Game Thread: Happy National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day!

ST. PETERSBURG, FL - JULY 26: Drew Rasmussen #57 of the Tampa Bay Rays throws against the Cleveland Guardians during the first inning of a baseball game at Tropicana Field on July 26, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Go Rays!

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Cubs vs. Dodgers, Tuesday 8/4, 7:05 CT live!

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JULY 20: Javier Assad #72 of the Chicago Cubs pitches in a game against the Detroit Tigers at Wrigley Field on July 20, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Go get ‘em, Javier.

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Dodgers at Cubs game chat

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 03: Tarik Skubal #29 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on prior to the game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on August 03, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Dodgers try to snap a three-game losing streak on Tuesday night, with a new guy on the mound, and two new old friend catchers on the roster.

Tuesday game info

  • Teams: Dodgers at Cubs
  • Ballpark: Wrigley Field, Chicago
  • Start time: 5:05 p.m.
  • TV: SportsNet LA, TBS
  • Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

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Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Héctor Rodríguez, Dylan Smith and Tyler O'Neill

FANTASY BASEBALL WAIVER WIRE PICKUPS

Héctor Rodríguez (OF Reds): Rostered in 13 percent of Yahoo leagues

The Reds care nothing for your service time games. After trading Nathaniel Lowe, they wasted no time in promoting Rodríguez to the majors on Tuesday. They could have held off for 10 days and kept Rodríguez's rookie eligibility intact for 2027, but in trying to remain competitive, they wanted him to replace Lowe right away. He might prove to be an upgrade after hitting .274/.347/.533 with 27 homers in 104 games for Triple-A Louisville.

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Rodríguez was signed by the Mets out of the Dominican Republic in 2021 and then gifted to the Reds in a trade deadline deal for Tyler Naquin in 2022. He's scarcely stopped hitting since, but he's been dinged as a prospect because of his lack of plate discipline and whether he truly possessed the power to make up for it. He's done his best to answer both questions by upping his walk rate from five percent in 2024 to seven percent last year and nine percent this season while continuing to improve his homer totals. 27 in Triple-A at age 22 is remarkable. 453 of the 455 pitchers he's faced this year were older than he was.

Rodriguez is almost certainly going to need to be platooned in the majors. The left-handed hitter was batting .220/.275/.371 in same-side matchups this year, compared to .302/.368/.649 against righties. But that might not stop him from being useful in mixed leagues right away. It helps that he's in a terrific ballpark for offense. He also might steal the occasional base, though he has curtailed his running this year; he was 6-for-8 for Louisville after going 15-for-22 last season. He's worth a try.

Dylan Smith (RP Giants): Rostered in one percent of Yahoo leagues

Aside from Luke Weaver in Pittsburgh, Monday's trade deadline didn't create many new closers. However, one situation that's now wide open in San Francisco's, and Smith, who had been recently slotted into the eighth inning in between the traded Caleb Kilian and Erik Miller, seems poised for a go at the ninth.

Smith, 26, made his major league debut with the Tigers last year and allowed just two runs over 13 innings in his seven relief appearances. In spite of that, he was one of the team's earliest cuts this spring and then found himself off the 40-man roster to create a spot for Kevin McGonigle prior to Opening Day. The Giants acquired him and sent him to Triple-A to start the year. He made one appearance in May before being sent back down. He returned in June, earned a save by pitching a perfect 10th inning in his third big-league appearance and has remained very good since; he's sporting a 2.75 ERA and a 23/9 K/BB ratio in 19 2/3 innings. Two of his nine walks were intentional. He's limited hitters to a .100 average and slugging percentage on the slider he throws a bit more than one-third of the time.

Smith probably isn't a long-term closer, but with his fastball having added two mph in two years, putting it at 95.7 mph on average, he seems poised to stick around as a quality reliever. If there's anyone else to worry about in San Francisco's pen, it's probably Keaton Winn. However, manager Tony Vitello has shown time and time again that he likes Winn earlier in games. That's how he used him Monday, when Winn replaced Logan Webb to start the seventh inning and was lifted after getting two outs. The Giants probably won't go with a sole closer right away and they might not win enough games to give any member of their bullpen all that much value. Still, Smith seems like a better pickup than other fringe guys right now.

Tyler O’Neill (OF Orioles): Rostered in one percent of Yahoo leagues

I was certainly disheartened to see O'Neill excluded from the Orioles' lineup again Tuesday. Especially now with Taylor Ward gone, it's hard to understand the team is not playing him fairly regularly, unless maybe he's just not interested in doing so? O'Neill is hitting .289/.333/.667 with five homers in 48 plate appearances since July 1. He's certainly producing like he's healthy. Maybe he won't actually be healthy for very long, but why not take advantage?

O'Neill has, of course, been a massive disappointment since signing a three-year, $49.5 million contract prior to last season. Statcast, though, thought last year's ugly results in limited action (209 plate appearances) were almost entirely bad luck; he hit .199 and slugged .323, but he did so with a .243 xBA and a .523 xSLG, and he had the lowest strikeout rate of his career. O'Neill has put up weak numbers again this year — he's sporting a .209/.294/.368 line in 204 plate appearances — and Statcast didn't think bad luck was involved in his early struggles this time around. However, he obviously has picked it up. His hard-hit rate was 50 percent in June and 53 percent in July. He's also pulling the ball in the air at a career-best rate. His strikeout rate is back up to 28 percent, but that's still better than his career mark of 30 percent. Heck, he came in at 34 percent with Boston in 2024 before the Orioles were so excited to sign him.

So, I'm sticking with O'Neill here in the hopes that the Orioles begin to use him regularly. They have the DH spot open. They have left field open. Maybe he'll even play well enough for the Orioles to dump much of his contract in November, since that's probably the primary goal here.

Waiver Wire Quick Hits

- The Royals' Noah Cameron posted the highest average fastball velocity of his career (94.0 mph) while shutting out the Tigers for seven innings two starts ago and then the second highest (93.8 mph) in eight scoreless innings against the Twins last week. He's still available in 72 percent of Yahoo leagues and really shouldn't be.

- The Nationals initially decided not to try Andrés Chaparro as a regular after sending Luis García Jr. to the Yankees, instead calling up Abimelec Ortiz to play first base. However, James Wood's oblique strain has reopened the door, freeing up the DH spot in D.C. Chaparro has mostly started against lefties, but he's gone 4-for-12 with a couple of homers against righties. He's showing more bat speed than ever before, and he has an incredible .438 xwOBA (and a 1.064 OPS) in his last 50 plate appearances. He'd seem to deserve a real shot while Wood is out.

Blue Jays @ Astros Game Thread

HOUSTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 20: A general view of the Houston skyline seen from right field in game two of the American League Championship Series between the Houston Astros and the New York Yankees at Minute Maid Park on October 20, 2022 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Game Two of three with the Astros. Another win would be nice.

Trey Yesavage is coming off a good start against the Nationals.

Hayden Wesneski is making his second start of the season. He went 5.2 in his first start, getting the win, despite giving up three runs.

Today’s Lineups

BLUE JAYSASTROS
Nathan Lukes – RFJeremy Pena – SS
Vladimir Guerrero – 1BYordan Alvarez – DH
Kazuma Okamoto – 3BIsaac Paredes – 3B
George Springer – DHDaulton Varsho – CF
Alejandro Kirk – CChristian Walker – 1B
Jesus Sanchez – LFJose Altuve – 2B
Ernie Clement – 2BTaylor Trammell – LF
Andres Gimenez – SSYainer Diaz – C
Myles Straw – CFCam Smith – RF
Trey Yesavage – RHPHayden Wesneski – RHP

Padres looking to rebound after series-opening loss to the Snakes

San Diego Padres SP Randy Vásquez (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Last night’s San Diego Padres vs Arizona Diamondbacks game was a well-pitched affair. Brandon Pfaadt was brilliant, allowing just one unearned run over 6.2 innings for the victory. 

Michael King was not sharp, but did labor through six innings. His lone mistake was a D-Backs Tim Tawa three-run home run that proved to be the difference in a 5-1 defeat.

The Snakes’ home victory extended their lead to two games over the Padres in the National League Wild-Card standings. 

Musgrove’s and Pivetta’s rehab results

The Friar Faithful’s eyes were on a Single-A morning contest between the Ontario Tower Buzzers vs the Lake Elsinore Storm. The game’s starting pitching matchup had a major league feel, as Tyler Glasnow faced Joe Musgrove in a rehab start. Plus, the Padres added Nick Pivetta in a “piggyback” role following Musgrove’s appearance.

The hope was for all the pitchers to ease themselves back into game action. From the Friars’ perspective, the results were not promising.

Musgrove easily transitioned himself from a non-playing mindset to his former big-game executioner. He threw 39 pitches in 1.2 innings pitched. Observers could tell his stamina was being tested after a perfect first inning.

On the other side of the coin, Pivetta’s outing was not encouraging. He exited with an apparent arm injury after recording two outs in the third inning. The Padres were hoping for a late August return to the rotation. According to media reports, Pivetta did throw 20 pitches in the bullpen after leaving the game. The organization did not offer an explanation for his early exit from the game.

Suddenly, an extended stay on the injured list becomes expensive for the right-hander. Pivetta will be on the IL for 130 consecutive days, which triggers a clause in his contract that converts a player option into a club option. The odds are good that the club will decline a two-year player option to save $32 million in salary.

Tomorrow is important for Pivetta; team doctors will determine how long the path back to the majors will be.

Taking the mound: Randy Vasquez (SD) vs Eduardo Rodriguez (ARIZ) 

The Padres are looking to bounce back in the second game of the series by sending out Randy Vasquez (6-6, 4.45 ERA) to the mound. Hopefully, he can set the tone tonight. 

Vasquez has been effective in the bulk relief role after the opener. He has posted a 2.45 ERA in 11 innings. His last outing was outstanding, as Vasquez threw 4.2 scoreless innings on 65 pitches. Friars skipper Craig Stammen confirmed that appearance earned him another shot as a starter. 

The D-Backs will offer a tough assignment this evening. Their lineup is right-handed dominant, as they scored five runs on nine hits in yesterday’s contest. Vasquez will need to use his entire pitching repertoire to keep their hitters in check. 

Diamondbacks Eduardo Rodriguez (10-3, 2.48 ERA) has been highly effective all season. He did struggle locating his pitches following the All-Star break. In five starts, the left-hander went 3-1 with a 3.45 ERA, allowing 11 runs across 28.2 innings.

Rodriguez will try to keep the Padres lineup off balance by throwing his changeup and four-seam on the outside corner for strikes. San Diego has struggled against left-handed starting pitching with a 13-14 record this season. 

Today’s lineup

Tampa Bay Rays @ Colorado Rockies game discussion: Freddy Peralta vs. Gabriel Hughes

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 29: Gabriel Hughes #43 of the Colorado Rockies pitches during the first inning of a game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on July 29, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images

In Game 1 against the Tampa Bay Rays, the Colorado Rockies were unable to prevail despite a late-game comeback attempt.

Tonight, they will look to even things up.

Starting for the Rays is RHP Freddy Peralta. This will be his Rays debut given that the two-time All-Star was traded to Tampa Bay from the New York Mets on Tuesday.

However, he has had a solid season. This will be Peralta’s 23rd start of the MLB season. Currently, he has a 4.99 ERA in 113.2 IP. He’s struck out 113, walked 48, and given up 17 home runs. Peralta has a 1.48 WHIP. 

Taking the mound for the Rockies will be RHP Gabriel Hughes.

He has lost three of his four starts (Rockies 0-4) despite allowing three runs or fewer and pitching at least vies innings in each outing.

Currently, he has an ERA of 3.33 in 24.1 IP. He’s struck out 21 while giving up seven walks and no home runs with a 1.19 WHIP.

There are a couple of notable roster moves as well.

First, Jordan Beck has rejoined the Rockies. He will play right field and bat eighth.

Second, today, the Rockies selected the contract of LHP Parker Mushinski.

And now to the details.

First Pitch: 6:40 pm MDT

TV: Rockies TV

Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM; KNRV 1150 (Spanish)

SB Nation site:DRays Bay

Lineups:

For the visiting Rays:

Tampa Bay Rays Lineup @ Colorado Rockies (8.4.26) Díaz (DH); Amanda (1B); Caminero (3B); Hicks (C); Mesa Jr (RF); Simpson (LF); Mullins (CF); Palacios (2B); Walls (SS); and Peralta (SP)

And the Rockies:

Colorado Rockies Lineup vs. Tampa Bay Rays (8.4.26) McCarthy (DH); Carrigg (CF); Moniak (LF); Goodman (C); Rumfield (1B); Karros (3B); Castro (2B); Beck (RF); Tovar (SS); and Hughes (SP)

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How to watch San Francisco Giants vs. Texas Rangers

PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 28: San Francisco Giants pitcher Blade Tidwell #46 is shown during the game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the San Francisco Giants on April 28th, 2026 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The San Francisco Giants continue this three-game road series against the Texas Rangers this afternoon.

Taking the mound for the Giants will be right-hander Blade Tidwell, who enters today’s game with a 3.00 ERA, 3.51 FIP, with 10 strikeouts to three walks in 12 innings pitched in relief for the Giants this season, this will be his first start of the year. His last appearance was back on April 28th, in which he allowed two runs on four hits with two strikeouts and a walk in two innings.

He’ll be facing off against Rangers left-hander MacKenzie Gore, who enters today’s game with a 4.77 ERA, 3.80 FIP, with 136 strikeouts to 44 walks in 122.2 innings pitched. His last start was in the Rangers’ 3-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays last Wednesday, in which he allowed three runs on three hits with nine strikeouts in seven innings.

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Game #114

Who: San Francisco Giants (48-65) vs. Texas Rangers (55-58)

Where: Globe Life Field, Arlington, Texas

When: 5:05 p.m. PT

Regional broadcast: NBC Sports Bay Area

National broadcast: n/a

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

Astros vs. Blue Jays Game Discussion: 8/4/2026

ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - JULY 29: Hayden Wesneski #39 of the Houston Astros pitches for the first time after coming back from surgery in the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on July 29, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images) | Getty Images

TONIGHT’S GAME: The first-place Houston Astros (58-56), who had their six-game winning streak snapped last night, will look to begin a new streak tonight in the middle game of their three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays (53-60).

RHP Hayden Wesneski (1-0, 4.76 ERA) will make his second Major league start of the season in his return from Tommy John surgery, this time opposite RHP Trey Yesavage (5-5, 3.73 ERA) and the Blue Jays.

BIG WES: After missing 14 months with injury, RHP Hayden Wesneski made his return to a big league mound his last time out, on July 29 at LAA (3ER/5.2IP), earning the win over the Angels. This solid start continued a strong run for Wesneski, who was great in his rehab appearances, posting a 2.25 (5ER/20IP) combined ERA in five minor league rehab starts.

WINNING WAYS: Even with last night’s loss, the Astros have won 11 of their last 13 games. The Astros are two games over .500, and lead the AL West by 2.5 games over the Rangers and Mariners, who both enter tonight with identical 55-58 records.

THE TURNAROUND: After a slow start to the season, the Astros are 38-25 since May 22, which is the second-best record in the AL in that span. On that date, the Astros were 20-31, 11 games under, which is their low water mark for the season.

Winning Percentage since May 22, AL

1. Red Sox 38-24 (.613)

2. Astros 38-25 (.603)

3. Tigers 34-27 (.557)

THAT’S OFFENSIVE: The Astros rank second in the AL in home runs (155) and third in runs scored (529), just behind the Twins (532) and White Sox (531). Also among AL clubs, the Astros rank first in slugging (.416) and in OPS (.737), and second in batting average (.246), OBP (.321) and hits (946).

YESTERDAY’S MOVES: The Astros made one trade yesterday, acquiring OF Daulton Varsho and cash from the Blue Jays in exchange for RHP Spencer Arrighetti. The Astros activated Varsho last night and optioned OF Lucas Spence to Triple A.

JULY HONORS: Announced yesterday, DH Yordan Alvarez was named the AL Player of the Month for July. This marks the fourth career AL Player of the Month Award for Alvarez and his second in 2026. In July, Alvarez hit .360 (31×86) with nine HR, 22 RBI, a .467 OBP, a .721 SLG, and a 1.188 OPS in 23 games.

MVP-CALIBER: Yordan Alvarez leads the AL in all three Triple Crown categories, ranking first in batting average (.330), HR (35), and RBI (84). Additionally, he leads MLB in OPS (1.091), OBP (.443), SLG (.648), extra-base hits (59), and TB (263). In the AL, he ranks first in hits (134) and runs (77), and tied for second in walks (79).

HEAVY TRAFFIC: DH Yordan Alvarez has reached base safely in 19 straight games (since July 10), batting .433 (29×67) with 15 runs, eight doubles, six home runs, 17 RBI, 20 walks, a .568 OBP and a 1.389 OPS during the streak. Alvarez also has on-base streaks of 25 games (May 22-June 19) and 22 games (April 4-28) this season.

GOOD INTENTIONS: DH Yordan Alvarez has been intentionally walked 23 times this season, by far the most in the Majors. Alvarez’s 23 intentional walks are the third-highest total in a single season by an Astros player in club history, trailing only seasons produced by 1B Jeff Bagwell (27 IBB in 1997) and OF Rusty Staub (24 IBB in 1968).

STREAKING: SS Jeremy Peña is on a career-high 15-game hitting streak, in which he’s hit .422 (27×64) with three doubles, one triple, seven homers, 15 RBI and a 1.292 OPS. Peña’s streak is the longest active streak in the Majors, and is the longest streak by an Astro since 3B Alex Bregman had a 16-game streak from May 28-June 15, 2024.

WHAT A RELIEF: LHP Josh Hader, who is 15-for-15 in save chances with a 1.17 ERA, recorded his 77th career save as an Astro on Saturday, moving him past RHP Fred Gladding (76) for fifth place in saves all-time among Astros relievers. He now trails RHP Ryan Pressly (111) for fourth on that all-time list.

STALKING 500: RHP Bryan Abreu has 499 career strikeouts, needing just one strikeout to reach 500 for his career. He would become just the fourth reliever in franchise history to record 500 strikeouts with the club, joining LHP Billy Wagner (694), RHP Brad Lidge (557) and RHP Dave Smith (529).

MINOR LEAGUE HONORS: Earlier today, IF Waner Luciano and RHP Bryce Mayer were named the Astros minor league Player and Pitcher of the Month for July. Luciano, 21, hit .316 (24×76) with 20 RBI, nine stolen bases and a 1.021 OPS in 22 games in July with Class A Fayetteville. Mayer, 24, the Astros top pitching prospect, went 2-0 with a 0.47 ERA (1ER/19IP) in July with Double A Corpus Christi.

TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 1991 – The Astros turn their eighth triple play in franchise history in a 2-1 walk-off win in 10 innings vs. the Dodgers. LHP Jim Deshaies is the beneficiary after inducing a foul pop up to SS Alfredo Griffin. Two Dodgers are thrown out advancing on the play to end the 5th inning. Houston wins on a walk-off single by C Craig Biggio in the 10th.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Tuesday, August 4, 7:10 p.m. CT

Location: Daikin Park, Houston, TX

TV: SCHN, SCHN 2

Radio: KTRH 740 AM; KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)

Game 114 Game Day Thread – San Francisco Giants @ Texas Rangers

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JULY 8: MacKenzie Gore #1 of the Texas Rangers pitches against the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning at Globe Life Field on July 8, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images

San Francisco Giants @ Texas Rangers

Tuesday, August 04, 2026, 7:05 PM CDT (105.3 The Fan / Rangers Sports Network)

The Shed

RHP Blade Tidwell vs. LHP MacKenzie Gore

Today’s Lineups

GIANTSRANGERS
Osleivis Basabe – 2BJoc Pederson – 1B
Jung Hoo Lee – RFWyatt Langford – LF
Willy Adames – SSCorey Seager – DH
Rafael Devers – 1BBrandon Nimmo – RF
Daniel Susac – CEzequiel Duran – 3B
Buddy Kennedy – DHEvan Carter – CF
Eddys Leonard – LFElias Diaz – C
Grant McCray – CFNicky Lopez – SS
Christian Koss – 3BJustin Foscue – 2B
Blade Tidwell – RHPMacKenzie Gore – LHP

Go Rangers!

Recapping the Giants trade deadline

Marcelo Mayer taking off his batting gloves.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JUNE 19: Marcelo Mayer #11 of the Boston Red Sox reacts after a strike out during the second inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on June 19, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jack Compton/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The 2026 MLB trade deadline is in the books, and it was the most active the San Francisco Giants have been in a very long time. For that matter, I covered the Giants for the entirety of Farhan Zaidi’s churn-driven reign, and I can’t remember a period of activity like what we saw from the Giants on Sunday night and Monday. But being nearly 20 games under .500 at the deadline will do that to a team.

So, in case you missed the action, here’s everything you need to know from a day that left the current Giants gutted … and the future Giants all the more exciting.

What happened?

The Giants made five moves in total, in which they traded six rostered players and one prospect. In return, the Giants received six prospects and two rostered players.

Here are the five moves, in chronological order.

  • Giants trade right-hander Tyler Mahle to the Atlanta Braves for right-hander Anthony Molina (rostered, in AAA) — link to story
  • Giants trade second baseman Luis Arráez and right-handed reliever Caleb Kilian to the Philadelphia Phillies for right-hander Ramon Marquez (High-A) and right-handed reliever Marty Gair (High-A) — link to story
  • Giants trade left-hander Robbie Ray to the San Diego Padres for right-hander Miguel Mendez (AA) and shortstop Joniel Hernandez (Dominican Summer League) — link to story
  • Giants trade outfielder Heliot Ramos to the New York Yankees for left-hander Henry LaLane (High-A) and infielder Kaeden Kent (High-A) — link to story
  • Giants trade reliever Erik Miller and outfield prospect Carlos Gutierrez (High-A) to the Boston Red Sox for infielder Marcelo Mayer (rostered, on the 10-Day IL) — link to story

That’s a whole lot of action! And if you want a more in-depth breakdown of how the Giants did in each of those trades, our Bryan Murphy has you covered with grades for each deal.

The best move: the Luis Arráez deal

One can certainly make the case that Buster Posey and Zack Minasian did their best work with the Robbie Ray trade, which we’ll get to soon enough. And indeed, it may be that Ray had the best return relative to expectations.

But for me, the star of a fantastic day of wheeling and dealing was flipping Arráez and Kilian for Marquez and Gair. There was talk going into the deadline that not much of a market had materialized for Arráez, despite his stellar year. There was also talk that the Giants were holding out for a huge package.

It didn’t seem likely that the Giants would win that battle. There were limited teams that needed a second baseman, and powerless hitters don’t usually command a lot on the trade market. It seemed a deal similar to what the Giants got for Camilo Doval last year — a quartet of intriguing prospects — was most likely for Arráez.

But the Giants held firm with what they believed he was worth, and in the end emerged with Marquez, one of the best prospects traded at the deadline. The 20-year old was ranked as the No. 67 overall prospect in the latest Fangraphs top 100 and, by most accounts, slots behind only recent fourth overall selection Jackson Flora among pitching prospects in the Giants system. He’s been thoroughly dominant in both Low and High-A this year, sporting a 1.68 ERA and a 2.32 FIP across the two levels, with 93 strikeouts to just 19 walks in 59 innings.

Like his new teammate in Eugene, Luis De La Torre, Marquez was an unconventional international signing who was born in Arizona but grew up in Mexico. Last year was his debut season, so if he’s this good already, one can only imagine how high his ceiling can be. All prospects are, for lack of a less demeaning term, lottery tickets. But Marquez is the rare one where it’s quite easy to see him being a No. 2 or 3 starter in the Majors before long. So getting him and Gair … a triple-digit reliever who has 66 strikeouts in 36 innings this year? Fantastic work by the front office.

The worst move: Tyler Mahle for Anthony Molina

The Giants never figured to get much for Mahle, so you could argue that getting anything at all was a win. Still, Molina amounts more to a waiver claim than a trade return. He was designated for assignment this past offseason, and has a career 6.89 ERA and 5.16 FIP in 99.1 Major League innings (though almost all of those came with the Colorado Rockies, so adjust accordingly). He’s been merely average in AAA this year, and has ever been one to strike a lot of batters out. He’s only 24, but there’s not a lot in his underlying data to suggest that they Giants have an interesting project to work on.

They got off Mahle’s contract, so it wasn’t a bad deal, all things considered. But you would have hoped for a low-level flyer rather than someone who will probably get designated for assignment this winter.

Most exciting prospect received: Joniel Hernandez

Let’s play a quick game. Here are two players competing in the Dominican Summer League. See if you can figure out who they are:

Player A: 17-year old shortstop, .315/.439/.510, 15.7% strikeout rate, $1.4 million signing bonus
Player B: 17-year old shortstop, .275/.393/.517, 16.7% strikeout rate, $1.0 million signing bonus

Player A is Hernandez. Player B is 2024 Jhonny Level.

Now, development is different for every player, and the DSL is to the rest of Minor League Baseball as the San Francisco Giants are to the rest of Major League Baseball. Hernandez’s move to the states next year could be far less Level and far more Rayner Arias. But when you see a 17-year old middle infielder with a seven-figure bonus putting up gaudy stats in the DSL, you can’t help but dream a little bit. Hernandez has tools galore, and instantly becomes one of the fastest players in the Giants system, and one of the fastest swingers. This is the exacty type of lottery ticket that teams should be making sure they get at the trade deadline; once upon a time, Yordan Alvarez and Fernando Tatis Jr. were these types of so-far-from-the-Majors-who-cares-about-trading-them lottery tickets in trades. You never know when you’ll hit.

Most surprising move: Not trading more relievers

It’s hard to say the Giants traded too few players after getting rid of six players from their active roster. But … I think they traded too few players. The bullpen has been awful this year, but it’s not lacking for decent parts. JT Brubaker has had a solid season. Sam Hentges is a lefty. Jason Foley has looked good in his short stint since returning. Adrian Houser is alive. I thought we might see a few of those guys included in a trade the way Kilian was, to enhance the package … or traded on their own to return a flyer in the lower levels of the Minors.

The biggest takeaway: the Giants are looking beyond 2027

While I thought the Mahle trade was objectively the worst, my least favorite trade of the deadline was shipping Ramos to the Yankees. Much of that is my own bias: Ramos has long been one of my favorite Giants, someone I believe in irrationally, and one of the Giants stars of the memory making business, which Posey purports to prioritize. Some of it is due to my ire at the Giants often refusing to prioritize loud tools, a trait that feels very antiquated: with Ramos gone, the Giants are down to just two players (Rafael Devers and Bryce Eldridge) who actually hit the ball hard.

But the other thing I dislike about the trade is that I’m honestly not entirely sure what the Giants are doing. To be clear, that’s not necessarily a bad thing: usually when I do know what the Giants are doing, it’s not good.

As rumors started to pop up that the Giants were shopping Ramos, it seemed likely that they would be targeting some pitching. Ramos and a prospect for Seattle Mariners right-hander Emerson Hancock was floated more than once on social media, and that trade would have made a lot of sense. After all, if the Giants intend to compete in 2027 — and they keep claiming they do — then the team needs to find a whopping three starting pitchers, and a handful of relievers as well.

In a vacuum, the Ramos trade is great work by Posey and Minasian. But they created a hole in left field by trading an everyday player, and what they got back is a lower-minors infielder and a pitcher who got to High-A less than a month ago.

And then you look at the rest of the trades and realize … well, that’s what the Giants did, almost all the way through. The Giants almost exclusively targeted prospects who are still a few years away.

It’s hard to square that with the team’s desire to have a winning season next year. The Giants traded for eight players at the deadline, and there’s only one of those eight that I expect to see in the Majors next year. And that one (Marcelo Mayer), is an infielder who has been one of the worst hitters in the Majors since debuting last year … taking a relatively risk-free gamble on a 23-year old former top prospect is a great move, but it’s one that could take nearly all of next season to materialize.

San Francisco could still compete next year, of course. It’s just that, without patching any of their holes yesterday, they’re likely to enter the offseason needing at least two and probably three starting pitchers, a few relievers, and a pair of outfielders. They did exceedingly well at the deadline, yet their 2027 competitive prospects look worse today than they did on Sunday, and that is not what I expected to transpire on Monday.

Former Giants on the move

Here are all the former Giants who were traded at the deadline:

  • Righty starter Kevin Gausman was traded to the Chicago Cubs
  • Catcher Joey Bart was traded to the Chicago White Sox
  • Righty reliever Camilo Doval was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates

New York Yankees vs. St. Louis Cardinals: Ryan Weathers vs. Hunter Dobbins

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 05: Ryan Weathers #40 of the New York Yankees in action against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium on June 05, 2026 in New York City. The Red Sox defeated the Yankees 5-3. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Most of the time, you can’t tell when a new era of Yankees baseball begins. We sure as hell didn’t expect Aaron Judge’s debut 10 years ago this month would perfectly segue from the last remnant of the 2000s Yankees retiring (Alex Rodríguez) to the next Yankee great, but it’s fair to say it was a pleasant surprise.

In a perfect world for Brian Cashman, Aaron Boone, and the Yankees, a new era can unofficially begin tonight, as the prodigal son Yankees’ top prospect George Lombard Jr. will make his MLB debut at Yankee Stadium a day after a rather disappointing deadline opened the door for improvements in the infield.

Looking to get the rotation back on track after Cam Schlittler’s rough outing last night is Ryan Weathers, who will be making a personal-best 22nd start of the season. Already blowing past his career-high in innings, Weathers enters with a 3.99 ERA (105 ERA+) and a 3.77 FIP in 115 innings and is officially in audition mode as the return of Carlos Rodón from injury draws nearer. He’s allowed one run or fewer in three of his last four starts, finding a way to mix his pitches and keep the ball in the park better than his slog before the all-star break.

On the other end is a man you might recognize. Hunter Dobbins gained notoriety for his intense hatred of the Yankees after the disputed treatment of his father and the fact that he debuted with the Red Sox in kind of an inverse Schlittler way. His career took a dive after he tossed six shutout innings against the Yanks in 2025, tearing his ACL and later being sent to the Cardinals in the Willson Contreras trade. In seven appearances this season in St. Louis, the 26-year-old has a 3.74 ERA (107 ERA+) and 3.81 FIP in 33.2 innings.

Dobbins is a unique pitcher, as he’s had pretty violent reverse splits for a right-handed pitcher, allowing an OPS 200 points higher against same-handed hitting. His calling card in Boston was good command and getting the ball on the ground, but that’s faded slightly this season as he struggles to get the opposition to whiff or chase. He has six pitches, but leans on his four-seamer, slider, and splitter against lefties while throwing more sinkers and sweepers to righties.

The new-look Yankees lineup will feature Trent Grisham and Ben Rice at the top, as always, before the pair of deadline acquisitions bat third and fourth, as Luis García Jr. looks for an encore after last night’s debut and Heliot Ramos makes his Yankees debut. Spencer Jones, who survived the axe that swung on Volpe and Domínguez last night, bats fifth in front of Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Ryan McMahon. Lombard will bat eighth in his big-league debut, just in front of Austin Wells.

Rookie extraordinaire JJ Wetherholt will lead off, followed by sluggers Jordan Walker and Iván Herrera. José Fermín joins the lineup, batting cleanup, followed by platoon bat Nelson Velazquez. Masyn Winn, Blaze Jordan, Nathan Church, and Pedro Pagés round out the order.

How to watch

Location: Yankee Stadium — The Bronx, NY

First pitch: 7:05 pm ET

TV broadcast: YES, Cardinals.TV

Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY), KMOX 1120 AM/104.1 FM (STL)

Online stream: Gotham Sports App, MLB.tv (out-of-market only)

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St. Louis Cardinals vs New York Yankees Game Discussion Tuesday

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 11: Hunter Dobbins #40 of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches during the second inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field on June 11, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images) | Getty Images

It’s game 2 in the Big Apple Tuesday night as the Cardinals do battle with the Yankees. The St. Louis Cardinals have announced Hunter Dobbins will be their starter for Tuesday’s game while the Yankees will give the baseball to Ryan Weathers. First pitch scheduled for 6:05pm central time at Yankee Stadium and the TV broadcast will be available via Cardinals.tv.

Here’s the Cardinals lineup according to MLB.com

  1. JJ Wetherholt (L) 2B
  2. Jordan Walker (R) RF
  3. Iván Herrera (R) DH
  4. José Fermín (R) 3B
  5. Nelson Velázquez (R) LF
  6. Masyn Winn (R) SS
  7. Blaze Jordan (R) 1B
  8. Nathan Church (L) CF
  9. Pedro Pagés (R) C

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Braves vs. Marlins Chat and Discussion: Grant Holmes vs. Ryan Gusto

ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 02: Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson (28) celebrates with Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies (1) after hitting a home run during the MLB game between the Washington Nationals and the Atlanta Braves on August 2, 2026 at TRUIST Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Atlanta Braves will be looking to continue their NL East-beating ways coming off the momentum of a four-game sweep of the Nationals… here come the Miami Marlins.

Grant Holmes gets the ball for Atlanta’s first game after the trade deadline versus Ryan Gusto at 7:15 pm ET. Join us to chat about the game (and fine, any other trade deadline-related feelings you may have remaining) in the comments.

Game Info

Pitching preview

Lineups

ICYMI

Matt Olson continues to mash, fly under the radar nationally

Alex Anthopoulos maintains that Braves “got better” despite underwhelming 2026 Trade Deadline

Game 114: Twins at Royals

CLEVELAND, OHIO - JULY 20: Starting pitcher Joe Ryan #41 of the Minnesota Twins reacts after the end of the fourth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on July 20, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images

First Pitch: 6:40 PM CDT

TV: Twins.TV

Radio: TIBN, WCCO 830, The Wolf 102.9 FM, Audacy App, LosTwins.com

Know thine enemy:Royals Review

After getting some needed pitching help at the trade deadline, the Twins will face off against the Royals. On the mound this evening will be Joe Ryan and Randy Dobnak. Last time out, Dobnak stymied the Twins lineup, tossing seven scoreless innings. For Joe, he hasn’t looked like himself in his last two starts, allowing 18 hits and 12 earned runs over 10 innings.

Today’s Lineups

TWINSROYALS
Trevor Larnach – LFCarter Jensen – C
Ryan Jeffers – CBobby Witt – SS
Josh Bell – DHJac Caglianone – 1B
Kody Clemens – 2BSalvador Perez – DH
Royce Lewis – 1BMichael Massey – 2B
Brooks Lee – 3BNick Loftin – 3B
Alan Roden – RFIsaac Collins – LF
Luke Keaschall – CFJohn Rave – RF
Ryan Kreidler – SSKyle Isbel – CF
Joe Ryan – RHPRandy Dobnak – RHP