Category: MLB

If I had a nickel for every time the Royals traded an injured left-handed starting pitcher that some people felt was better in the bullpen on an expiring deal to the Dodgers, I’d have two nickels. Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it’s happened twice.

It’s sad to see Kris Bubic go. I still wonder if the Royals might try to bring him back on a one-year deal to a rapidly depleting pitching staff next year. There were strong rumors that the Royals had a deal worked out to send Bubic to the Angels for Taylor Ward this past offseason when Baltimore convinced them to take Grayson Rodriguez instead. Obviously, his value has diminished with a second straight season derailed by injury. Especially because no one seems to quite understand the nature of the injury. But he’s no longer the Royals’ problem.

Carlos Duran is a big right-handed reliever that the Dodgers added as a minor league free agent last year. He has struck out 12 batters per 9 innings but also walked nearly 6 per 9 in AAA for them this season. He still has a 3.38 ERA, though. He just turned 25 last week, and while he did make his major league debut last season, he only pitched 1/3 of an inning for the Athletics. You have to wonder if he could serve more as help in the Royals’ bullpen this year than a prospect for next season.

Kris’s true value seems like it’s probably far less than their model indicates since he’s currently on the 60-day IL and no one seems to know when he might return. If the Royals can turn Duran into a serviceable reliever, this would seem like a huge win for them.

With less than 24 hours to go before the trade deadline the Cubs made a move for a starting pitcher. It wasn’t a blockbuster deal for Tarik Skubal, who will take his electric left arm to Los Angeles to join a Dodgers team that is already flush with talent. It wasn’t a move for Freddy Peralta, who will take his body of work that has stymied the Cubs to the tune of a .169/.281/.305 career slashline against the Northsiders over 109.1 career innings against his former division rival to the American League East and the Tampa Bay Rays. Instead the Cubs made a savvy deal for veteran starter Kevin Gausman.

Gausman has certainly been an ace for both the San Francisco Giants and the Toronto Blue Jays dating back to the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. He fortifies a battered Cubs pitching staff and should bring a veteran presence along with Postseason experience to Chicago. You can see highlights from his 2025 Postseason where the Blue Jays fell just short of dethroning the Dodgers in the World Series:

The team context

Don’t get me wrong, Skubal and Peralta are great, but the cost to acquire them was steep. The Cubs may have been in on one of those starters if they had a deeper farm system or just needed a single ace in the rotation. But as we’ve discussed many times this season, pitching injuries have been a real Achilles’ heel for this Cubs team who have managed to ride the top offense in the league to a 63-49 record. They’re still 6.5 games back of the division-leading Brewers, but that record is good for a four-game lead for the top Wild Card spot. You can see the top ten teams by fWAR and some of their key offensive stats below:

For as good as their hitting has been this season, the Cubs pitching has needed help. By fWAR their starting pitchers rank 25th in MLB between the Washington Nationals and San Diego Padres. It doesn’t get better when you look at the bullpen, where the Cubs rank 26th in MLB by fWAR, in between the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland Athletics with a cumulative fWAR of -0.5.

But for all of their pitching woes, the Cubs are not the Nationals, Padres, Giants or Athletics. They are a team that is currently on track to play meaningful baseball in September and maybe even October with a 92.2 percent chance to make the playoffs according to FanGraphs:

To move their pitching up to the league median, or better the Cubs didn’t need one arm. Reporting says they are looking to add three additional pitchers between now and 5 p.m. CT today. Sunday night we found out the first of those pitchers is Gausman.

The arsenal

Gausman has a three pitch mix that he throws in similar ratios to both righties and lefties. He has a 94 MPH fourseam fastball he throws approximately half of the time. He pairs that with a split finger he throws about 38 percent of the time and mixes in a slider the remaining 10 percent of the time. It’s a pitch mix that has remained remarkably stable since 2022:

His fastball is still excellent, but the secondary pitches have fallen off a bit this season. It’s possible the Cubs have a fix for that. However, it’s equally possible they are just looking to upgrade the innings they just lost by designating Jameson Taillon for assignment. Either would be a suitable upgrade for the Cubs rotation, however if they have a fix for his secondary pitches Gausman may be able to return to closer to his prior ace status. Ironically, Taillon was claimed by the Blue Jays and the Cubs will receive a player to be named later for him.

The stats

Gausman has been one of the best starters in baseball since 2020 whether you measure that in innings pitched or results. Below you can see a list of the top 29 pitchers in baseball by fWAR, where Gausman ranks second behind Zach Wheeler. Fun fact, Cubs trade target, George Kirby of the Mariners just missed the cut at #24 here. For reference the first pitcher with any Cubs experience during this time on this leaderboard is Justin Steele who ranks #66:

If you were to sort that full table by innings pitched, Gausman is also second there (behind Logan Webb’s 1141.2). High quality innings, and a lot of them, sounds like exactly what this iteration of the Cubs needed at the trade deadline.

But it is worth noting that the Cubs aren’t getting 2021 Gausman in this deal. Gausman turned 35 in January and Father Time is undefeated. The Cubs are hoping a trade to a contender and some tweaks on Gausman’s secondaries, gets him closer to his ace-like status for seven more regular season starts and as far as the Cubs can go in October. Cubs fans have seen the idyllic version of this movie before when the Cubs traded for 34-year old Cole Hamels during a down year, only to see him return to form at the corner of Clark and Addison.

And there are reasons to believe Gausman might be better in blue pinstripes than he was in Blue Jays baby blue. For starters, Gausman’s 4.38 ERA is almost a run worse than his 3.51 FIP. As a reminder, FIP stands for fielding independent pitching, and tries to look at what a pitcher can control rather than the impact a good or bad defense may have on his outcomes. But Gausman isn’t moving to a neutral defense, he’s moving to the best defense in baseball by many metrics. Of the 19 pitchers who have thrown at least 10 innings for the Cubs this season, 16 have ERAs that are lower than their FIP — including newcomer David Peterson. That’s notable, because Peterson did not have a lower ERA with the Mets, and close readers of this blog will recall I highlighted that metric for him as well (yes, that includes the July 3 start against the Cardinals we’d all rather forget).

Another reason for cautious optimism that the Cubs may be getting a better version of Gausman can be seen in his BABIP, which is an uncharacteristically high .313 for the 2026 season. That could indicate a decline for a 35-year old pitcher, but it could also indicate some bad luck. The type of bad luck that turns into better results when you swap Andrés Giménez for Dansby Swanson at shortstop, Ernie Clement for Nico Hoerner at second and Jesús Sánchez for Ian Happ in left field and, of course, Daulton Varsho for Pete Crow-Armstrong in center.

At the risk of introducing some non-statistical analysis in a “by the numbers” column, it also seems like Gausman is just a great guy who should fit right into a Cubs clubhouse that is by all accounts close, business-like about their approach to the game and genuinely likeable. There was genuine sadness among Toronto fans and writers that the time had come to part ways with a great guy:

The return

The Cubs gave up two prospects for Gausman, both contact-oriented infielders in Brett Bateman and Ty Southisene. I’ll confess, even as the person who peers into minor league stats in the NL Central regularly for BaseballHQ, neither were on my radar as being particularly close to the big league roster. So I did the exact same thing y’all probably did and sought out the reaction of a trusted prospects expert. Below is what Keith Law wrote up for The Athletic:

This feels like a very light return for two months of Gausman, even the 2026 version who’s down from his peak performance. Brett Bateman bounced back after he was beset by a broken hamate bone in 2025 and bottomed out at a .307 slugging percentage. This season, he’s hitting .312/.431/.422 with better contact quality too. He could be the strong side of a center field platoon, or a quality fourth outfielder who can handle all three spots against right-handed pitching. He’s an above-average runner with probably 40 power, enough that he should hit in the .270-280 range with some walks thanks to his strong contact skills. Ty Southisene, brother of Atlanta prospect Tate Southisene, has zero power — literally, no pro homers in over 700 plate appearances — and probably has to move to second. He’s very small, so there’s no projection here for him to get stronger.

Takeaways

Overall, this feels like the first of a series of moves to improve the Cubs pitching staff before 5PM tonight. Gausman adds innings with more of a track record than the Cubs other options, including a decent amount of Postseason experience and excellent clubhouse vibes. If the Cubs get the same version of Gausman the Blue Jays saw in 2026 they’ll have improved on 2026 Taillon considerably, if they have some tweaks that can return him to something like his 2025 form, this is a straight-up steal of a trade.

Welcome to Chicago, Kevin Gausman. Here’s hoping a couple of other guys are on the way to join you as the reinforcements at Wrigley Field as the Cubs kick off the post-trade deadline run with a series against none other than those juggernaut Dodgers at Wrigley Field tonight.

The Blue Jays have traded swingman Adam Macko to the Texas Rangers for utility infielder Josh Smith and prospect Josh Stephan, per Ben Nicholson-Smith:

Macko, the first Slovak MLB player since the retirement of Elmer Valo in 1961, appeared in /2 games this season for the Jays, posting a 4.91 ERA and 23 strikeouts against 10 walks in 22.0 innings. He profiles as a swing man or potential fifth starter if he’s able to stay healthy and refine his command.

Smith, who turns 29 on Friday, was functionally an everyday player during the 2024 and 2025 seasons with the Rangers, splitting time all over the infield. He’s fallen out of the lineup this season due to some struggles at the plate, but when he’s on can provide slightly above average hitting based on a solid OBP that makes up for limited power along with below average but passable defence anywhere on the dirt or in left field.

Stephan, 24, is a right handed starter in AAA. He has plus command of pretty mediocre stuff, relying heavily on spotting his lone above average pitch, a slider, around the zone. He’s gotten hit a bit at Round Rock, posting a 5.41 ERA, but his 97:31 K:BB ratio shows some promise and he’ll probably join the up and down mix at the back of the Jays’ 40-man roster in a similar role to what Macko had this season.

Happy trails to Macko, and welcome to the Josh S.s

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The Los Angeles Dodgers' acquisition of star pitcher Tarik Skubal from the Detroit Tigers over the weekend didn't just leave rival fans frustrated and analysts debating the trade's implications for collective bargaining.

It also sparked a surge of World Series futures betting at BetMGM.

Key Takeaways

• The Dodgers’ odds to win the World Series shortened from +170 to +150 at BetMGM.
  
  
• The operator doesn’t have the favorite under liability watch right now.
  
  
• Los Angeles is a huge favorite to win its division.

“The Dodgers were already the favorites and the most-bet team to win the World Series before the addition of reigning back-to-back Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal,” BetMGM senior trading manager Christian Cipollini said. “Since the trade on Saturday, 54% of money wagered has been on Los Angeles to win a third consecutive World Series.”  

It's no surprise bettors are backing a team that owns one of MLB's best records at 69-43. Skubal was considered the best player available on the trade market this year, and even though he’s set to become a free agent at the end of the season, he could’ve helped sway expectations for a number of contenders. 

The Dodgers' rotation also includes 2026 All-Stars Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Justin Wrobleski, as well as two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell.

Their odds of making history and winning the World Series again have shortened from +170 before the trade to +150 after acquiring Skubal, who will make his Dodgers debut Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs. 

Other operators reported similar odds shifts.

Dodgers Futures Odds Movement @DKSports

World Series: +190➡️+150
National League: +105➡️-110 https://t.co/YFug7c1oIvpic.twitter.com/6Wr49dHhAC

— DK Insights (@DKInsights_) August 2, 2026

LA DODGERS UPDATED LINE MOVEMENTS 🚨

▪️World Series: +175 ➡️ +150
▪️NL Pennant: -115
▪️Win Total: 103.5 (O -115)
▪️2026 & 2027 Titles: +650 ➡️ +600 pic.twitter.com/PXwavMg90m

— Caesars Sportsbook (@CaesarsSports) August 2, 2026

No big liability ... yet

L.A. has seen the most tickets (12.4%) and handle (23.4%) to win it all at BetMGM. No other team has seen at least 10% in either category. However, the Dodgers, who opened the market as a +350 favorite, aren’t a major liability for the operator at this time.

“That could change,” Cipollini said. 

BetMGM's biggest World Series liability remains the Colorado Rockies, though the sportsbook has little concern about the NL-worst club.

MLB odds could still shift following Monday’s 6 p.m. ET trade deadline. 

Massive favorites

In the NL pennant market, the Dodgers went from +100 to -120 at BetMGM over the weekend. They’re getting 13.2% of the bets and 26.3% of the money in that futures market.

.@Dodgers odds to win the National League at @BetMGM

+100: Before trading for Tarik Skubal

-120: After 📈

Dodgers were already the favorites and the most bet team to win the NL before the trade and they just got better! pic.twitter.com/4k5CyvSwdw

— John Ewing (@johnewing) August 3, 2026

Los Angeles’ odds to win the NL West, however, didn’t budge. The Dodgers are a whopping -10,000 to claim the division, which they currently lead by 10 games over the second-place Arizona Diamondbacks. The second-biggest favorite to win a division is the Atlanta Braves at -1,100 in the NL East. 

Bettors haven’t been able to get a price under -1,000 on the Dodgers to win the division since late March, so only 12% of the tickets and 11% of the handle are on L.A.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

It’s the MLB trade deadline! The most speculative, bizarre, and usually personally disappointing day in the baseball calendar is upon us, and I’m grading every major deal as they happen. From prospect hauls to rental pitchers all the way to the Dodgers probably trading for the Star Wars force ghost of Ted Williams (or something like that), I’m here for the intrigue and chaos all day. Let’s have some fun!

This story will be updated as new deals are reported. 

Boston Red Sox receive: C Adley Rutschmann

Baltimore Orioles receive: RHP Anthony Eyanson, CF Enddy Azocar, RHP Kyson Witherspoon, C Carlos Narvaez

Red Sox grade: A

Rutschmann hasn’t necessarily lived up to the hype of “holy moly this guy is the cornerstone of our franchise” that he reached after his first two seasons… otherwise he would not be getting traded within the division to the Boston Red Sox. But it’s impossible to overstate how big of an upgrade Rutschmann is over the current catcher platoon of Carlos Narvaez and Connor Wong. He’s an elite defender and power hitter that adds 4.0-5.0 WAR into a lineup in a spot that has been a black hole for years. The Red Sox managing to grab a player of his quality without including top prospect Franklin Arias is a massive win.

Orioles grade: B-

Eyanson is an excellent prospect in the Red Sox system, and he’s been tearing up AA this season in Portland. That’s a real asset to get back, but many Orioles fans will be angry that their former savior got traded for a package that did not even include Boston’s top prospect in Arias. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but with Samuel Basallo extended long term, it made sense to get as much value as you could. Still, doing it in the division has the potential to really sting down the road. 

Los Angeles Dodgers receive: LHP Kris Bubic

Kansas City Royals receive: RHP Carlos Duran

Dodgers grade: B+

Bubic has fallen way back to earth after a stellar 2025, but the Dodgers can afford to gamble on a player they are conceivably hoping to turn back into an All-Star. There’s very little risk with a player making so little money on a one-year deal, so this is well worth it.

Royals grade: C+

Apparently Bubic’s reputation in the league was not much, but I still thought the Royals could have gotten more for a lefty rental from a needier team. Evidently, they could not. 

San Diego Padres receive: LHP Robbie Ray

San Francisco Giants receive: SS Joniel Hernandez, RHP Miguel Mendez

Padres grade: C

You can only make so many “win now” trades without actually winning now. The Padres just traded their fourth-overall prospect, Mendez, to a division rival for a 34-year-old starter rental with San Diego still on the outside looking in to the playoff picture. I understand this team isn’t exactly primed for a rebuild, but this seems to be heading down a very specific street: it either works or AJ Preller is fired. That’s a dangerous spot for any organization.

Giants: B+

Robbie Ray is going to do effectively nothing for the Giants anymore as their season descends into nothingness, but he has been one of the best pitchers in baseball since June even if his underlying data hasn’t been all that great. He’s not the star he used to be but clearly still has real value to a desperate Padres team. Even in division, I like the return for San Francisco.

Tampa Bay Rays receive: C Liam Hicks

Miami Marlins receive: INF Brayden Taylor, RHP Jacob Kisting, SS Adrian Santana

Rays grade: B

Hicks is a fine defensive catcher and very controllable bat with bizarre underlying metrics. He has showed excellent plate discipline and slugged a good amount in 2026 but with really low bat speed for how much power he’s creating. He also has zero opposite field power, pulling all 14 of his home runs sharply to right field. He could be a good, long-term option for Tampa, or this could be a major overpay.

Marlins: A-

Brayden Taylor was a first-round pick and a 50 FV prospect who will need to develop his plate discipline if he’s going to make it as a big leaguer. The Marlins probably feel that an infielder with pedigree and fixable issues is a solid return for their perplexing catcher, a presumption I agree with.

Philadelphia Phillies receive: 2B Luis Arraez, RHP Caleb Kilian

San Francisco Giants receive: RHP Ramon Marquez, RHP Marty Gair

Phillies grade: B

The Phillies certainly had to do something, and reconfiguring the ever-living heck out of their infield appears to be that thing. Arraez will slot into second base, moving Bryce Harper into the outfield as Alec Bohm ends up at first. Arraez immediately becomes Philadelphia’s third-best offensive player on a team seriously wanting for contact hitting. He’s become a really interesting player, and one I’ve come to believe in as an asset. Still, they gave up a real guy to get him.

Giants grade: A-

To net a Top 100 pitching prospect in Marquez for a player you signed to a one-year prove-it deal after it became clear he had zero market is an absolute win. It’s just a shame that this Giants team, which was banking on a lot of shaky propositions from the jump, couldn’t ultimately benefit from such a great signing. But in terms of price to value? This is a slam dunk situation. 

Seattle Mariners receive OF Taylor Ward

Baltimore Orioles receive: RHP Alex Hoppe, RHP Harrison Kreiling, RHP Brock Moore

Seattle Mariners grade: B+

The Mariners got a solid player in Ward for a cheap rental price in what looks to be a last-ditch effort to save their season. He’s been startlingly consistent the past few years, a 3.0ish WAR guy who walks a lot and hits to both fields. The Mariners must now do the harder thing than trading for 32-year-old rentals: winning enough games to get back in the AL Wild Card race.

Baltimore Orioles grade: C+ 

They were never going to get anything for Ward, who was almost certainly going to walk after this season, and so this is a pure “thank you for your service” type trade. Nothing really special going on here for Baltimore, who appears to be packing it up for 2026 in more ways than one. 

Chicago Cubs receive: RHP Kevin Gausman

Toronto Blue Jays receive: CF Brett Bateman, 2B Ty Southisene

Cubs grade: A

The Cubs needed a starting pitcher, and they got one. He may be a 35-year-old rental, but in the grand scheme of rental pitchers, you could do a lot worse than Gausman. The Cubs believe they can win the NL this year, and Gausman will be key to any chance they have against the Dodgers and the Brewers. 

Blue Jays grade: B

As with every one of these rental pitchers, you’re just not going to get major beans for a guy with every ability to walk after 50 games. Both are 35+ grade prospects, so we’re not really reinventing the franchise here. The Blue Jays are all-but cooked in 2026, so getting something (anything really) for Gausman is good stuff. 

Blue Jays receive: RHP Jose Soriano

Los Angeles Angels receive: SS Arjun Nimmala, OF Eddie Micheletti, RHP Angel Rivero

Blue Jays grade: D-

???. I’m not sure Soriano is the kind of guy you want to be trading Top 50 prospects like Nimmala for, as the inconsistent righty had an unhittable start to 2026 before massively tailing off. Trading Gausman was an admission of defeat, but getting Soriano (who is more controllable and thus more expensive) feels like a step backward. Was there no better option in the starter market? Could they not have waited until the winter?

Angels grade: A

I love this for the Angels. Soriano’s beginning of the season was a total mirage, and Nimmala is the kind of prospect that will allow the Angels to reset their timeline somewhat. If we just accept that the Mike Trout Era is not likely to yield results, we need to be talking future — like, the far future. Trading a questionable starter for serious value is excellent work.

Tampa Bay Rays receive: RHP Freddy Peralta

New York Mets receive: CF Aidan Smith, RHP Gary Gill Hill, 2B Emilien Pitre

Rays grade: B-

The Skubal backup plan could have been worse, but Peralta has been legitimately terrible in 2026 after the New York Mets invested in him as their big-name addition. The Rays needed to add to their rotation if they want a prayer in October, though, and it’s hard to think Peralta will continue to be this bad after his Brewers tenure so recently. A necessary move, but a sour consolation after losing out on Skubal.

Mets grade: D+

An admission of defeat in a season filled with nothing but defeats. The Mets got some decent pieces back in the trade given that Peralta is a rental, but the whole fiasco deserves a low mark. It could not realistically be going worse for the Mets in 2026, and Peralta is the image of that failure. 

New York Yankees receive: 1B Luis García Jr.

Washington Nationals receive: RHP Yovanny Cruz, RHP Jake Bird, RHP Jack Cebert, RHP Ben Grable

Yankees grade: A-

A healthy Yankees roster does not want for power hitting, but this is not a healthy Yankees roster. They gave up a pretty serious prospect haul for Luis Garcia Jr., who only has one more year of team control after this, but it’s necessary in a year when the American League is so up for grabs it may as well have a sign pinned to it that reads “FREE” like a couch on the curb. Garcia has seen a major production spike this season, and the Yankees will hope it continues this fall.

Nationals grade: B-

I flirted with including Garcia Jr. in some previous trade candidates list, but I felt they would be best served hanging onto him as part of their young core. Of course, he would be worth even less next season as a true expiring deal, and then you’re in real trouble. If they knew they couldn’t sign him when he hits the open market, it’s not the worst idea to get the Yankees premium price while you still can.

Los Angeles Dodgers receive: LHP Tarik Skubal

Detroit Tigers receive: OF Zyhir Hope, RHP River Ryan, RHP Brady Smith

Dodgers grade: A+ (obviously)

Oh, what, you thought there was some other angle to this? Nope. The Dodgers traded a comparatively low sum for the best pitcher on planet earth and have ascended from “overwhelming World Series favorite” to “overwhelming World Series favorite.” Huh, maybe it’s not an A+ (sarcasm). 

It’s obviously pretty lame that the Dodgers once again got the best player available, but honestly, who cares at this point? Until some kind of salary cap takes shape, the Dodgers will be the presumptive favorites to sign every really-super-duper good player on the market until the end of time. And short of a cap, there appears to be nothing anyone can do about it.

Tigers grade: B-

The Tigers are getting some bad press for this trade given Ryan is 27 years old and it feels unlikely that neither the Tampa Bay Rays or Milwaukee Brewers could have beaten that offer. Conspiracy theories that the Dodgers are being gifted all the best players to convince fans of the necessity of a salary cap are hilarious but ultimately absurd; if the Brewers and Rays wanted to beat that offer, they would have, so why didn’t they?

No reporting suggests this is the case, but as a theory: I wonder if Skubal’s camp made it clear that he would be signing with the Dodgers this offseason and other teams refused to give up real value for what was truly a 1/3rd of the season rental. The calculation of “just make the Dodgers give up something for the guy before they sign him anyway” would explain why nobody trumped that offer, and the Dodgers still have no special advantage in signing him. You can’t really get above a B when you’re giving up a godly player, but for such a franchise-altering trade, the Tigers surely netted the best deal they could get for their ace. 

The San Francisco Giants are continuing their busy trade deadline. On Monday, about four hours before the deadline, it was reported that the Giants are trading left-handed starting pitcher Robbie Ray to the San Diego Padres. ESPN’s Jeff Passan was first to report the news.

According to a report from Jon Heyman, the return for Ray is right-handed pitcher Miguel Mendez and shortstop Joniel Hernandez. The teams are splitting the cost of Ray’s trade bonus, though it seems like the Padres are paying for the rest of Ray’s deal.

Mendez, who is 24 and was signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2021, is a well-regarded pitcher, who was ranked No. 4 in San Diego’s system by both Fangraphs and MLB Pipeline. He has a mid-high 90s fastball that can reach triple digits, with an excellent slider. He also has a changeup. Mendez had a breakout 2025 but has been a little less sharp this year: in 11 starts with San Diego’s AA affiliate, he has a 4.93 ERA and a 3.21 FIP, with 38 strikeouts to 17 walks in 34.2 innings. He will be Rule 5 eligible this winter.

Hernandez is more of a flier, which is always exciting. Signed in January out of Cuba for $1.4 million, the right-handed hitter only turned 17 in March. He’s been having a strong debut season in the Dominican Summer League, where he’s hitting .303/.424/.503, for a .927 OPS and a 120 wRC+, with just a 16.1% strikeout rate, and made the All-Star team. MLB Pipeline ranks him as the No. 9 prospect in San Diego’s system, and notes that he has tremendous speed with both his bat and his legs. He has the potential to develop into a plus-power, plus-speed prospect up the middle, and you can never have enough of those.

It’s been a foregone conclusion for a while that the Giants would trade Ray. He’s a proven starter with a lot of pedigree — he’s a two-time All-Star and a former Cy Young winner — and his contract runs out after this year. The Giants, who have been out of the playoff picture for months, were always going to sell off their rentals at the deadline.

After some serious struggles, Ray rebuilt his trade value massively over the summer. In his last eight games, Ray has posted a 1.09 ERA and a 3.04 FIP, with 41 strikeouts and 21 walks in 49.1 innings. That included back-to-back outings at the end of June in which the southpaw threw eight innings with no earned runs allowed, which really brought his trade value back up.

The Padres got a very close look at Ray’s recent resurgence. His final start as a Giant came on Thursday in San Diego, when he held his new team to one run in six innings. That, apparently, was all that AJ Preller needed to see.

Ray’s trade follows a trade of Luis Arráez on Monday morning, and Tyler Mahle on Sunday night. With that, the Giants have traded all of their rentals and obvious candidates. It wouldn’t be at all surprising if they have a few more moves up their sleeves, though. The team is widely considered likely to trade a few relievers (they’ve already traded one, as Caleb Kilian was part of the Arráez trade), and they have reportedly been fielding offers for Heliot Ramos as well. The Giants have also reportedly been looking at unloading one or more of their big contracts (Rafael Devers, Matt Chapman, and Willy Adames), though that seems unlikely to materialize.

The Tampa Bay Rays have a made a major addition to their roster by acquiring catcher Liam Hicks from the Miami Marlins in exchange for three prospects.

Hicks is currently hitting .282/.363/.432 with 14 HR this season, registering a 119 wRC+ (140 vs RHP, 47 vs LHP) and has accrued 1.6 fWAR over 409 PA. He will be expected to enter into a fairly strict platoon with Nick Fortes moving forward.

A Rule 5 selection from the Tigers following the 2024 season, Hicks has appeared at catcher in 100 games (81 starts) and at first base (54 games, 42 starts) across two seasons in Miami, and dramatically cut his strikeouts at the plate this year.

The Rays are sending three prospects in the deal:

• INF Brayden Taylor — 2023 19th overall selection, resurgent after a down 2025 at the plate
• SS Adrian Santana — 2023 31st overall selection, who boasts a 108 wRC+ in High-A this year
• RHP Jacob Kisting — 2024 14th rounder and helium pitching prospect that we profiled over the weekend

Two-time Gold Glove winner Brenton Doyle is heading to the Chicago White Sox from Colorado, as GM Chris Getz has entered his “defensive replacement” phase of team-building.

The cost is not nothing, as preseason No. 10 South Side Sox prospect Mason Adams is the headliner shipped out west to the Rockies. Carlos Vielma, a 16-year-old infielder positively crushing the DSL in his first pro season, is also wedged into the deal.

Two years ago, this trade would have set pulses racing, as Doyle won his second Gold Glove in two MLB seasons but more significantly added some pop to his game: 23 homers, 72 RBIs and a 3.9 WAR that seemed to predict multi-tool minor stardom ahead. But in the two years since, the center fielder has badly regressed. His 2025 was a stumble to a 0.2 WAR that apparently affected his defense as well, and this season Doyle battled oblique and groin injuries that saw him sent to Triple-A for a rehab assignment before his call-up just two games ago.

Sam Bradfield over at our sister site Purple Row offered her insight on the trade, promising that “when [Doyle] is on, he’s on” and that the speedster ran into both bad injury luck and struggles with altitude. He’ll face no such problems with the latter in the flatlander climes of Chicago, so perhaps the White Sox coaching staff can coax back more of the speed-D-pop excellence we saw from Doyle two seasons ago.

Triple-A starter Adams struggled in his return from Tommy John surgery in 2026, but had worked his way back to Triple-A and logged a 3-3 record and 4.25 ERA — and that includes getting lit up last night after being pulled from his Sunday start and getting inserted for three relief innings to end the Charlotte loss. For those needing translation, a 4.25 ERA in homer-happy Charlotte plays way differently than a 4.25 down in stingy Birmingham. The White Sox should have been prepping Adams for spot starts in September, not sending him out into even thinner air in Denver. Atone for your sins, Mason.

If not for a player named Fernando Tatís Jr., the inclusion of Vielma in the deal would cause no night sweats. However, in just 34 games as a pro, the 16-year-old infielder has twice the walks as strikeouts and is slashing .337/.508/.474. If you’re not sure you trade Adams straight for Doyle, you sure as hell don’t wedge this lottery ticket beefcake into the proceedings.

This, quite honestly, has the makings of a trade you’ll end up regretting. We’ll see.

The trade deadline ends at 4:00 pm today, and this morning, the Colorado Rockies traded CF Brenton Doyle to the Chicago White Sox.

Since we’ve got a long way to go and many trades awaiting us, we’ve set up an overflow thread to keep the conversation moving.

Let’s go, Rockies! Make some trades!

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

Hello, and welcome to the 2026 White Sox MLB trade deadline tracker!

Below, you’ll find every trade and acquisition the White Sox made over the past two weeks, anticipating the near-freeze of transactions after August 3. Where applicable, there are links to our trade deadline stories, which pack more detail.

A reminder, the trade deadline is 5 p.m. CT on August 3.

August 3
Acquire CF Brenton Doyle from the Colorado Rockies for Triple-A RHSP Mason Adams and DSL INF Carlos Vielma
So, now we have a bad trade, for a defensive replacement CF who may even have lost his defensive edge for a likely MLB starter in Adams (SSS preseason No. 10 prospect, holding a 4.25 ERA with the Knights as he battles back from TJS) and definition of a lottery ticket with DSL masher Vielma. Doyle was outstanding in 2024 but has seen his road to stardom severely sidelined since, including a demotion back to Triple-A in May.

Acquire RHRP Huascar Brazobán from the New York Mets for RHSP Gabe Davis and RHRP Zach Franklin
An absolute masterstroke of a minor deal that could pay huge dividends, beyond 2026. Brazobán is young by MLB standards but ancient (36 years old) for a pitcher who is controllable for the rest of this decade. He’s a little wild but allows hits like Jerry Reinsdorf hands out nine-figure contracts. At worst, he’s an upgrade of the departed Seranthony Domínguez, at 10% of the price. Franklin will see some time with the Mets, probably immediately, as he’s been a pro long enough to be Rule 5 draft-eligible next winter, while Davis projects long-term as a relief arm.

August 2
David James put together hisbiggest White Sox needs ahead of Monday’s trade deadline.

August 1
Acquire RHSP Luis Castillo from the Seattle Mariners for RHRP Seranthony Domínguez, Triple-A OF Nolan Jones and Double-A C Boston Smith
The first major move of GM Chris Getz’s 2026 deadline was a bit of a yawner. No doubt, snagging Castillo helps fill the most pressing need for the White Sox, starting pitching. But the 2026 version of Castillo has been horrific, worse even than an arm in Domínguez the entire fan base seemed so desperate to drop. Plus, Castillo’s 2026-27 salary will hamstring the White Sox going forward if the club continues to operate with the budget of a Triple-A team. If Castillo flounders and best-in-system catching prospect Smith continues to mash, this swap could be disastrous.

July 28
Sign free agent C Eric Haase to a minor-league contract, send him to Triple-A Charlotte
Haase hasn’t been a true MLB contributor since 2022, and as such is mere catching depth in case of catastrophe. That said, his -0.3 WAR in 29 games with the Giants this season is right in line with the production of current White Sox catchers Drew Romo (-0.6 WAR) and Edgar Quero (-0.9 WAR).

July 26
Acquire RHSP José Urquidy from the Pittsburgh Pirates for RHRP Felix Doroteo
A somewhat bizarre deal, as Urquidy provides deep emergency rotation depth (the White Sox immediately sent him to Triple-A Charlotte), but nothing that will assist in winning the AL Central. The return for Urquidy is the only thing more puzzling than the acquisition itself: 21-year-old Arizona Complex League reliever Doroteo, who was part of Chicago’s international signing class in 2025 but missed the entire year with injury.

We also published the results of our deadline-centered Reacts poll, which saw Noah Schultz as the rostered rookie the fan base would most be willing to part with in a deal to improve the team for the stretch run.

July 17
Hannah Filippo took a look at three possible starting pitcher rentals the White Sox could pursue at the deadline: Michael Wacha, Foster Griffin and Logan Webb

LOS ANGELES — Max Muncy homered once during the Dodgers’ homestand last week, and his home run last Tuesday against the Seattle Mariners tied Eric Karros for most regular season home runs in Dodger Stadium history.

Muncy and Karros each hit 130 regular season homers at Chavez Ravine, but if you factor in postseason home runs too, Muncy has the edge, 137-132.

So I asked Muncy over the weekend of all his home runs at Dodger Stadium — excluding his 18th-inning home run in Game 3 of the 2018 World Series to end the longest postseason game of all-time — was his favorite.

Muncy thought about this for a moment. First he remembered his walk-off home run on April 10 against the Texas Rangers, when he joined Don Demeter in 1959 as the only Dodger to cap off a three-homer game with a walk-off shot.

“One it’s a walk-off, two it’s the third home run of the night,” Muncy reasoned.

But after a few more moments cycling through his memories of nine seasons hitting home runs in Los Angeles, Muncy suddenly remembered another important dinger.

On August 21, 2019, Muncy hit a walk-off home run to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 2-1 in the 10th inning at Dodger Stadium. “Max Muncy saves the Dodgers tonight,” said Joe Davis on his home run call.

This home run was hit off Toronto southpaw Tim Mayza. Of the 137 home runs Muncy has hit at Dodger Stadium, 102 have been against right-handers and 35 against left-handers.

Winning the game was nice, but off-field events were what made it special for Muncy, who was four days shy of his 29th birthday at the time.

“That one might actually be my favorite, because of the circumstances outside the field surrounding it. It was on or around my birthday,” Muncy explained. “My wife flew home to pick up the puppy we just bought. I hadn’t met the puppy yet. She came to the stadium, and that was going to be the first night that I met him.”

That puppy is Jax, a french bulldog who was 14 weeks old at the time.

The Muncys still have Jax, now along with their three kids. But thinking back to that Wednesday night seven years ago and the ensuing few days made for a special memory.

‘We went into extra innings,“ Muncy said of his 2019 home run, ”and the circumstances surrounding it might be the most memorable.“

The Texas Rangers are trading infielder Josh Smith and pitcher Josh Stephan to the Toronto Blue Jays for lefthanded reliever Adam Macko, per multiple reports.

Macko, 25, was a 7th round pick of the Mariners in 2019, and was sent to the Jays after the 2022 season, along with Erik Swanson, in the Teoscar Hernandez deal. Macko has split the season between AAA and the majors, putting up a 4.07 ERA in AAA and a 4.91 ERA in the majors. He relies primarily on a fastball and a slider, with the occasional changeup and knuckle curve. He has average velocity but struggles with his control and command. He will have six years of team control remaining after this season.

This is a sad ending to Josh Smith’s time in Texas. Acquired as part of the Joey Gallo deal in 2021, Smith spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons as a regularly-used bench guy who didn’t hit much, then broke out with two very good seasons in 2024 and 2025, when he slashed .254/.336/.380 with a 6.4 bWAR in 293 games, though he faded badly in the final two months of those seasons.

Smith started the 2026 season as the replacement for Marcus Semien at second base, but ineffectiveness, a strained glute, and then a case of viral meningitis while he was on the i.l. with a strained glute resulted in his losing his job to either Ezequiel Duran or Nicky Lopez, depending on who else was on the i.l. Smith will have two years of arbitration eligibility remaining after this season, and is making just $3.23 million this year. This deal saves the Rangers about $1 million in the remaining obligation to him for 2026, and let’s them avoid having to make a decision as to whether to non-tender him if he doesn’t turn things around over the final two months.

Stephan, 24, is a Texas native who the Rangers signed as an undrafted free agent in 2020. A pitchability guy, was very good in the lower levels but struggled in AA and AAA, as is often the case with pitchability guys. He was slated to be a minor league free agent after the season and the Rangers almost certainly weren’t adding him to the 40 man roster.

UPDATE — Just read this on Baseball America’s write-up on Macko:

Macko grew up in Slovakia and learned to pitch by watching YouTube videos. 

So that’s something…

UPDATEII — The trade is official: Josh Smith and Josh Stephan to the Jays for Adam Macko.

UPDATE III — Macko has been optioned to AAA Round Rock.

The third of their pure rental pieces to go, Brooks Raley landed with the Phillies on deadline day. Once again, the Mets received a portfolio return, acquiring two minor league arms from their division rivals.

John Spikerman was the Phillies’ 3rd round pick in 2024 out of Oklahoma (NOT the same school as Carson Benge / Nolan Mclean / new Met Gabe Davis). The profile is pretty easy to understand here; potentially elite CF defense with the added bonus of passable up-the-middle infield ability; a bit of speed on the basepaths; decent feel for contact enhanced (or inflated) by a passive approach; and literally zero power. That final flaw is what kills the profile here and makes him more an organizational depth piece than an exciting prospect. The plus side is that there is an outlier skill (the defense) that makes him a potential contributor as a 5th or 6th outfielder type.

The more interesting and valuable part of the return is Luke Gabrysh, a 23-year-old right hander. While the surface-level ERA in High-A this season is ugly, but he’s already demonstrating the ability to generate a ton of in-zone whiffs with a 5-pitch mix – two fastballs, two breakers, and a change. Grabbing an arm with these sort of traits is what you want to be doing at the deadline when dealing rentals; if you’re getting someone with shiny surface stats, they’re likely underwhelming on true talent.

That said, this feels a touch light for Raley, who has been quite good since returning from his Tommy John recovery. Even with peripherals that don’t support a sub-2 ERA, Raley is likely to be the best lefty reliever moved this deadline. Getting a slightly better second piece than Spikerman, or a slightly better arm than Gabrysh would’ve made this look a bit better. Perhaps that changes once we evaluate the deadline as a whole.

We’ll have full grades for every deadline deal the Mets make once all the moves for the deadline have been made. Check back in for those next week.

Early reporting this morning from Francys Romero indicated that the Colorado Rockies were in discussions with multiple teams, including the Chicago White Sox, about a trade involving Brenton Doyle.

Ken Rosenthal has since reported that a deal sending Doyle to the White Sox had been agreed to pending medical review. Mark Feinsand followed up, indicating that the return for the Rockies is RHP Mason Adams and SS Carlos Vielma.

The last two seasons have been a struggle for Doyle as he fought to come back from injury. Most recently, he was injured during a game on May 19th against the Texas Rangers when he made a diving play in the outfield.

Doyle originally started a rehab assignment for this left oblique injury in late June but that was shut down before he was activated due to a groin injury.

Over the course of two separate rehab appearances with the Triple-A Isotopes, Doyle played in 11 games and slashed .395/.447/.651. Before being placed on the IL in May, Doyle had struggled at the plate in 43 games and slashed .207/.279/.270.

On Friday, he returned to the Rockies lineup and has been solid offensively since rejoining the team. In seven plate appearances, he has two hits, including a double and an RBI.

The move begins to make space in a crowded Rockies outfield but Doyle may not be the last Rockies outfielder to be on the move today.

Adams is a 26-year-old right-handed pitcher in Triple-A for the White Sox and was drafted in the 13th round of the 2022 draft and ranked as the White Sox’s No. 8 prospect per MLB Pipeline due to his good command and ability to spin the ball.

He has performed relatively well in 49 innings in the minors this year with a 3.86 ERA and a 4.05 xFIP between Triple-A and High-A, where he began the season after finishing his rehab from Tommy John surgery.

Vielma, the other player coming over from the White Sox, is a 16-year-old shortstop currently playing in the Dominican Summer League. He was signed in January for $400,000. Vielma has made consistent contact in his first taste of the DSL, batting .337/.507/.474 through 34 games, making him an intriguing lottery ticket despite being unranked by MLB Pipeline.

UPDATE: 12:16 pm

The Rockies have annouced their trade with the White Sox.

This is a developing story and Purple Row will provide more information as it becomes available.

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

The Toronto Blue Jays have emerged as both a buyer and a seller at the MLB trade deadline, acquiring right-hander Jose Soriano on Monday from the Los Angeles Angels.

The deal comes less than 12 hours before the 6 p.m. ET deadline.

Jays GM Ross Atkins has been quite busy the last few days, sending ace Kevin Gausman to the Chicago Cubs for a pair of prospects, while also acquiring veteran starter Jameson Taillon from the Cubs in a separate deal.

In his fourth MLB season, Soriano, 27, has posted a record of 9-6 with a 3.29 ERA in 123 innings for the Angels.

In return, the Angels pick up a trio of minor leaguers, headlined by shortstop Arjun Nimmala, who rates as the game's No. 43 overall prospect, according to MLB Pipeline.