The Mets racked up nine hits, including three home runs, to beat the Cleveland Guardians, 6-2, in their first game after the trade deadline.
Here are the takeaways...
-- The Mets took advantage of a two-out throwing error that extended their second inning, as Luis Torrens blasted a three-run home run against LHP Joey Cantillo to take an early 3-0 lead.
Bo Bichette tacked on another run in the third inning with a solo home run to deep left field, pushing the lead to 4-0. The homer, No. 11 for Bichette, had an exit velocity of 107.5 mph and traveled 422 feet.
-- Torrens' big night continued in the fifth inning, driving in his fourth run of the game with a single up the middle to make it 5-1. He finished the night 3-for-3 with a walk and four RBI.
-- Sean Manaea got the start and kept the Guardians' bats relatively quiet, allowing two runs on seven hits over 6.0 IP with seven strikeouts and five walks.
Manaea allowed the first three batters to reach base (HBP-single-walk) before getting back-to-back strikeouts and a forceout to escape the early jam. He avoided damage the next two frames, but the Guardians got to him in the fourth inning. Jo Adell hit a leadoff double, Chase DeLauter walked, and Angel Martínez doubled off the wall in LF to cut the lead to 4-1.
The lefty let up a two-out RBI single to Travis Bazzana in the fifth, but struck out Gabriel Arias to leave two Guardians stranded and keep the score at 5-2. Manaea stayed in to pitch the sixth inning and got through with a strikeout and 4-3 double-play on a soft liner. He finished after 100 pitches even.
-- Manaea got some help from RF Carson Benge in the second inning, as the rookie caught Brayan Rocchio trying to go first-to-third on Steven Kwan's single with a laser throw for the third out. It's his fifth outfield assist of the year.
Benge smashed the team's third home run of the night in the top of the eighth, a 451-foot homer over the wall in left-center to extend the lead to 6-2.
-- Daniel Duarte entered to pitch the seventh and ran into immediate trouble. Francisco Lindor's high throw allowed Adell to reach first safely (although a review may have flipped the call) and a walk to DeLauter brought the game-tying run to the plate with no outs. Duarte got two lineouts and interim manager Andy Green turned to LHP Nate Lavender to get the third out in his MLB debut, striking out Bazzana looking. Lavender stayed in and tossed a 1-2-3 eighth inning, forcing a groundball double play.
-- Making his new bullpen role debut, Kodai Senga came in to get the final three outs in the ninth inning. He walked Adell with one out, but got the job done with two flyouts.
Game MVP: Luis Torrens
Torrens' four RBI were his most in a game this season and matched his entire July total.
(He nearly lost this honor for getting thrown out trying to tag up to second base in the top of the ninth inning.)
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - AUGUST 04: Christian Franklin #27 of the Baltimore Orioles runs onto the field for his Major League debut against the Los Angeles Angels at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on August 04, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
So… here we are. The trade deadline has come and gone, and Adley Rutschman, Taylor Ward, Dean Kremer and Tyler Wells are no longer Orioles. MASN analyst Kevin Brown called it a “dark-hearted and depressing couple of days.” Good for all the Birdland faithful still keeping a candle burning for this team—especially those of you who made it to the Yard a day after Monday’s dramatic events. You’re made of strong stuff.
Despite everything, there was still a game to be played. Tonight, it featured two former Orioles teammates, Cade Povich and current Angel Grayson Rodriguez, facing off on the mound. Neither has been good this year—Povich has mostly been in the minors, while Rodriguez entered this start with an ERA above seven. Yet somehow, of course, the two pitchers threw their best games of the year. In fact, for Rodriguez, it was his first quality start since July 2024… when he was an Oriole! (Does that make you feel good or bad?)
Still, a win is a win is a win. The Orioles scored two runs off Rodriguez, courtesy of a Pete Alonso single in the third, and Tyler O’Neill contributed a pinch-hit home run in the eighth to make it 3-1 Baltimore. That was enough, thanks to an unexpectedly strong Povich.
If you teleport back to the 2024 season, when the Orioles finished 91-71 and made it to the Wild Card series, you might remember that Rodriguez and Povich were rotation mates, along with Corbin Burnes, Albert Suárez, Cole Irvin and Dean Kremer. If you have a strong memory, you might remember that Rodriguez was good that year, making 20 starts and going 13-4 with a 3.86 ERA before getting shelved in July. G-Rod wouldn’t throw a pitch as an Oriole again, missing all of 2025 and getting traded before the ’26 season. Back in 2024, Cade Povich, meanwhile, made his MLB debut in June, then put up some terrible numbers, a 3-9 record with a 5.20 ERA and nearly four walks per game in his rookie season.
Consistency has bedeviled both of these starters since, but of the two former teammates, I must say Rodriguez looked stronger early on. Povich allowed five hits in three innings, stranding a pair of runners in the second and third innings both. It looked a bit dicey. As for Rodriguez, he struck out the first two O’s swinging, then sat Baltimore hitters down in order in the second.
Then, suddenly, Rodriguez got (just for the span of one inning) hittable. It was a hiccup, but it was just enough for the O’s to eke out the win.
That inning saw Orioles new guy Christian Franklin, a longtime Nationals farmhand, get a warm Oriole Park welcome in his very first MLB at-bat, then set up a run-scoring rally! Franklin walked, Colton Cowser singled, and Franklin chugged impressively from first to third. (Great game for the new guy, who also racked up his first stolen base in the seventh, and made a nice catch at the wall, too.) New catcher Carlos Narváez got aboard in his very first Orioles at-bat, too, getting hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. Rodriguez has struggled this season with runners in scoring position. He did again tonight, leaving a ball up for Pete Alonso, who hit a two-run single to center field. Franklin scored, so did Cowser. It was 2-0, O’s.
At that point, it started to become apparent that Cade Povich was on some kind of a roll. He pitched a dominant fourth, fifth, and sixth innings. His pickoff game was astonishing. Povich allowed a leadoff walk in the fourth, picked off the runner and rung up the next two! In the fifth inning, Povich allowed only an infield single, then picked off the runner—his second of the night! A pair of flyballs and a bouncer to third wrapped up the sixth.
Ben McDonald described Povich as having “a slow heartbeat”—like a lizard, I guess? Well, tonight, the lefty, stashed in the Orioles minors since May, threw six scoreless with seven strikeouts. Even if the Orioles weren’t down Chris Bassitt (to back problems) and Dean Kremer (to trade), this was a convincing audition for another turn in the rotation.
As for Povich’s counterpart on the mound, if somehow what had you worried today was whether old Oriole friend Grayson Rodriguez would have a nice time in his return to Oriole Park, don’t worry. O’s hitters went down in order in five of seven innings tonight, scoring just the two runs off him on three hits (four total), as Rodriguez completed seven innings—not just his first quality start of the year, but his first QS since July 2024, when he was an Oriole. Talk about a revenge glow-up. (Alternatively, this O’s lineup may be bad.)
Three more innings to be played. How would this somewhat ransacked O’s bullpen handle their responsibilities? Not gorgeously, but well enough!
In the seventh, Rico Garcia, lately hittable, allowed a Zach Neto deep flyball that nearly tied the game. Instead, new guy Christian Franklin reeled in at the wall.
Andrew Kittredge had a shaky eighth, allowing a run on a couple of strange plays. Contact hitter Nolan Schanuel hit a double, then scored on a ball booted by third baseman Christian Encarnación-Strand. (CES is in the lineup for his bat, let’s say.) With two outs, Moisés Ballesteros hit a tapper back to the mound that Kittredge fielded, then hit Ballesteros in the back! But the home plate ump ruled the runner way out of the basepaths. So Kittredge was out of trouble.
Tyler O’Neill entered in the eighth as a pinch hitter, and got served a high fastball. Mr. Canada blasted it into the bullpen, giving his team a vital insurance run.
This made you feel a little better about Yennier Cano appearing as the closer. Though it wasn’t a breeze for the newly-extend righty, who allowed a leadoff double, it was pretty good. Cano got a groundout, struck out Wade Meckler on a challenged strike call, and whiffed Zach Neto swinging.
“The Orioles needed this one,” summed up the MASN booth after Cano got the save. As of this writing, the O’s stand to gain ground in the Wild Card race, too, as Cleveland and Minnesota are both down in their respective games. Yeah. So maybe the Orioles aren’t out of contention entirely. It doesn’t fix all the vibes magically at once, but it’s something.
So who is your Most Birdland Player of the night (and don’t say Grayson Rodriguez)? Cade Povich, the little backup starter who could? Pete Alonso, author of the game-winning two-run single? Tyler O’Neill, big bopper in a pinch-hit role? New guy Christian Franklin, who walked, stole a base and scored a run in his MLB debut? Sound off about these, and all other matters, in the comments below.
The San Francisco Giants were among the busiest teams in Major League Baseball ahead of Monday’s trade deadline. They got things kicked off by moving off of Luis Arraez, arguably their biggest trade chip. But that was just the beginning.
So, let’s get into just who the Giants landed and what they have to offer San Francisco.
IF Marcelo Mayer
Boston Red Sox second baseman Marcelo Mayer walks off the field in the fifth inning during a game against the Texas Rangers at Fenway Park in Boston on Sunday, June 14, 2026. The Red Sox were unable to complete a sweep as the Rangers jumped on Connelly early. (Boston Globe) Boston Globe via Getty Images
Age: 23 | Level: MLB | System rank: N/A
Acquired: From Boston for LHP Erik Miller and MiLB OF Carlos Gutierrez
In a deadline that saw multiple former No. 1 overall draft picks on the move (Adley Rutschman, Casey Mize) and a package of prospects going back for last year’s Cy Young winner (Tarik Skubal), Mayer ranks right up there with anybody traded in terms of pedigree.
Mayer was regarded as one of Red Sox “Big Three” prospects, who all ranked among the top 20 in baseball entering last season. The sheen has worn off after a tough go of it in Mayer’s introduction to the big leagues, but the Giants “feel like [we] can get him back on track to where he was trending a couple of years ago,” president Buster Posey said.
Mayer is currently recovering from a stress reaction, but when he is healthy expect him to report to the big-league club and get a longer runway at second base than he ever got in Boston.
“I could envision him doing a lot of things, based off his history,” manager Tony Vitello said. “[He] just hasn’t had a great runway as far as staying healthy or getting consistent repetitions. It’s tough for someone to show what they can actually do until they have that runway.”
There were some reports out of Boston that the Red Sox were concerned about Mayer’s availability due to what were perceived as minor injuries. He hasn’t played more than 80 games since 2022 and never played more than 91 since he was drafted fourth overall out of Eastlake High in Chula Vista, the same high school Casey Schmitt attended a few years earlier.
“We see Mayer as a guy that’s struggled with injuries a bit the last couple of years,” Posey said. “Our group really likes the swing. … It’s a position player that can play shortstop, play second base, play third base. [He] gives you flexibility. Still believe there’s a lot of upside there.”
RHP Ramon Marquez
Age: 20 | Level: High-A | System rank: No. 7
Acquired: From Philadelphia (with RHP Marty Gair) for 2B Luis Arraez, RHP Caleb Kilian
Of the three highly regarded pitching prospects the Giants acquired, Marquez was the one Posey chose to single out on his own accord in a conference call with reporters.
Buster Posey, the president of operations for the San Francisco Giants, makes a statement ahead of an MLB game against the Athletics at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Tuesday, June 23, 2026. Protesters are expected to gather outside Oracle Park to demonstrate against four pitchers who wrote Bible verses on their caps and opted out of wearing the team’s Pride-themed gear during the Giants’ Pride Night celebration on June 12. (Hearst Newspapers) San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images
“He was one that our scouts had flagged early on in this process and a guy that we weren’t sure that we were going to have access to,” Posey said, calling the fringe top-100 prospect “a starting pitcher that’s going to slot up in the top of our system going forward.”
Marquez signed out of Mexico for a signing bonus of only $10,000 last January but was considered one of the biggest breakout prospects this season.
He pairs a fastball that sits in the mid-90s and reaches 98 mph with a slider-ish cutter, but his best pitch is his changeup, which MLB Pipeline dubbed “one of the best in the minors.” Baseball America called him the Phillies’ No. 4 prospect and “a future big league mid-rotation starter.”
LHP Henry Lalane
Age: 22 | Level: High-A | System rank: No. 9
Acquired: From New York [AL] (with IF Kaeden Kent) for OF Heliot Ramos
Shoulder surgery derailed the 6-foot-7 southpaw the past two seasons, but back healthy this year, in the words of Baseball America, “his stuff has returned to the form that once made him one of the most intriguing prospects in the lower levels of the minors.”
The Giants liked him enough to part with an outfielder who was an All-Star only two years ago and still had three more years of team control before he would reach free agency.
Lalane gets his size and athleticism from his father, who played basketball professionally in Europe. His fastball sits in the mid-90s but his strongest pitches are his two offspeeds, a deceptive changeup and a sweeping slider. Posey described him as an “upside” starting pitcher.
“It has been a focus to try to add some starting pitching to the system that we think can help us in the next couple of years,” Posey said. “We felt like Lalane fit that mold for us.”
RHP Miguel Mendez
Age: 24 | Level: Double-A | System rank: No. 14
Acquired: From San Diego (with IF Joniel Hernandez) for LHP Robbie Ray and cash
Although he has mostly been a starting pitcher in the minor leagues, Mendez’s injury history and arsenal could make him a candidate to join Randy Rodriguez in the back end of the Giants’ bullpen as early as next season. He pairs a fastball that regularly reaches triple digits with a wipeout slider that led FanGraphs to offer Edwin Diaz as a possible best-case comparison.
Shoulder troubles had kept Mendez off the mound since June 17, but he returned to throw one scoreless inning at High-A before the Giants’ acquired him. Before reporting to an affiliate, he’ll head to Arizona so that the GIants’ medical staff can give him a thorough examination.
ACL Padres pitcher Miguel Mendez (12) during a game against the ACL Royals on Friday, July 22, 2022, at Peoria Stadium in Peoria, Arizona. (FOSEAM) AP
IF Joniel Hernandez
Age: 17 | Level: Rookie | System rank: No. 21
Acquired: From San Diego (with Mendez) for Ray and cash
Tony Vitello knew some portion of the prospects acquired through his college connections, but obviously that doesn’t include Hernandez, who’s still the age of a high school senior.
Still, when a reporter mentioned the young Cuban in passing, Vitello perked up.
“Now,” he said, “that one’s interesting.”
Hernandez signed for a $1.4 million bonus this past January, when MLB.com rated him the No. 13 prospect in the international signing class. His combination of quick hands and projectable frame gave him “one of the highest offensive upsides in the 2026 class,” according to his blurb.
The teenager joins a crowded crop of young shortstop prospects that headline the Giants’ system, two levels below fellow 17-year-old Luis Hernandez and Josuar Gonzalez at Single-A San Jose and three behind Jhonny Level, who has a ton of new teammates at High-A Eugene.
IF Kaeden Kent
Age: 22 | Level: High-A | System rank: No. 22
Acquired: From New York [AL] (with Lalane) for Ramos
It is purely a coincidence, Posey insisted, that the acquisition of a Kent came less than a month after the Giants drafted Barry Bonds’ nephew, Peyton, in the third round.
“We like Kaeden Kent and Peyton Bonds for the players that they are,” Posey said, highlighting Kent’s contact ability from the left side with “a swing we really like.”
Kaeden Kent of the New York Yankees bats during the second inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Atlanta Braves at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida, on Saturday, March 21, 2026. (Diamond Images) Diamond Images/Getty Images
RHP Marty Gair
Age: 23 | Level: High-A | System rank: N/A
Acquired: From Philadelphia (with Marquez) for Arraez and Kilian
A power arm from a small college (Florida SouthWestern State) that has produced one major-leaguer with a positive WAR (Joel Piñeiro). Fastball reaches 102 mph, which has produced almost two strikeouts per inning but with a walk rate that would fit right in with the current Giants’ bullpen (noncomplimentary) at a level where he is an older prospect.
Most of his innings in the majors came in Colorado, which could be one reason for his poor numbers. Not much in terms of stuff but at least finds the strike zone more often than most of the Giants’ current staff. Will report to Triple-A Sacramento and could either be a 40-man roster casualty this winter or a candidate for a low-leverage/long-relief job in the 2027 bullpen.
New York Yankees left fielder Heliot Ramos enters the field before the game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026, at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York. (Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images)
When Heliot Ramos found out about his trade to the Yankees on Monday, he started shaking. When he told his mother, Norma, about getting dealt by the Giants, who’d drafted him and been the only team he’d ever played for, she got scared, too — not understanding how the business side worked, Ramos said.
But then Ramos told her to “calm down,” he said Tuesday. “I’m gonna be with the Yankees. I’m gonna be fine.”
Ramos recalled someone telling him that the Yankees picked him, a 2024 All-Star, for a reason. The 26-year-old outfielder, who hit fourth and played left field in his first game, oozed with excitement about playing for the team he grew up watching in Puerto Rico. Ramos arrived with nine homers and a .728 OPS on his ledger for the season and will — as someone who has never appeared in a postseason game — step into a chance to contribute down the stretch of the regular season.
New York Yankees left fielder Heliot Ramos (34) warms up before the game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Yankee Stadium. Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
“I’m looking forward just to win,” Ramos said, while also saying earlier that he felt good in pinstripes. “This is an organization that, right now, is on a good run. I just want to contribute. I’m looking forward to winning and playing in October, for sure.”
Ramos’ role could look different in the weeks and months to come. The Yankees remain without Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger in the outfield, creating a daily opportunity for Ramos until reinforcements arrive. But then he could settle into a platoon for manager Aaron Boone, who said that he might experiment with Ramos in right field, too.
New York Yankees left fielder Heliot Ramos (34) enters the field before the game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Yankee Stadium. Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
There’s a risk attached to Ramos. His defense, which he described Tuesday as decent, can be spotty. His numbers against right-handed pitchers (.256 batting average, .696 OPS) sit well below his numbers against lefties (.292, .835), but he said he can bring power to the lineup. He adjusted to the tough hitting conditions at Oracle Park and used it as a challenge, telling himself that if he could hit there, those results could apply at other ballparks.
He has recognized the magnitude of the situation with the Yankees, too. The franchise’s standards, Ramos said, are “super high.” But Ramos’ belief hasn’t wavered. He grew up watching Jorge Posada and Derek Jeter’s 3,000th hit, grew up hearing stories about Bernie Williams from his dad, grew up feeling that his profile as a player fit the model of Andrew McCutchen.
And now, over the final two months of the season and anything that follows in the playoffs, he’ll have a chance to carve out a role of his own.
“I feel like every day I’m gonna go out there and I’m gonna get four hits,” Ramos said. “Obviously it’s not that because it’s not like that every day. … At the end of the day, I’m a pretty confident guy. I’m gonna bring a lot to the table, I think, just with the type of mindset that I have, with the type of game, like, that I have.”
KANSAS CITY, MO - JULY 22: A close view of the San Francisco Giants logo on a shirt before an MLB game between the San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals on July 22, 2026 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Buster Posey might not call it that, and the Giants have strenuously objected to such a practice in the past, but make no mistake: the Giants are rebuilding, and for the third time in a decade. Trading 23% of the major league roster in a 48-hour span while watching your team inch towards setting a new franchise record for losses in a season is definitionally a rebuild. So, we don’t need to think too deeply about their motivations.
I think I’m all out of interest in applauding the Giants for their moves that look positive on paper. The past decade or so has featured many such moves that haven’t panned out. Also, the Giants’ reputation is in the toilet for non-baseball reasons and I don’t think acquiring 8 prospects for 6 major leaguers changes the general perception. Nor should it.
But they became more interesting. Not a little more interesting. Actually interesting. Basically since the moment Buster Posey has touched the front office, the farm system has improved. Heading into the final hours of the deadline, the Giants were already ranked in the top 10 of the sport. They might not crack the top 5 in that ranking after yesterday’s additions, but their already upward trajectory was certainly turbo boosted by the additions of Marcelo Mayer, Ramon Marquez, Henry Lalane, Miguel Mendez, Kaeden Kent, Joniel Hernandez, and Marty Gair (my apologies to Anthony Molina and the salary relief).
That’s just one component of what makes them interesting. The other is that Buster Posey has been given permission to engage in creative destruction of the major league roster, something the last two front offices weren’t really allowed to do. Maybe it’s Larry Baer’s old age, maybe it’s the infusion of venture capital the past few offseasons, but this is a new dimension. The Giants have rebuilt without calling it that before, but they’ve never so nakedly engaged in rebuild behavior.
Now, there were a lot of complaints in my trade grades article from yesterday saying that the entire deadline was a bust because they didn’t move any of Rafael Devers, Willy Adames, or Matt Chapman, three players whose acquisitions were largely celebrated in the moment. I think I understand the compulsion to scream at the front office for wanting them to only trade bad players for good players (and, to be fair, a lot of commenters said good riddance to Heliot Ramos, too), but what makes the Giants interesting with them on the roster going into next year and beyond is that it’s extremely plausible and rather probable that at least one of them will be fairly important on the next not-bad Giants team, which could be as soon as 2028.
The Giants are the envy of no one but they are no longer a public embarrassment when it comes to their farm system. They are alive on the international side of the industry and they seem to have jumped to the front of the pack when it comes to the next development trend: emphasizing contact on the hitting side. And because they’ve been bad and a little lucky this past draft in terms of the lottery, they’ve been amassing some consensus quality prospects.
This doesn’t mean the Giants are automatically good or that a bright future is guaranteed, but the success of the operation and the talent that’s caught the attention of the industry means — to me, anyway — that fans don’t have to settle for hoping for hope. Yes, they’ve had some prospects and some position players (and Logan Webb) who’ve made us all conjure a few “interesting”s in our daily Giants talk, but the volume is simply greater now. The Giants have pushed themselves from “it will take an incomprehensible volume of luck to move the needle from ‘hopeless’ to ‘some hope” to being maybe 2 years away from a lineup that includes Bryce Eldridge, Gavin Kilen OR Marcelo Mayer, and Bo Davidson complimenting Casey Schmitt, Rafael Devers, and the cremains of Matt Chapman & Willy Adames with a pitching staff that includes the last useful innings of Logan Webb’s career buttressed by Jackson Flora and backed up by a bullpen that has Randy Rodriguez, Henry Lalane, and Miguel Mendez.
Or whatever. There are at least two other wishcasting configurations a fan could conjure and that’s because the Giants have put themselves in the position to maybe have some options. So, in terms of a rebuild, this isn’t like that post-Bonds era nor that post-championship run. Not exactly. The Giants have grabbed talent wherever they could and now they’re counting on VP of Player Development, Randy Winn, and his group to get at least some of them to become major leaguers.
Now, the Giants could rush through them the minors as Farhan Zaidi did and make sure the team has some of this talent on the roster in two years, but what’s interesting is that the talent has been arriving at the right time. Bryce Eldridge maybe could have used most of this season in the minors, but it seems like starting him in the majors would’ve been the most correct move and his development hasn’t raised any red flags. He’s figuring things out and you can see the flashes of greatness in his game. Casey Schmitt’s breakout might be a total fluke (we’ll find out after the lockout!), but it did happen and under this brand new coaching staff. Daniel Susac hasn’t exactly flourished, but he’s captured and held the confidence of the organization. Ron Washington helped Luis Arraez become an All-Star defender at second base. The Giants seem to have the tools to help players realize their abilities at the major league level.
Tony Vitello was predicted to be a great manager for developing younger players, and it looks like the board has been cleared for him so he can do exactly that the rest of this season and whenever the lockout ends next season. A full year of experience under his belt and an offseason as a major league manager rather than a transitioning college coach will do wonders, too. Plus, Buster Posey and Zack Minasian will have more experience, too.
Even with Devers, Adames, and Chapman on the books next year and beyond, the salary burden is overstated. In terms of “real money,” the Giants are on the hook for $154 million in 2027, about $40 million less than they’re projected to spend this season. With the lockout looming, it’s premature to get worked up over player payroll — plus, all three should project to be — at minimum — decent in however many games are played in 2027. Yes, probably too much money for 6 to 10 wins above replacement for 3 players, but tough to replace without spending a similar amount of money or expending prospect capital.
The owners’ planned lockout does make it difficult to predict the next 6 months, and I’m not even suggesting that the Giants have drafted and traded for their next championship core, but they now have so many prospects to go with enough graduated prospects and solid veterans that an unknowably long rebuild doesn’t seem to be on offer. They could be good within the next two years, which felt like an impossibility just a month ago.
Evan Longoria, Brandon Crawford, Brandon Belt, and Buster Posey won’t be the core of the next good Giants team. The 2019 and 2020 versions of these players are the stewards of 2010-2014 legacy. Or, they’re living museum pieces. They are not the future of the franchise.
And it gets worse from that point, but I think you get where I’m going here. Maybe none of the prospects acquired yesterday or the ones in the Giants’ top 30 right now will be the main reasons why the 2028 team is a good one, but that would be closer to a shock than a simple “that’s Baseball!” This group of Giants prospects isn’t vaporware, at least on the hitting side. We can only hope that some of them will be used to acquire better pitching.
Doesn’t that possibility also make the Giants actually interesting? The failing and losing of the past decade no longer constrains them. Because they have this tremendous volume of up and coming talent and financial flexibility, they can go in a lot of different directions to become a successful team again.
The Arizona Diamondbacks made the following roster moves. The D-backs’ 40-man roster is at 40.
Reported to the Major League roster: OF Lars Nootbaar (No. 21)
Placed on the Paternity List: C Gabriel Moreno
And right into the starting line-up goes the Noot, playing designated hitter in his Diamondbacks debut. In case you missed it, the corresponding move to make room on the 40-man roster, was the transfer of Zac Gallen to the 60-day IL – we’re back to eight pitchers there. His original IL stint was retrospective to July 9, so he would be eligible to come off it about a week into September. That all depends on health, obviously – and then, whether the team things he can be of help in the final few weeks. There will likely be another quick roster move, tomorrow or Thuesday, when Moreno comes back from his childbirth watch. I’m thinking an optioning of Adrian Del Castillo seems most probable.
We’re probably going to see even more of the Padres bullpen tonight. Their starter, Randy Vásquez, hasn’t completed five innings or reached eighty pitches in a game since June 13. His last outing was 4.2 innings and 65 pitches against the Giants on July 30. Vásquez had a 2.68 ERA through his first nine starts, up to the middle of May. But he has found things tougher since, going 1-5 with a 6.45 ERA and FIP almost at the same level (6.37). With Eduardo Rodriguez taking the mound for Arizona, coming off eight shutout innings against the Pirates, it feels like a game the D-backs should win – guaranteeing they won’t be overtaken in the standing by the Padres this series.
When we’ve been talking about all the players coming back from injury, one name has largely been forgotten. Blake Walston started a rehab assignment with the Reno Aces today. It has been a long road back for Blake, who last pitched in a game on September 24th, 2024, so almost two years ago. We’ll need to see what he has after such a layoff. But he is a left-hander, so if he can prove his health and form, it’s possible he could be a useful cog as the mid-inning southpaw in the Arizona bullpen, with Brandyn Garcia (so far) looking to have transitioned into the closer’s role.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - AUGUST 03: Xander Bogaerts #2 of the San Diego Padres turns a double play on a ground ball hit by Max Kepler #22 of the Arizona Diamondbacks as Geraldo Perdomo #2 is forced out at second base during the third inning at Chase Field on August 03, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
San Diego Padres (58-55) at Arizona Diamondbacks (60-53), August 4, 2026, 6:4o p.m. PST
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LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 29: Emerson Hancock #26 of the Seattle Mariners pitches during the game between the Seattle Mariners and the Los Angeles Dodgers at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday, July 29, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Nicole Vasquez/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
And we’re back.
The Mariners return after an off day Monday with a brand new roster. Taylor Ward is here and hitting eighth. Seranthony Domínguez is here and sitting in the bullpen. Brendan Donovan is here and penciled in at the hot corner. Emerson Hancock is still here and standing on the mound. Mitch Garver and Rob Refsnyder are no longer welcome at Seattle Mariners, LLC. Let’s play some ball!
But first, let’s do some reading, and reflect on this moment:
Hey, the Mariners are playing the Tigers. Jake Mailhot and Isabelle Minasian explain where things stand for the team that just traded Tarik Skubal.
The Mariners released Mitch Garver and Rob Refsnyder on Monday. Kate Preusser has the latest.
Nick Vitalis walks through the trade deadline and what that tells us about the Mariners.
George Lombard Jr. already made his presence known on the field with some smooth, sparkling defensive plays, but he had the Yankee Stadium crowd on its feet when he launched his first home run as a major leaguer.
The Yankees' top prospect, making his MLB debut, grounded out in his first at-bat, but in the fifth, with New York holding onto a 1-0 lead, Lombard launched an 81 mph sweeper from Hunter Dobbins 392 feet into the left field seats.
Lombard became the 14th Yankee ever to have his first MLB hit be a home run. He's also the third-youngest player in Yankees history to homer in his MLB debut at 21 years and 63 days. He's only older than Jasson Dominguez (September 2023) and John Ellis (May 1969), according to Sarah Langs.
The Yankees called up Lombard ahead of Tuesday's game. He was slashing .268/.405/.440 for an .845 OPS in 56 games with six home runs and 21 RBI at Triple-A this season. In 20 games with Double-A Somerset earlier this year, he had tallied 12 extra-base hits in 20 games with a .312/.400/.571 slash line for a .971 OPS.
He has seen his Los Angeles Angels loiter in the middle – or much worse – of Major League Baseball’s pecking order yet comport themselves as if a turnaround was just around the corner. And he still has not seen a postseason game since 2014, a drought that will continue through this season.
He saw No. 2 starter Jose Soriano traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for a three-player package that includes a top 100 shortstop prospect, Arjun Nimmala. And outfielder Jo Adell dealt to Cleveland. Reliever Ryan Zeferjahn sent to the Chicago Cubs for a package including promising slugger Moises Ballesteros.
And for good measure, another bullpen piece, veteran Kirby Yates, shipped to Pittsburgh.
Staying put: left-hander Reid Detmers and shortstop Zach Neto, leaving a reputable baseball product roughly in place while practicing dark pragmatism.
And Trout can dig it.
“Obviously, what was happening the last few years wasn’t working,” Trout, the four-time MVP, told USA TODAY Sports. “Just change it up a bit.
“If you look where the team is, I think it’s the right move.”
The moves came as little shock to Trout: As a show of good faith to the franchise player, Mozeliak invited Trout into the team’s trade deadline war room on a recent day. A veteran of 16 big league seasons, Trout, 34, has steadfastly refused to waive his no-trade clause to get out of the Anaheim sinkhole.
In past administrations, most notably GM Perry Minasian, who was fired June 27, that wasn’t even a consideration. Minasian specialized in drafting close-to-the-majors, lower-ceiling players in a constant attempt to plug the many holes at the big league level.
It was an approach that kept the big league product from totally bottoming out, yet never produced anything close to a contender, let alone a sustainable one.
“I had a feeling what was going to happen,” says Trout. “Me and Mo, we’ve been talking. But it was good.
“I built some friendships with those guys over the years. To see them go, it’s tough.”
But not all of them. Detmers, 27, has a 1.09 WHIP this season and had an excellent seven-start run – the Angels won six of them – heading into July that put his name on te trade frontburners.
At one point, a false report Monday had him traded to the Chicago Cubs. Detmers’ phone subsequently blew up, foiling his plan of staying away from it as much as possible as he chilled with his teammates on an off day in Baltimore.
A call to his agent quickly quelled the scare.
“If it did happen,” says Detmers, “I figured I’d get a phone call. But I never got a phone call.”
The phony info only served another helping of angst on his Monday.
“A pretty stressful day yesterday,” he says. “But I’m happy to be here. It is what it is. I knew my name was going to be all over the place yesterday, but at the end of the day, nothing happened.
“It’s all a blur, to be honest.”
Detmers will have two more years of club control after this year and the shortstop Neto three. It seems unlikely the Angels can turn the entire ship around in that window, but at least, perhaps, the horizon is visible.
“We feel really good about the deadline and believe in what we’re doing here,” says manager Kurt Suzuki, who is working on a one-year contract. “Everyone believes in what we’re doing and where we’re going. I feel like Mo and the front office did a tremendous job yesterday doing what they did. We feel confident moving forward with this approach.
“It’s kind of an exciting time moving forward and where we’re heading.”
Trout would like to think so. After battling injuries throughout his 30s, Trout returned to the All-Star Game this season after a two-year absence, has 18 home runs and an .845 OPS and is on pace to play in at least 130 games for the second consecutive season.
Perhaps the organization will feel a little more spry, too, after a necessary first step.
“This is what we have,” says Suzuki. “And we’re excited about this opportunity going forward. I thought Mo and the front office did a great job moving forward.”
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
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
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.
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.
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.
