisene
• LHP Briggs McKenzie
• SS Alex Lodise

The Braves were able to grab some depth at key places on their roster without giving up too much. The biggest prospect that departed with was pitcher Lucas Braun who was sent to Kansas City, but he doesn't even crack the Royals' top 10.

The Braves fall slightly in our rankings, but fans in Atlanta should not be discouraged about the team's future.

21) Philadelphia Phillies - Previous Ranking: 18

Top 5 prospects:

• RHP Gage Wood
• SS Aidan Miller
• OF Francisco Renteria
• 2B Aroon Escobar
• OF Dante Nori

The additions of Luis Arraez and Brooks Raley came at a cost, but not too hefty. Considering how sought after both of those players were, you'd expect the team to have given up one of their top prospects, and while the loss of Ramon Marquez is certainly a hit, it could've been much worse.

Marquez's departure certainly thins out an already shallow pitching pool, but the Phillies could certainly afford to move off Marquez since they still flex four pitchers within their top-10 prospects.

20) Boston Red Sox - Previous Ranking: 12

Top 5 prospects:

• SS Franklin Arias
• RHP Anthony Eyanson
• OF Justin Gonzales
• RHP Kyson Witherspoon
• OF Enddy Azocar

The Boston Red Sox certainly gave up a lot of prospects for Adley Rutschman: right-handers Anthony Eyanson and Kyson Witherspoon, center fielder Enddy Azocar and catcher Carlos Narvaez Will it be worth it? Probably not, and in doing so, they've helped bolster a division rival's future.

19) Texas Rangers - Previous Ranking: 23

Top 5 prospects:

• SS/3B Sebastian Walcott
• RHP Caden Scarborough
• RHP AJ Russell
• C Malcolm Moore
• SS/3B Yolfran Castillo

The Rangers' farm system remains mostly intact following the trade deadline. While they did give away a mid-tier prospect in Angel Arredondo in exchange for Logan O'Hoppe and Chase Silseth, they also acquired Adam Macko.

Neither player is a real game-changer in the system, meaning the Rangers pretty much stand in the same spot they did before the deadline.

18) Cincinnati Reds - Previous Ranking: 20

Top 5 prospects:

• C Alfredo Duno
• SS Steele Hall
• OF Héctor Rodríguez
• SS/3B Tyson Lewis
• RHP Aaron Watson

Sometimes the best move is no move at all. The Reds have a rather young roster and are currently last place in the NL Central. But despite being in last place, the team is just a few games under .500. They could've taken this opportunity to trade away some of their stronger pieces but instead, they opted to keep everyone intact and hope their current core can develop into a playoff-contending team within the next few years.

17) Tampa Bay Rays - Previous Ranking: 13

Top 5 prospects:

• OF Theo Gillen
• C Nathan Flewelling
• C Caden Bodine
• INF Cooper Fleming
• RHP Brody Hopkins

In acquiring Freddy Peralta from the Mets, the Rays did need to give away some solid mid-tier prospects in Aidan Smith, Emilien Pitre, and Gary Gill Hill. However, given how deep the Rays' farm system is and how bad the Mets' system is, the loss isn't too bad.

All three of those guys were borderline top 30 for the Rays but immediate top-20 impacts for the Mets. With that in mind, the addition to the Mets was much greater than the subtraction from the Rays.

The real loss came with the acquisition of Liam Hicks. Brayden Taylor, Adrian Santana, and Jacob Kisting were mid-to-high-tier prospects, making this deal feel like a bit of an overpay for the Miami catcher.

16) Athletics - Previous Ranking: 17

Top 5 prospects:

• SS Leo De Vries
• LHP Jamie Arnold
• 2B/SS Joshua Kuroda-Grauer
• SS Johenssy Colome
• LHP Wei-En Lin

The A's didn't really have the means to do anything. Their talent is either too high a price, too young to properly evaluate yet, or not worth anything at all. With that in mind, their decision to do nothing fits. While the team still needs to find some pitching, no amount of prospects would've been worth getting rid of guys like Kurtz or Langeliers.

The A's remained stagnant at the deadline, and they remain pretty stagnant in our rankings.

15) Pittsburgh Pirates - Previous Ranking: 15

Top 5 prospects:

• RHP Seth Hernandez
• OF/1B Edward Florentino
• 3B Murf Gray
• SS Wyatt Sanford
• OF Jhostynxon Garcia

Prior to the deadline, the Pirates didn't boast a great system. It was rather mediocre, middle of the pack. However, despite that, the team was able to acquire one of the more sought-after arms in Luke Weaver without giving up a top-five prospect in return.

The price certainly wasn't cheap by any means, needing to give away a top-10 project in Sammy Stafura, but all in all, it was a great move that didn't compromise the team's future all that much.

14) Baltimore Orioles - Previous Ranking: 22

Top 5 prospects:

• OF Nate George
• OF/1B Ike Irish
• LHP Joseph Dzierwa
• SS Wehiwa Aloy
• 2B/OF Aron Estrada

Trading away Taylor Ward should've given the Orioles something, anything. But the Mariners, with their deep farm system were able to acquire the outfielder without spending any of their top-to-mid tier pitching prospects.

The three names barely move the needle on Baltimore's farm system, but at least this team didn't give any prospects away in the deal.

Then, the Adley Rutschman trade happened. My oh my, what a haul. Baltimore was able to acquire four of Boston's top-21 prospects, two of their top three, three of their top five, and two top-100's in the deal. That's a huge get for a team that was looking rather stagnant at the deadline.

13) Colorado Rockies - Previous Ranking: 16

Top 5 prospects:

• SS Ethan Holliday
• OF/2B Roldy Brito
• 1B/OF Charlie Condon
• OF Jared Thomas
• OF Cristian Arguelles

The decision to deal Brenton Doyle was a smart one and netted the Rockies two depth pieces. It doesn't add much, but it's enough to feel good about Colorado's deadline despite holding onto someone with immense value like Hunter Goodman.

The acquisitions of Connor Norby and Aiden May also help slightly but don't do enough to really elevate the Rockies.

12) New York Yankees - Previous Ranking: 10

Top 5 prospects:

• INF George Lombard Jr.
• SS Dax Kilby
• RHP Elmer Rodríguez
• RHP Carlos Lagrange
• RHP Ben Hess

In acquiring Luis Garcia Jr. from the Nationals, the Yankees gave away three prospects in Yovanny Cruz, Jake Bird, and Ben Grable. It was a reasonable price for someone who has been near the top of the league in home runs since the start of June.

Given the depth of the Yankees' system, none of those prospects will be missed too sorely, but they were some valuable depth to the system. New York falls ever so slightly in our rankings.

11) San Francisco Giants - Previous Ranking: 14

Top 5 prospects:

• SS Josuar González
• SS Luis Hernández
• SS Jhonny Level
• SS/2B Gavin Kilen
• OF Dakota Jordan

Obviously, Giants fans would've loved to see guys like Matt Chapman, Rafael Devers, and/or Willy Adames shipped away this year, but the team didn't need to give away too much while acquiring some solid prospects.

Guys like Miguel Mendez, Joniel Hernandez, and Ramon Marquez are all immediate top-30 guys in the Giants' system and give the team some much needed pitching depth.

The Heliot Ramos deal also acquired a borderline top-five prospect from the Yankees in Henry Lalane. This was a massive get for the Giants, offering them much more pitching depth in the minors than they came into the deadline with.

10) Minnesota Twins - Previous Ranking: 7

Top 5 prospects:

• OF Walker Jenkins
• SS Kaelen Culpepper
• OF Emmanuel Rodriguez
• C Eduardo Tait
• SS Marek Houston

For a team that couldn't decide whether to buy or sell, the choice to trade for A.J. Minter and Dean Kremer was certainly one of the strangest decisions of this year's deadline. While none of the prospects given up were that highly-touted, the Twins' strength was their depth and now that has been thinned. If they do not reach the postseason, this deadline will feel like a hugely missed opportunity.

9) Cleveland Guardians - Previous Ranking: 6

Top 5 prospects:

• 1B/OF Ralphy Velazquez
• SS Angel Genao
• C Cooper Ingle
• RHP Braylon Doughty
• OF Jaison Chourio

The loss of Jacob Cozart stings. Cozart was a rare left-handed hitting catcher with very solid pop. Sure, he had some strikeout issues, but the minor leagues are meant to iron out those problems. Outside of that deal though, the Guardians didn't see much change in their farm system.

As for the Foster Griffin trade with the Nationals, the Guardians really didn't give up all that much, only sacrificing one top-30 prospect for an All-Star pitcher. That's well worth it.

8) Chicago White Sox - Previous Ranking: 5

Top 5 prospects:

• 3B/SS Caleb Bonemer
• LHP Hagen Smith
• SS Billy Carlson
• RHP Tanner McDougal
• OF Jaden Fauske

At the time of the original ranking, Braden Montgomery was still considered a prospect. His graduation to the big leagues already would've seen the White Sox fall a few spots. However, the moves for Brenton Doyle and Huascar Brazoban also thinned out the team's prospects without much in return. Albeit, Chicago did not give up much in those deals.

7) Detroit Tigers - Previous Ranking: 11

Top 5 prospects:

• OF Max Clark
• OF Zyhir Hope
• SS Bryce Rainer
• C/1B Josue Briceño
• RHP River Ryan

While the Tigers likely could've gotten more for Tarik Skubal, there's no denying that their farm system has improved dramatically, with two new players entering their top-five prospects immediately, both of whom should be ready for the majors by 2027.

The Tigers also added one of the Padres' top prospects in Kash Mayfield by dealing away Casey Mize to the Padres. That was an excellent get as well that moves the Tigers up substantially in these rankings.

6) Miami Marlins - Previous Ranking: 9

Top 5 prospects:

• LHP Thomas White
• LHP Robby Snelling
• SS Aiva Arquette
• RHP Karson Milbrandt
• SS/2B Starlyn Caba

The Hicks trade put some solid pieces into the Marlins' system in Brayden Taylor, Adrian Santana, and Jacob Kisting. All three are immediate top-25 prospects for the Marlins, giving Miami one of the most impactful trades that will likely go by quietly.

5) St. Louis Cardinals - Previous Ranking: 8

Top 5 prospects:

• C Rainiel Rodriguez
• LHP Liam Doyle
• OF Joshua Báez
• RHP Tanner Franklin
• C Leo Bernal

The Cardinals took advantage of a desperate Brewers team, willing to overspend to acquire some pitching help. Dustin May and JoJo Romero were not worth two mid-tier prospects, which is exactly what St. Louis got in return. While Frias and Ragsdale are not expected to be massive, huge-impact players, they will provide depth and potential big league value to the club in the future.

4) Milwaukee Brewers - Previous Ranking: 2

Top 5 prospects:

• SS Jesús Made
• INF Luis Peña
• OF Luis Lara
• 3B/SS/OF Jett Williams
• OF Josh Adamczewski

In acquiring Dustin May and JoJo Romero, the Brewers slightly overpaid, offering two mid-tier prospects and losing a bit of depth along the way.

But, Milwaukee still boast one of the deepest farm systems in baseball with a myriad of high-tier guys as well.

3) Washington Nationals - Previous Ranking: 4

Top 5 prospects:

• SS Eli Willits
• RHP Travis Sykora
• RHP Jarlin Susana
• SS Seaver King
• INF Ronny Cruz

The Luis Garcia Jr. deal certainly added some pop to the Nationals' farm system. While none of the players acquired crack the team's top-20 prospects, they are clear top-30 in the system and provide some serious depth to an already loaded farm.

The Nationals certainly could've gotten more for Foster Griffin though, only acquiring one top-30 prospect in the deal with the Guardians. It helps, but not enough to climb into the top-two.

2) Los Angeles Dodgers - Previous Ranking: 1

Top 5 prospects:

• OF Josue De Paula
• OF Mike Sirota
• OF Zyhir Hope
• OF Eduardo Quintero
• SS Emil Morales

Oh, the Dodgers lost one of their dozens of great outfield prospects? Whatever will they do. Given how deep the Dodgers' prospect pool is and how highly-touted their top prospects are, the acquisition of Skubal was merely a small scratch on a Ferrari.

1) Seattle Mariners - Previous Ranking: 3

Top 5 prospects:

• LHP Kade Anderson
• RHP Ryan Sloan
• SS Felnin Celesten
• OF Lazaro Montes
• 2B/OF Michael Arroyo

While acquiring Taylor Ward obviously cost the Mariners some prospects, the guys they gave up weren't the cream of their crop. In fact, it's hard to argue against Seattle rising in our rankings at all after this deadline. They kept basically all of their potentially impactful guys and acquired an immediate-impact outfielder.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: Best MLB farm systems after trade deadline? Power rankings of all 30 teams

Sometimes in baseball, the media overuses the term “crucial series” in the regular season. But make no mistake, the San Diego Padres taking on the Arizona Diamondbacks in a four-game set at Chase Field this week is crucial for both teams.

From the Padres’ perspective, a series sweep causes a direct swing in the Wild-Card postseason standings. Heading into tonight’s contest, one game separates the Friars from the Philadelphia Phillies and D-Backs atop the standings. The winner of this series could create their own path to securing a postseason berth. 

Taking the mound: Michael King (SD) vs Brandon Pfaadt (Ariz)

How crucial is this four-game set? San Diego pushed Michael King (6-7, 3.38 ERA) back a day from his scheduled start. No question, the club wants to set the tone by having its best starting pitcher on the mound for the series opener. 

It does not hurt that King is 3-0 with a 1.05 ERA in five career starts against Arizona. Over the last month, he has pitched well; King is 1-0 with a 3.51 ERA. The right-hander had four no-decisions in July, his lone victory against the Diamondbacks at Petco Park on July 8. 

The Snakes will counter with Brandon Pfaadt (5-1, 4.00 ERA) tonight. He struggled at the start of the season and was sent back to the minors. 

The D-Backs minor league pitching coordinators shortened his delivery and moved Pfaadt to the first-base side of the rubber. Suddenly, everything began clicking for the starter. Injuries to the rotation forced Arizona to call up Pfaadt. He has been outstanding, going 5-0 with a 1.85 ERA. 

The right-hander is poised to increase the D-Backs’ Wild-Card lead over the Padres with a home win this evening.

Offensive trends

The Friars head into the desert going 9-1 on their recent homestand. The offense has come alive since the All-Star break. The team’s batting average has risen by 9 points during this hot streak. The lineup is leaning on Jackson Merrill, who has been the Padres’ primary run-producer (19 hits, 5 HRs, 12 RBIs, and 19 runs scored). 

The D-Backs had their own offensive resurgence. It began on July 9 following a series in San Diego. They went on a tear, going 14-6 and scoring a league-high 118 runs during this stretch. It propelled them back in the Wild-Card chase. 

This is a crucial series because the number of remaining games is dwindling between both teams.

Today’s starting lineups

First of four in Arizona. pic.twitter.com/SijBOm1Rh3

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) August 3, 2026

8/3 ⚾ Dbacks Lineup is Out!
Provided by mlbstartingnine (see @DailyMLBLineups for link)

📊 Live Line: Dbacks -114 • O/U 9.0#Dbacks#DbacksLineup#MLBpic.twitter.com/5drJWkuILp

— MLB Daily Lineups (@DailyMLBLineups) August 3, 2026

The San Francisco Giants (or what’s left of them) begin a three-game road series against the Texas Rangers this afternoon.

Taking the mound for the Giants will be right-hander Logan Webb, who enters tonight’s game with a 3.93 ERA, 3.42 FIP, with 93 strikeouts to 30 walks in 119 innings pitched. His last start was in the Giants’ 16-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday, in which he allowed two runs on five hits with four strikeouts and a walk in six innings.

As of the time this is being written, the Rangers have not yet announced a starting pitcher for tonight’s game. You can check down in the comments for more up to date information.

Game #113

Who: San Francisco Giants (47-65) vs. Texas Rangers (55-57)

Where: Globe Life Field, Arlington, Texas

When: 5:05 p.m. PT

Regional broadcast: n/a

National broadcast: ESPN

Radio: KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM, KSFN 1510 AM

After what was a fairly quiet trade deadline for Milwaukee through roughly 2 p.m. CT, the Brewers finally made their first move at roughly 2:15, acquiring right-handed starter Dustin May and left-handed reliever JoJo Romero in a trade with the Cardinals, per Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic.

Brewers acquiring RHP Dustin May and LH reliever Jo Jo Romero from Cardinals, source tells me and @WillSammon

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) August 3, 2026

Nearly 40 minutes later, Brewer beat reporter Adam McCalvy has reported that the return in the deal is outfield prospects Alexander Frias and Josiah Ragsdale.

Alexander Frias and Josiah Ragsdale are going to St. Louis in the trade, per source.

— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) August 3, 2026

May, 29 in September, is a former third-round pick by the Dodgers back in 2016. Initially ranked as a top prospect, he had a strong start to his career with Los Angeles before missing the entire 2024 season due to injury. He struggled in 2025 between the Dodgers and Red Sox, with a 4.96 ERA and 4.88 FIP across 132 1/3 innings, but he’s looked better this year with St. Louis.

Across 21 starts this season, he’s 5-7 with a 4.38 ERA, 3.14 FIP, and 106 strikeouts over 109 innings. Despite that high ERA, you can see from his FIP that a stronger defense should do him some favors, and as a groundball pitcher, Milwaukee may just be the perfect fit. He tossed a complete game shutout against the Padres earlier this year, and he also took a no-hitter against the Brewers into the eighth inning back in May, flashing his potential.

Romero, 30 in September, is a former fourth-round pick by the Phillies in 2016. He’s in his seventh big-league season and fifth with the Cardinals, and he’s been a reliable arm for St. Louis for several years now, with a 3.07 ERA, 3.60 FIP, and 207 strikeouts over 214 innings for them between 2022 and 2026. He’s made 44 appearances this year with a 3.35 ERA, 4.00 FIP, and 43 strikeouts across 43 innings, though he’s missed the last several weeks after an emergency appendectomy. He’s expected to return to action by mid-August.

Frias, 18, and Ragsdale, 22, both ranked among Milwaukee’s top prospects. Frias, ranked No. 11 in the system by MLB Pipeline, was an international signee out of the Dominican Republic in January 2025 and was hitting .236/.328/.418 in 28 games with Low-A Wilson after hitting .441/.518/.678 in 32 games at Rookie ball to begin the year.

Ragsdale, ranked as Milwaukee’s No. 13 prospect by MLB Pipeline, started the season at High-A Wisconsin before a call up to Double-A Biloxi, and he’s hit .316/.441/.581 with 19 homers, 21 doubles, two triples, and 31 steals over 86 games between the two levels. He was a seventh-round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft out of Boston College.

Luis Garcia Jr. grew up in New York, rooting for the Yankees. 

While his family moved to the Dominican Republic when he was 8 years old, Garcia has rocked No. 2 most of his life because Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano were two of his favorite players growing up.

Now 26 years old, he has the opportunity to put the pinstripes on himself. 

“It means so much,” Garcia said Monday via a translator. “I was born here in New York, so to be able to play for this team, you ask players and I think everybody wants an opportunity to wear these pinstripes.

“Also to be able to be able to play in front of my family, it means a lot -- I have a lot of family members here in the city still, so to be able to do that, it’s going to be a pretty cool opportunity.”

Garcia, of course, was acquired in a deal with the Nationals on Sunday night.

It remains to be seen where exactly he’ll fit in defensively with the Bombers, as he spent the majority of his time with the Nationals this season starting at first base. 

He'll likely stick there or slide in as the DH most nights against right-handed pitching, but is ready for whatever opportunities his new club decides to throw his way. 

“I’m just here to help,” Garcia emphasized. “Wherever they need me, I’m going to be right there -- that’s the honest answer regarding on that front, I’m just here to help this team.”

The biggest boost he'll be able to provide certainly will be with his bat. 

Garcia has always been a relatively steady producer, but he's been enjoying himself a breakout season offensively, putting together 23 homers and a NL-best .560 slugging percentage through 104 games. 

One of the biggest keys behind that has been him pulling the ball in the air at a career-best rate (18.6), which figures to make him a nearly perfect fit for the short porch in the Bronx.

"That’s one of the adjustments I’ve made this year, get the ball in the more and pull it with authority," he said. "It's no secret playing here at Yankee Stadium it's exciting to be part of that, so we'll see what happens."

We’re counting down to the final two hours until the trade deadline at 4:00 pm MDT.

As a reminder, the Colorado Rockies traded CF Brenton Doyle to the Chicago White Sox.

Rumors suggest the Rockies will make at least one more trade.

Stay hydrated, everyone. Be sure to keep breathing.

Let’s do this.

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At last, the final checkpoint of the regular season is here. The Trade Deadline is today, and as of writing the Yankees have made one significant upgrade having acquired Luis García Jr. from the Nationals to boost their lineup with a genuine power threat, though it looks as though he’s going to be a platoon bat against righties as he has some extreme splits. There’s more work to be done, but it may go down to the last minute before we see what the fruits of Brian Cashman’s labor end up being.

What is clear is that by the end of the day, we’ll be looking at a different landscape across the American League. The Yankees aren’t the only team looking for upgrades after all, and their direct rivals are working hard on covering all their bases. Did the Yankees do enough to improve themselves, and what’s your confidence level in them pushing for the division now that the rosters are all said and done? Did they get taken to the bank for all their prospects, or did they manage to make the most of who they sent off? And did they manage to get better than their rivals, or did the gap grow after Monday night? If you have questions like these, or anything else on your mind, send ‘em in for a chance to be featured in our Yankees mailbag.

Answers will run on Friday afternoon. All questions received by the night of August 6th will be considered. You can leave your submissions in the comment section below or by e-mail to pinstripealleyblog [at] gmail [dot] com.

On top of the Guardians’ win-loss column looking ever so slightly better than previous weeks, the team made some noise off the field that has the potential to keep that win total moving up.

New Faces in CLE

While the Guards have spent recent years waiting until the last minute of the trade deadline to make any moves, they surprised us fans by announcing a trade on Saturday. Catcher Bo Naylor and relief pitcher Codi Heuer were sent to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for outfielder Blake Perkins and pitcher Craig Yoho. Naylor has spent most of the 2026 season in Triple-A Columbus, hitting just .143/.200/.238 in his time with the Big League club this year. Heuer’s story was much the same, pitching to a 4.66 ERA in just 9.2 innings of work. For the return, the Guards got a 3.00 ERA pitcher with 19 strikeouts in 21 innings with Yoho, and a .157/.250/.258 hitter in Perkins. This seems to be an off year for the outfielder so far, but maybe a change of scenery will be exactly what he needed to get his bat going again.

Ohio Cup Stays in Cleveland

Thanks to a 2-1 series win against the Cincinnati Reds this week, the illustrious Ohio Cup will be staying in Cleveland for the 11th time in the past 12 years. While Monday’s game was postponed due to rain, it may have been exactly what the Guardians needed. They had lost their last five games in a row, and things were beginning to look a little bleak. However, thanks to the break, they claimed game one in a 6-5 victory thanks to a grand slam by Kyle Manzardo, and sacrifice outs from Chase DeLauter and Brayan Rocchio. The Guardians were shut out in game two, but came right back to take the finale in a no-doubt 6-1 victory.

History Made in Springfield

Okay, no, this isn’t related to the Guardians, but there is no way I could’ve written a whole article about positive moments from the week and NOT mention the Women’s Professional Baseball League. After more than 70 years, women are once again playing professional baseball. On Saturday night, the Los Angeles Queens took on the New York Heights in the very first game of the new WPBL. The Queens earned the come-from-behind 10-8 victory over the Heights thanks to a stellar closing performance by pitcher Meggie Meidlinger. In game two, it was the San Francisco Firebells versus the Boston Hunters where the face of women’s baseball, Kelsie Whitmore, made her debut. The Firebells earned a dominant 11-3 win over the Hunters after getting the scoring started early. The four teams will play each other in 14 more games over the next month, all taking place at Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Illinois.

Mike Elias built the Baltimore Orioles around Adley Rutschman for seven years. On Monday he shipped him up I-95 to Boston in a move that people in Baltimore are going to be arguing about longer than Elias is the Orioles GM.

Rutschman was the first pick Elias ever made, No. 1 overall in 2019, five months after Baltimore hired him to clean up a team that had just lost 115 games. He turned into the best prospect in the sport, then a three-time All-Star, then the face of a rebuild that made the playoffs twice and stopped. He's 28 and under contract through 2027 and he'll be fighting his old team in division.

Boston also gets catcher Jake Rogers. Baltimore gets right-handers Anthony Eyanson and Kyson Witherspoon, center fielder Enddy Azocar and catcher Carlos Narvaez. The Orioles will also get a player to be named later.

Adley Rutschman trade details

• Red Sox receive: Adley Rutschman, Jake Rogers
• Orioles receive: Anthony Eyanson, Kyson Witherspoon, Enddy Azocar, Carlos Narvaez, PTBNL

Red Sox grade: B+

Boston had the worst catching in the division and just got the best. Conor Wong and Narvaez combined for a .615 OPS this year, 25th in baseball. Narvaez by himself was hitting .187. Rutschman is at .251 with eight homers, 47 RBI and a .764 OPS, and by the expected number he'd been as good at the break as any year of his career except 2023.

Defensively, Rutschman is in the 93rd percentile in framing pitches among major league catches. He has thrown out 14 runners attempting to steal a base. His 37.2% success rate at throwing out runners is tops in the majors.

The Red Sox paid up. Eyanson is the 49th-best prospect in the game. Witherspoon went 15th overall a year ago for $5 million and was the best college righty in that draft. That's a lot of arm to give away, but Breslow paid because the Yankees and Rays were circling as well.

Baltimore had just grabbed Rogers from Detroit on July 30, because Rutschman and his replacement Samuel Basallo are on the injured list. Rutschman's been on the IL since July 19 with a wrist injury. It's his third IL stint this year after an ankle issue in April and a concussion in June. Boston looked at the medicals and signed off.

Orioles grade: B

Elias got real potential back. Eyanson is 21, out of LSU, with a 1.32 ERA in 16 pro starts between High-A and Double-A, with 12.4 strikeouts per nine innings and a slider that grades out at 65 (on the scouting scale of 80). Witherspoon has four pitches at 60 or better and looks like a mid-rotation starter if he throws more strikes. Azocar is just 19, hitting .268 with 10 homers and running well in center. Narvaez is slashing .187/.260/,275 and basically a placeholder.

When is the 2026 MLB trade deadline?

The MLB trade deadline for the 2026 season is set for Monday, Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. ET.

MLB schedule today

Here is the full Major League Baseball schedule for Aug. 3 and how to watch all the games. Or see our sortable MLB schedule to filter by team or division.

Watch MLB games all season long with Fubo

• Nationals at Phillies, 6:40 p.m., NBC Sports Philadelphia
• Cardinals at Yankees, 7:05 p.m., Cardinals.TV
• Pirates at Brewers, 7:40 p.m., Brewers.TV
• Giants at Rangers, 8:05 p.m., ESPN
• Dodgers at Cubs, 8:05 p.m., Marquee Sports Network
• Blue Jays at Astros, 8:10 p.m., Space City Home Network
• Rays at Rockies, 8:40 p.m., Rockies.TV
• Padres at Diamondbacks, 9:40 p.m., DBACKS.TV

Watch MLB games all season long with Fubo (free trial)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who won the Adley Rutschman trade? Grades for Red Sox and Orioles

After landing back-to-back Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal in the biggest trade of the summer, Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman sat at the podium and was mum on whether he'd continue to add to the big league roster in the final 24 hours ahead of the deadline.

"Less likely," he said at the time. "I think coming into this deadline again, our mindset was we're going to be really aggressive for one player. If that player doesn't get moved, if that player goes somewhere else, it's a different mindset. ... You never say never, but fortunately we don't have that acute need where it's, 'you have to do this or our team is in real danger.'"

Turns out, Friedman wasn't done making moves. The Dodgers are trading for Kansas City Royals reliever Kris Bubic in exchange for right-handed pitching prospect Carlos Duran, as first reported by MLB.com's Mark Feinsand. It's a low risk move for LA as they add another bullpen arm in Bubic, who has been on the IL with left shoulder inflammation since May 18.

He has pitched well when healthy, as seen by his 2025 All-Star season in which he posted a career-best 2.55 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP in 116.1 innings. But outside of that, the 28-year-old has pitched a total of just 96.2 innings in 2023, 2024 and 2026 combined as he's been hampered by nagging shoulder and elbow injuries.

The move is a clear flier for the Dodgers, and the Royals got a prospect in return, so how did each team fare in this trade?

Dodgers: B-

As Friedman said on Sunday, they didn't need to make any more trades. The roster is as complete as it can be, especially once the rotation gets back to full health. The bullpen was already performing well without Edwin Díaz, and the star closer looked much better in his return to the mound last week than he did in his disastrous start to the season before undergoing surgery to remove loose bodies from his right elbow.

Bubic has been steadily increasing his throwing progression and was most recently up to 80 feet on July 27, according to his latest injury report. He should be back sometime in August, but the Dodgers are in no rush and could take a more cautious approach.

If nothing else, this was an anticipatory move to clear out a spot on the 40-man roster. With Blake Snell on track to return this week after one more rehab start and Tyler Glasnow set to go on a rehab assignment of his own, Duran was a likely candidate to be waived to make space for one of their returning starters. Rather than take the chance of losing him for nothing, the Dodgers get some value back, even if it's just depth.

Royals: C+

Kansas City moves on from a talented but oft-injured relief pitcher, and they get back what they can in Duran, who is outside the Dodgers' top 30 but has pitched well in Triple-A Oklahoma City with a 3.38 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 61 strikeouts. At 25 years old, Duran probably doesn't have much more upside left to project, but he could probably turn into a decent reliever for the Royals.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kris Bubic trade grades: How Dodgers, Royals fared in deal

The Cubs made an interesting deal today before the trade deadline, getting left-hander Braxton Garrett from the Marlins.

The Chicago Cubs are acquiring left-hander Braxton Garrett in a trade with the Miami Marlins, sources tell ESPN.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 3, 2026

We now have the return for Garrett as well.

Can confirm LHP Braxton Garrett is being dealt to the Cubs for 1B/OF Jonathon Long (No. 10 prospect) and RHP Jace Beck (No. 28 prospect).

Like with Nick Fortes and Liam Hicks to Tampa Bay in back-to-back years, Miami sends Edwards Cabrera and Garrett to Chicago within a year.

— Christina De Nicola (@CDeNicola13) August 3, 2026

The left-handed Garrett, who turns 29 on Wednesday, is still under team control until 2029 and still has one minor league option left, although that only applies to this year. That’s important because after a breakout in 2022 and 2023, Garrett underwent Tommy John surgery in 2024. He missed most of that year and all of 2025. He’s healthy now, but after two poor starts in the majors in May, he’s been pitching in Triple-A Jacksonville since then.

Garrett’s major league numbers this year are ugly—0-1 with a 14.54 ERA over two starts. But his minor league numbers have been good with a 2.90 ERA and more than a strikeout an inning, although the walks are a bit up and his underlying numbers in Triple-A aren’t quite that good. (They’re not bad, though!) If you assume it takes a while for a pitcher’s control to return after Tommy John, then maybe his walk totals aren’t that bad.

Garrett was the seventh-overall pick of the 2016 draft out of high school in Alabama. He’s mostly a sinker/slider guy who gets the kinds of ground balls the Cubs want.

So Garrett serves as starting pitching depth for this year and an upside play for the next two years afterwards. He can report to Iowa for now and be ready to step in if the Cubs still have even more injuries to their pitching staff for the rest of 2026.

Jonathon Long is a promising bat who got off to a bad start to start this season but has lately been turning things around. He’s a good right-handed hitter with above-average power. But he’s also pretty much limited to first base (Long can play left field in a pinch) and he’s pretty much blocked by Michael Busch with the Cubs. But the Marlins could use a first baseman and he could make his major league debut immediately

Baseball America had Long as the Cubs’ 16th-best prospect. MLB Pipeline ranked him tenth. I ranked him 11th in my mid-season update.

The Cubs signed the right-handed Beck as a minor league free agent after the Mets released him this offseason. He dominated Double-A for the Cubs, posting a record of 6-2 with a 2.87 ERA over 20 games and six starts. He struck out 102 batters over 59.2 innings. That got him promoted to Triple-A Iowa, where he has struggled in five appearances and a 6.60 ERA. But Beck was starting to show up on some prospect lists, with Baseball America and MLB Pipeline both listing him as the Cubs’ 28th-best prospect .

The San Diego Padres began their trade deadline by trading two prospects for left-handed starting pitcher Robbie Ray from the San Francisco Giants.

Welcome to San Diego, Robbie! pic.twitter.com/rmE5Oo5oHY

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) August 3, 2026

President of baseball operations A.J. Preller used No. 4 prospect Miguel Mendez and No. 9 prospect shortstop Joniel Hernandez to acquire the 34-year-old veteran, who has been one of the top pitchers in baseball over the past two months.

 In 10 starts and 60 innings pitched since June 1, Ray has a 1.65 ERA. He has a 3.08 ERA for the season in 122.2 innings with 107 strikeouts to 57 walks. 

Ray features a low-90s four-seam fastball and sinker along with a knuckle curve, a slider, and a changeup. He figures to slip into the rotation behind Michael King as the No. 2 starter for the Padres. 

Depending on what else Preller can add, the Padres can count on one less bullpen game per trip through the rotation by adding Ray. The report is that the Padres and Giants will split the remaining $8 million owed to Ray for the rest of the 2026 season. He is a free agent at the end of the year.

The Padres relinquish a shortstop who has made a big splash in the Dominican Summer League in his first season after signing as a top international prospect. Joniel Hernandez has plus tools on both sides of the ball but is only 17 years old and a good distance from helping any team as a major league player.

RHP Miguel Mendez has been a starter for the Padres since being signed as an international prospect in 2021. He made his stateside debut in 2022 and recently began a rehab assignment with Fort Wayne at High-A after suffering a shoulder injury earlier this season while playing for Double-A San Antonio.

Mendez, 24, excelled last year with Fort Wayne, pitching to a 1.32 ERA in 12 games started, but has had issues with command and injuries this season.

With Robbie Ray added to the Padres’ starting rotation, the Padres have King, Ray and RHP Walker Buehler for their current rotation and hope to get RHP’s Nick Pivetta and/or Joe Musgrove back later this month after their rehab stints are completed. 

Both Musgrove and Pivetta are scheduled to start their rehab with Lake Elsinore on Tuesday.