Yankees general manager Brian Cashman denied a report that the Yankees had conversations with the San Diego Padres involving right-hander Will Warren ahead of the MLB Trade Deadline.
"There was a lot of noise on whatever that was, but that wasn't true; that's all I can tell you," Cashman said when asked about the report after Monday's deadline.
"There's a lot of media reports, there's a lot of noise always constantly flying around, some are accurate, some of them aren't accurate," he continued. "It's a lot of people with a lot of information. Writers who cover the sport have a difficult time of trying to parse what's real and what's not.
"We never had a discussion with San Diego that way. So, I'll leave it at that."
Warren, 27, is under team control through the 2030 season. He is 8-5 with a 4.14 ERA and 1.362 WHIP in 108.2 innings over 22 games (21 starts) this season. His latest outing saw him allow four hits and strike out seven batters in 6.2 scoreless innings of Friday's 2-0 win at the Chicago Cubs.
The 27-year-old Morejon is a free agent after the 2026 season. In 60 frames through 52 games this season, the Padres' setup man 3.00 ERA and a 1.067 WHIP with 70 strikeouts to 15 walks.
Cashman did reveal that the Yanks “looked and engaged on trying to upgrade the ‘pen,” but weren’t able to get any deals done.
“There wasn’t a lot of arms that moved ‘pen-wise,” the GM Said. “More starters moving and certainly a lot less relievers, especially high-impact ones.
“But we definitely were on a number of different people but we were unable to find the matches there.”
He added: "We shopped in that aisle pretty heavily, but to no avail."
Warren was asked about trade noise after Friday's start and said you have to "control what you can control."
"Whatever's going to happen is going to happen. So, that's never really been on my mind," he said. "I feel like, ever since I've been with the Yankees, that's been a thing, so I'm kind of used to it by now. But just taking it day by day and, again, whatever happens is going to happen."
In the end, neither Warren nor Morejon was dealt before the deadline.
BRADENTON, FL - FEBRUARY 14: New York Yankees Senior Vice President, General Manager Brian Cashman talks to the the media during the 2025 Grapefruit League Spring Training Media Day at Pirate City on Friday, February 14, 2025 in Bradenton, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The 2026 Trade Deadline has officially come and gone, and it’s time for the immediate breakdown of the state of the Yankees following it. It’s fair to say that most weren’t projecting a flashy deadline for New York with a big-name blockbuster or anything of that sort, but it still comes as a surprise that at the end of the day they made only three moves: they traded Camilo Doval away to Pittsburgh, and then added Luis García Jr. alongside Heliot Ramos to bolster their lineup and provide some depth to the outfield while two of their stars are on the shelf.
Let’s start with what they did accomplish before we get into what they failed to get. García is a legit A-plus addition offensively, leading the National League in slugging and coming in just behind Ben Rice for third overall across MLB. They also managed to pry him away from Washington for a basket of arms that they likely didn’t have plans for this season and possibly even next, sending off their 14th-rated prospect Jack Cebert and their 25th-ranked prospect Ben Grable by MLB Pipeline’s scouting, alongside Yovanny Cruz and Jake Bird. Cruz impressed in Triple-A this season and got a couple brief stints with the major league team but never seemed to be in the plans for a postseason bullpen, while Bird actively worked his way off the roster two years in a row after getting acquired at the deadline last season. Overall, that’s a more than acceptable package to surrender in exchange for a bat that can mash against righties and bring some protection to Rice’s spot in the order.
García’s defensive fit is a bit more murky, as he’s a first baseman when the team already has Rice and Paul Goldschmidt working there. Goldschmidt, for all his early-season success, is still meant to be a backup for this team, and it looks as though he’ll cede playing time to García at first while Rice will primarily play as the designated hitter.
What that group looks like once Giancarlo Stanton is back in the fold, who knows, but the Yankees can’t plan on Stanton just sliding back in after missing most of the season and needing a bat in the worst way to stay afloat here and now. The Yankees will have García for the 2027 season as well, assuming there will be one amidst CBA negotiations and the very real threat of a lengthy lockout.
The other piece of this deadline “haul,” Ramos is a league-average bat overall but owns a 127 wRC+ against left-handed pitching this season, a trend that was muted during his down 2025 season but carried his performance in his breakout 2024 with the Giants. Just 26-years-old, Ramos will be entering arbitration for the first time in 2027 and under team control until 2030, giving them a solid platoon to utilize for the foreseeable future and the right-handed bat they coveted to help cover the outfield’s holes with Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger still out. Is he the most exciting get? Not exactly, and the cost of getting him was a little steeper with No. 5 prospect Henry Lalane headlining the return alongside their 13th-best prospect Kaeden Kent. The sticker price probably looks a little bit riskier than it is, as the Yankees’ system is rather top-heavy and both Lalane and Kent are still a while away from playing in High-A. As far as who they got, I’m not complaining about either Ramos or García — they’re both fine additions that’ll hopefully raise the offensive floor from dreadful to watch towards tolerable until the cavalry arrives.
Speaking of dreadful, it’s time to address what the Yankees didn’t do at the deadline. For months, speculation has been centered on the Yankees seeking help at catcher and aiming for relief help, but when the pencils were put down, Brian Cashman came away with exactly zero additions for both departments. The bullpen is a lesser concern at this point than it was earlier in the year, to be fair, as Paul Blackburn and Brent Headrick have turned into fantastic options late in games while closer David Bednar locked in and allowed two runs combined throughout June and July. They’ve shed the disappointing arms in Doval and Bird, and will likely shift one of their starters over to the ‘pen alongside ramping up Clarke Schmidt for relief duties as he nears a return.
The biggest failure of the deadline comes from being unable to secure any upgrade at all at catcher. Simply put, Austin Wells and Ali Sánchez have been a disaster duo behind the plate. While Wells at least has the trust of the pitching staff, keeping him in the lineup, they needed to do something with their backup catching spot. But while several catchers indeed moved on deadline day, none of them will be donning pinstripes — the big ticket name was Baltimore’s Adley Rutschman going over to the archrival Red Sox, but the Rays secured a catcher as well in Liam Hicks from the Marlins. Rutschman being available is a shock to the system, but Baltimore fumbled their core with just a single postseason of getting swept to show for it, and the star is admittedly not doing too great health-wise. In fact, those medicals were concerning enough for the Yankees to not pursue him after doing some initial check-ins, but Boston was clearly willing to take the gamble.
Passing on Rutschman for health concerns is one thing, but the rest of the market entirely passing them by? How could that happen? Well, it takes two to tango, and unfortunately the other enticing options were Minnesota’s Ryan Jeffers and Colorado’s Hunter Goodman. Goodman looks to be a legit big bat at a premier position, so Colorado has been asking for the moon in any talks regarding his services; and it’s fair enough to balk at a king’s ransom for a player that hasn’t established themselves long-term yet. Jeffers, meanwhile, became unavailable as the Twins fancied themselves competitors despite sitting under .500 entering play on Monday because the AL Central has been anyone’s game and the AL Wild Card field is a bit of a joke with how many teams are within striking distance. Suddenly out of first-choice options, the Yankees were left scrambling to consider backup plans like Cincinnati’s Tyler Stephenson, a relatively unappealing defender but at least one with a pulse at the plate. Even there they couldn’t agree on a deal, and now they’ll be stuck with what they’ve got.
The Yankees have learned not to invoke the rage of the fanbase by acting like getting a whole host of players back from the IL is a sort of deadline acquisition on its own, but it feels like that’s still the case here. They did get one significant upgrade with García, and for that alone I’m not willing to rake Cashman over the coals for this deadline, but this undoubtedly is one of their weakest deadline performances since Aaron Boone took over and the team regained their expectations of always competing. It leaves a lot unsaid about their unwillingness to go all-in this year with the clock ticking on Judge, Stanton, and Gerrit Cole’s window to win a championship, but at the same time you can at least see how the perfect storm arose to prevent them from landing more meaningful additions despite seeking them out.
Following the trade deadline Monday night, odds to win the division favor the Rays, but I certainly wouldn’t count the Yankees out of the race. The Pinstripes return to the Bronx for the next three series, facing the Cardinals, Braves, and Mariners. For now, it’s on the Yankees to weather the storm for another two months and see if they can make some noise in October.
HOUSTON — Daulton Varsho was taking swings in the visitors’ batting cage at Daikin Park early Monday before the start of a series against the Houston Astros when he was called into Toronto manager John Schneider’s office.
It was then that Varsho learned he was on a new team and he’d have an incredibly short trip to join that squad.
The first-place Astros acquired the center fielder from the Blue Jays for starting pitcher Spencer Arrighetti just before the trade deadline. A couple of hours later, Varsho finished his pregame preparations by taking swings in the home batting cage.
“It was definitely weird going from that cage to this cage,” Varsho said, shaking his head.
The AL West leaders wasted no time putting Varsho in the lineup. Houston manager Joe Espada had him batting cleanup against his former team Monday night.
“This clubhouse is awesome,” Varsho said of the Astros. “They’re great, great people, they’re excited. So that’s the best part for me is I get to join a team that’s very excited to have me and I’m excited to be a part of it.”
Varsho, a Gold Glove winner in 2024, provides a big boost in the outfield for the Astros, who with a three-game sweep of the Texas Rangers last weekend took over the division lead for the first time since early April. Houston went from a half-game deficit to a 2 1/2-game lead after the weekend series.
“Excited to add Varsho to our lineup,” Espada said. “He fits a hole that we’ve had here for a while. He brings a different dynamic to our offense, can really play center field, lefty bat. This guy was in the World Series not that long ago, so he knows what it takes.”
Espada said he plans to play Varsho only in center field and raved about his skills on offense and defense.
“He’s got some juice,” Espada said. “I think his power will play really well in this ballpark. He can run, can steal some bases. He’s a plus defender in center, so those are things that will fit right in.”
In 99 games this season, Varsho has hit .243 with seven homers and 26 RBIs. He had 20 homers in 71 big league games last season for the Blue Jays, who are last in the AL East after winning the American League pennant in 2025.
Varsho became emotional when talking about his time with the Blue Jays and added that it was disappointing they couldn’t get things going this season after last year’s surprising run.
“I’m in a better place now after a couple of hours just kind of getting my breath, kind of understanding where I’m at,” he said. “But, obviously wish those guys the best, because I really do care for a lot of those guys, especially the coaches and, yeah, it’s just hard.”
Varsho is a .229 career hitter with 106 homers and 321 RBIs in 747 games for Arizona and Toronto since his 2020 debut. He can become a free agent this fall.
Arrighetti, on the 15-day injured list because of nerve irritation in his right foot, is 7-5 with a 4.60 ERA in 17 starts this season. The 26-year-old right-hander, who grew up in Texas, is 15-23 with a 4.66 ERA in 52 major league starts and one relief appearance for the Astros since 2024.
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 11: Luke Weaver #30 of the New York Mets pitches during the eighth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Citi Field on June 11, 2026 in New York City. The Mets won 5-4. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With their playoff odds at 0.1% according to Fangraphs, the Mets’ season is effectively over. That was reflected in the fact that the Mets traded away eight players since Thursday and, if we are counting David Peterson’s departure on June 25th, have jettisoned eight of their prominent MLB players (and one Triple-A depth piece) for a haul of prospects. For most of these moves, the trades were to rid the team of expiring contracts and bring back something, anything, in exchange for 50 games of rental.
Every year, our Lukas Vlahos grades all of the Mets’ major acquisitions and he will do a deep dive into the trade deadline in the coming days. For now, let’s do a quick reaction to the weekends’ moves.
AJ Minter is traded to the Twins for Billy Amick and Bruin Agbayani
Who the Mets gave up: Veteran lefty Minter missed most of the season and a half that he was signed to the Mets with a lat injury. In 2026, Minter threw 34.0 innings in his time with the Mets with a 2.12 ERA and a 3.35 FIP.
Who the Mets got: Two prospects of minor note, including the power-hitting first baseman Amick and the scion of 2000 Met Benny Agbayani, but neither figures to be a top-flight prospect.
Quick Reaction Grade: C+ – if the Mets waited another day or two, they might’ve been able to milk a little more out of a trading partner, but overall, for half the season of an aging reliever, this is more or less what you get.
Freddy Peralta is traded to the Rays for Aidan Smith, Émilien Pitre, and Gary Gill Hill
Who the Mets gave up: Their Opening Day starter, acquired in the offseason for two (then) Top 100 prospects who has been more or less bad all season.
Who the Mets got: Peralta hasn’t been very good, but there was still some value to be had in him, and so the Rays had to pony up a package that isn’t going to set the world on fire, but had to have something to it. That something appears to be infielder Pitre, with a pitcher for whom some adjustments could unlock value, and a toss in.
Quick Reaction Grade: B – Again, not a gargantuan haul, but the return looks better in August 2026 than what the Mets gave up for Peralta in the first place.
Huascar Brazobán is traded to the White Sox for Gabe Davis and Zach Franklin
Who the Mets gave up: Their cost-controlled but old (by MLB standards) middle reliever who is having his best season in the pros.
Who the Mets got: The Mets got a nearly MLB-ready reliever in Franklin, who could be essentially the new Brazobán in no time, and a lottery ticket on a talk drink of water who played college ball with Carson Benge and Nolan McLean.
Quick Reaction Grade: B – I actually like both of these pieces in a vacuum, but to trade away Brazoabán’s team control (three seasons after 2026), you’d have hoped that the Mets could’ve brought in a little more.
Brooks Raley is traded to the Phillies for John Spikerman and Luke Gabrysh
Who the Mets gave up: Since 2022, Raley has been one of the Mets lefty relievers in all of baseball, not counting the year he lost to Tommy John Surgery, obviously. He, like Brazobán, is no kid, but his contract expires in the autumn, so this was as close to a must move as possible.
Who the Mets got: A low-power, glove-first centerfielder and a somewhat intriguing High-A starter.
Quick Reaction Grade: B+ – I think we’d all have liked to get more for Raley, but the reality of his age and contract status meant that it was always going to be slighter than fans hoped.
Ben Rortvedt is traded to the Dodgers for Chayce McDermott
Who the Mets gave up:One of their minor league catchers, who was claimed off of waivers from the Dodgers back in February.
Who the Mets got:A quad-A reliever (and occasional spot starter) who will likely fill the same role on the Mets’ roster.
Quick Reaction Grade: B – I got nothing of value to add to this. The Dodgers needed catching depth and didn’t want to pay much for it. The Mets gain another fungible churn piece.
Luke Weaver is traded to the Pirates for Samy Stafura
Who the Mets gave up: One of the most effective relievers in baseball, under control for 2027 as well.
Who the Mets got:A NY native with a speedy middle infielder who is on an insane power streak right now.
Quick Reaction Grade: B- – I actually like Stafura’s profile a lot, but for a guy as good as Weaver who is also under control for next year, this return seems light.
Clay Holmes and Tyrone Taylor are traded to the Cubs for Jefferson Rojas
Who the Mets gave up: Their very successful (though recently injured) reliever to starter success story and their veteran fourth outfielder.
Who the Mets got: The second best prospect in the Cubs’ system and a bottom tier Top 100 prospect in baseball.
Quick Reaction Grade: A- – This is the type of prospect that you’d expect for a pair of players like Taylor and Holmes, both of whom have flashed excellence at times this season but have some questions. That said, it isn’t exactly a ‘blow you away’ type of return, hence the A-. It wouldn’t shock me if the Mets tried to bring one or both of these folks back in the off-season.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 30: General Manager Dana Brown of the Houston Astros speaks during an end of season press conference at Daikin Park on September 30, 2025 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The 2026 MLB trade deadline has come and gone, and barring some minor league callups, this is essentially the team the Houston Astros will be going to battle with the rest of the season.
Houston had clear deficiencies coming to the deadline. Their outfield OPS is the worst in baseball. Their starting pitchers’ ERA was the highest in the league. Their bullpen has been heavily taxed and three of their 4 leverage reliever are lefties. The one righty, Bryan Abreu, has had an inconsistent season.
The Astros had stated clear agendas for the trade deadline: a left-handed hitting outfielder who could impact the lineup, a starting pitcher who could stabilize the rotation, and a right handed reliever who could handle some leverage innings.
Dana Brown achieved none of his goals today.
The Astros traded SP Spencer Arrighetti to the Toronto Blue Jays for CF Daulton Varsho.
Varsho is a very good defensive player and former Gold Glove winner in 2024. He is also a below average offensive player with a career batting average under .230 and career OBP under .300. He does have some pop, but he has also played in two of the best hitters parks in baseball in Chase Field (AZ) and Rogers Centre (TOR).
Varsho is a free agent at the end of the season.
He gives the Astros an excellent defensive CF with moderate pop, albeit with a low average, low OBP and high strikeouts.
Spencer Arrighetti had clearly fallen out of favor in Houston, mainly due to his poor command. Arrighetti is walking 5.1 batters per nine this season, identical to his walk rate a year ago. That is an unsustainable rate. It would be one thing if Arrighetti was 23 coming out of Double-A, but he’s 26. His command hasn’t improved.
He also doesn’t throw particularly hard (93), and in his career, he’s essentially had 2 great months and the rest of his time in MLB he has been lousy. He has a career 4.66 ERA and 1.39 WHIP. Those are not the numbers of a good pitcher, not even those of a promising pitcher.
The returns of Ronel Blanco and Hayden Wesneski bounced Arrighetti from the rotation, even if he weren’t currently on IL with nerve irritation in his foot. Arrighetti’s injury history has to be taken into account as well.
In the end, they traded a player that they didn’t have a role for to get player who will be their starting everyday CF.
Overall, I would give that specific deal a B-. It didn’t address any of their clear needs, but it was an upgrade without losing anyone who would help the team this year or really in future years.
Overall Deadline Grade
For the deadline overall, to achieve none of their stated agenda and fill none of their needs, I give them a F. They had an opportunity to improve the team and really separate themselves from the AL West, make themselves into solid contenders in the AL, and they completely whiffed.
Staying under the luxury tax seemed to be more important than winning. In a year when the AL is wide open, and several AL contenders made big improvements, the Astros failed to move the needle for their team at a time when the team is playing the best it has in a full calendar year. It’s a colossal miss and one that likely will result in the team having a new GM next season.
The Houston Astros are listed at +115 to win the AL West division and +3000 to win the World Series on the FanDuel Sportsbook. sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/mlb
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MAY 14: Kris Bubic #50 of the Kansas City Royals delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on May 14, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jayden Mack/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The dust has settled, and the hard trade deadline is over. There were some big trades this year. There were some notable non-trades this year, too—we’ll get to that, later. Kansas City was quiet, though, with only a handful of deals completed.
Let’s grade the ones that they did, and one that they didn’t do.
Lane Thomas and Bailey Falter to the Braves for Lucas Braun and Carter Holton
Grade: B+
Lane Thomas probably knew when he signed with Kansas City that he’d either make the playoffs with the team or end the year playing for someone else. Bailey Falter has probably wished he was somewhere else for a while, as did the Royals front office at this point. By trading them to the Braves, the Royals enacted their most impactful trade of the deadline.
The key player here is Lucas Braun, a 24-year-old righty selected by Atlanta in the 2023 draft. Braun has seen success in the high levels of the minors as a starter; in 94 innings pitched this year across Double-A and Triple-A, he has a 3.53 ERA and a 3.76 FIP. The Royals also got Carter Holton, the 62nd overall pick in the 2024 draft who missed all of 2025 with Tommy John.
To get legitimate rotation depth and a buy-low lefty pitcher drafted in the second round a few years later is a pretty good result. The only reason this doesn’t get an A is because you just have to wonder what the Royals could have gotten if they didn’t attach Falter and his salary to the deal.
Kris Bubic to the Dodgers for Carlos Duran
Grade: A-
When healthy, Kris Bubic has ended up as the most valuable of all the vaunted 2018 Royals draft class arms. But that is the key: when healthy. Bubic has only pitched a little more than 200 total innings across the last four seasons, and he’s never tossed more than 130 innings. With looming free agency at the end of the year as well as lingering arm problems, it was no guarantee the Royals would be able to move him for anything at all.
However, the Royals did find a suitor for Bubic in Los Angeles. The Dodgers are the cozy home for enigmatic-but-talented pitchers and aren’t afraid to spend the annual GDP of Iceland on players on the injury list. Moreover, the Royals got something back—Carlos Duran. A right-handed pitcher from the Dominican Republic, Duran just turned 25, and threw one third of an inning with Atlanta last year. But in 37 innings for the Dodgers’ Triple-A squad, Duran struck out over 31% of total batters with a 3.38 ERA. He’s got two more option years remaining and many years of control.
Expect him to be the closer by Thursday. I jest. But do I? It was a good trade.
Manuel Colon to the Phillies for Nolan Hoffman
Grade: B-
Not many Royals fans know who Manuel Colon is, and sort of for good reason: he’s a 19-year-old with two innings in A ball this year. He is the definition of a lottery ticket—might be worth something, might be worth less than that—which is the going rate to require roughly replacement level talent in the upper minors, which is what Nolan Hoffman is. Hoffman, 28, is with his fourth big league organization, and is a right-handed arm with a strikeout rate north of 25% in each of the last three seasons at Triple-A.
Kansas City needs arms right now, and Hoffman will probably see the big league bullpen sooner rather than later.
Not trading any of Michael Wacha, Seth Lugo, or Daniel Lynch IV
Grade: F
Sometimes the most impactful trades are the ones you don’t make. Kansas City entered the trade deadline with three pitchers who had multiple years of control and who would have been big additions for another club looking to add legitimate, playoff-caliber talent: starting pitchers Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo, and left-handed reliever Daniel Lynch IV.
Kansas City didn’t trade any of them.
In some comments to the media after the deadline, general manager JJ Picollo was clear that no deal worked out because the Royals wanted big league ready talent and other playoff teams balked at that. He believes that the Royals will compete next year and thinks that Wacha and Lugo and Lynch can help the team then. I think it’s a big miss.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 28: Colby Thomas #32 of the Athletics at bat against the Boston Red Sox at Sutter Health Park on July 28, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) | Getty Images
While nearly every other MLB team made moves at the 2026 MLB trade deadline to boost its present and future, the Athletics sat on the sidelines, unwilling to shake up a roster that is staring down a fifth straight losing season.
Entering the deadline, it felt like the A’s were not going to do much, as the organization continues building in anticipation of its 2028 relocation to Las Vegas. As such, it made sense that the team kept recently extended starters Jacob Wilson and Tyler Soderstrom off the market, as well as promising rookies Henry Bolte, Gage Jump and Joshua Kuroda-Grauer.
The reason why the team did basically nothing was that it had no healthy, valuable players to put on the trade block. Injuries and performance regression were major factors behind the team’s collapse over the past couple of months.
The A’s two pending free-agents, left-handed pitcher Jeffrey Springs and second baseman Jeff McNeil, stayed with the team. Their poor performances and team-options for next season likely discouraged contending teams from pursuing them.
A’s Make A Minor Trade
The Athletics’ lone move was announced right at the deadline. The club traded 25-year-old outfielder Colby Thomas to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for right-handed reliever Seth Johnson.
Thomas had plenty of opportunity to prove himself with the Athletics since he made his MLB debut last August, but he failed to provide much of an impact. With the A’s, he accumulated 10 home runs and 30 RBIs over his first 234 major league at-bats. Now he goes to Philadelphia, where he will look to provide some thump against left-handed pitchers for a Phillies team in the postseason hunt.
Johnson can immediately slot into an A’s bullpen in need of help. Through 16 appearances with the Phillies this season, the hard-throwing 27-year-old recorded a 1-0 record, a 5.51 ERA and 20 strikeouts. He has fared significantly better at Triple-A, going 1-1 with a 2.17 ERA at that lower level.
Trade Grade: C
They traded from a position of strength, getting rid of Thomas, who projects as only a platoon bat due to the incompetence he has shown against right-handed pitchers. In return, they acquired a former highly ranked pitching prospect who could help a bullpen that owns the worst ERA in the majors
Johnson’s electric arsenal consists of a high-90s four-seam fastball and a power slider. He has struggled to limit the walks, making him a natural fit for this walk-happy pitching staff. If the A’s can harness his stuff and help him throw more strikes, he could emerge as a late-inning weapon for this bullpen-needy club.
Opportunity Missed
The Green and Gold could have made more of an impact had starting catcher Shea Langeliers not suffered a torn meniscus. Given his multiple years of team control and elite all-around performance, Langeliers would have fetched the Athletics a return on par if not bigger than what the Boston Red Sox sent to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for mutli-time All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman.
Unfortunately, Langeliers’ potential season-ending injury took him off the market. It also likely contributed to the team keeping fellow catcher Jonah Heim, a free-agent at season’s end.
Do you think the trade deadline moved the needle for the Athletics? Were you waiting for them to make a splashy move? What do you think the A’s World Series odds (currently set at +100000 by FanDuel) are? Weigh in below.
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SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 29: Heliot Ramos #17 of the San Francisco Giants hits a single at Oracle Park on July 29, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Suzanna Mitchell/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images) | Getty Images
While Yankees fans, in general, liked the addition of Luis García Jr. on Sunday — after all, who can say no to the third-highest slugging percentage in baseball — they were eager for more. To different levels, catcher, third base, a right-handed outfield bat, and the middle of the bullpen represented possibilities for real upgrades to the roster, and predictably, the fanbase had its eyes on the biggest fish in the sea.
Unfortunately, as the day ticked on, these fish went elsewhere — Luis Arraez to Philadelphia, Adley Rutschman to Boston, Clay Holmes to Chicago — while the only acquisition made in New York was me getting some books out of the library, until finally, at long last, the front office finalized a deal. They acquired outfielder Heliot Ramos from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for a pair of prospects.
The New York Yankees today announced that they have acquired outfielder Heliot Ramos from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for minor league infielder Kaeden Kent and left-handed pitcher Henry Lalane.
Seriously. These were arguably the comments that were most optimistic about this move. The vast majority … well, this is supposed to be a family-friendly blog, so no, I’m not going to share too many. Let’s just say, this is on the tame side.
Not everyone was simply reacting to the Ramos move itself, though. Quite a few members of the community began to discuss the long-term implications, wondering what this means for Giancarlo Stanton’s long-term role on the team.
Side note: it’s going to be a lockout, not a strike. Let’s all remember that the work stoppage will be formallty instigated by the owners, not the players, as the CBA is expiring; they’re the ones to blame.
Still others — myself included — have begun to ask the question, “Where’s George Lombard Jr.?”
(The answer, I think, will be August 16th, at which point he will not exhaust rookie eligibility for a potential PPI draft pick ).
Now that we had some time to think about it, I turn the question back over to you. What do you think of the Heliot Ramos acquisition? Vote in our poll, and let us know in the comments’ section below!
Everybody called San Diego to ask about Mason Miller. Nobody got him.
The Padres spent Monday buying two starting pitchers instead. Miller is still in Southern California. Reid Detmers stayed with the Los Angeles Angels while the roster came apart around him. Trevor Rogers remained in Baltimore after the Orioles moved their franchise catcher. George Springer stayed in Toronto because his contract says he doesn't have to go anywhere. Nathan Eovaldi, Jacob deGrom and Corey Seager told the Rangers they weren't leaving Texas.
These were guys who came up in multiple rumors and who would have moved the needle for a contender, but they did not end up switching uniforms.
Along with Tarik Skubal, the name that drew the most attention all deadline was Miller. It was never really going to happen. San Diego sat a game out of a playoff spot and getting Miller was going to cost top-100 prospects while gutting a bullpen the Padres think they need in October. A.J. Preller did a U-turn and bought instead, adding Robbie Ray and Casey Mize.
LHP Reid Detmers, Los Angeles Angels
The last big holdout on the board. The Angels traded Jose Soriano to Toronto and Logan O'Hoppe to Texas, then kept the lefty with two more years of club control. Reportedly teams found the asking price for Detmers wild. He has been terrific for two months, with a 3.18 ERA with 75 strikeouts over 65 innings in his last 11 starts. He stays to watch the Angels rebuild, again.
Baltimore traded Adley Rutschman, Taylor Ward and Dean Kremer and hung onto the pending free agent who has been better than any of them lately. Rogers has a 2.21 ERA and a 51-14 strikeout-to-walk ratio over his last 10 starts. The Orioles are still within sight of a playoff spot, but their fire sale indicated they are not expecting October. They are building for next year.
Every contender needed a catcher and after Adley Rutschman and Liam Hicks, the Reds had the best option. The White Sox checked in, the Rays scouted him and so did the Yankees. He's hitting .256 with a .342 on-base percentage and a 108 OPS+ in 85 games. He's healthy and right-handed. It's surprising he is not heading to a contender.
SS Zach Neto, Los Angeles Angels
Everyone expected him to be heading to Boston to join the red-hot Red Sox. They went for a catcher in Rutschman instead. Neto is on pace for 20 home runs with a strikeout total to match and a minus-9 in outs above average that doesn't square with how the Red Sox like to prevent runs. The Angels traded Jose Soriano, Logan O'Hoppe and Ryan Zeferjohn. They held on to Neto.
George Springer, Blue Jays, DH
A full no-trade clause allowed Springer to say no. He had no interest in leaving Toronto. The Blue Jays sold Kevin Gausman, Jeff Hoffman and Daulton Varsho around him. Springer has played exactly one game in the outfield this season, which narrowed the field anyway.
Corey Seager, Nathan Eovaldi and Jacob deGrom, Rangers SS and RHPs
Texas was willing to listen. Its players were not. Jacob deGrom refused to waive his complete no-trade clause and told reporters he wanted to win in Texas. Nathan Eovaldi has full no-trade protection of his own. Corey Seager had a no-trade list of eight teams and apparently things never got far enough for the Rangers to ask.
So a front office that opened for business was told to shut it down by the players worth the most.
CJ Abrams, Nationals, SS
The Nationals weren't afraid to sell. Luis Garcia Jr. went to the Yankees for four pitchers. Foster Griffin went to Cleveland for four more players. Abrams was the one piece Paul Toboni wasn't going to move in his first trade deadline running Washington. He's just 25 and his upside keeps him in the nation's capital.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 14: Adley Rutschman #35 of the Baltimore Orioles and Jacob Latz #67 of the Texas Rangers speak during the seventh inning of the 2026 MLB All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park on July 14, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A.
That’s the answer. I’m not going to do the online recipe thing and tell you about that time I did this and that and the other before I get there with 4 sections and 3 false endings so you accidentally click on a Carnival Cruise Line ad instead of knowing how many onions to add. In the hours since he traded 100 of your favorite prospects for Adley Rutschman and dumped 23-yr-old, former No. 4 overall pick Marcelo Mayer an hour later for a left-handed reliever, Red Sox Poobah Craig Breslow has been modestly and somewhat widely accused of grossly overpaying for two players, albeit in contrasting scenarios. In one case, he dealt the star; in the other, he acquired one. Some critics hated it both coming and going, and while we do not personally judge them for all-too-human mistakes of analyses, they are incorrect. This was good. Craig did good.
In an MLB that existed before today, before today’s actions under the cloud of impending labor warfare, perhaps there would have been self-restraint. Maybe it was just the third straight annual sacrifice of the best player in baseball to the Dodgers the day prior, but the bumpers were off and phones were lighting up, both those of the team and mine with push alerts. I assume it wasn’t just mine. Any inhibition league-wide was tossed to the wind, the getting was good, and Bres, treating his prospects correctly, got his guys. Whatever the counterarguments, the prospects will grow back, and this year’s team is now inarguably better via the Rutschman addition. Inshallah.
If I find it hard to quibble, it could be because at the FanDuel Sportsbook the Sox have the 5th best odds, -$1500, to win the whole dang thing! To be fair to the Rays — which doesn’t feel natural, but whatever — they’re also at -$1500. Both teams are ahead of the Phillies at +1900, the Cubs at +2200 and the Angels and Mets at a cool +100000 each. (Perhaps you can predict baseball?) Anyhow, the Yankees are the only team with shorter odds in the AL than the Sox and the Rays at +600. But they stink, so all is fine.
However this season ends, it’s reignited a spark around here that hasn’t been lit since 2021 and hasn’t roared in nearly 10 years. The Blue Jays were two outs away from winning it all last year and changing the whole labor narrative, some say, tho ultimately I don’t think by much. Meaning the Sox have a shot. While I love that the Dodgers (a preposterous +160) do their thing, they’re up against a emboldened, whiny club of failsons who’ve had it out for them from the word go and this is something of a last stand. The only other thing that can bring the Dodgers down, seemingly, is the Sox, who just swept them in LA. They’re now Sox likely to make the playoffs (-950) and are closing in on the division (Rays -110, Yankees +155) at +430. The sportsbooks plainly recognize, respect and reflect Bres’s ambition. The reward is ours.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 2: Jake Cronenworth #9 of the San Diego Padres loses the ball as Jung Hoo Lee #51 of the San Francisco Giants steals second base during the eighth inning at Petco Park on August 2, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Meg McLaughlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
San Diego Padres (58-54) at Arizona Diamondbacks (59-53), August 3, 2026, 6:4o p.m. PST
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In what one scout called “a straightforward deadline for a seller,” the Mets emptied out their bullpen and traded just about all of their expiring contracts, while bringing back a slew of minor-leaguers that only the most hard-core prospect aficionados surely had ever heard of before the last few days.
In that sense, it will almost certainly take a few years to get a true picture of what kind of a trade deadline David Stearns had here.
All we know for sure is that the selling was necessary because so many of his choices in the off-season failed, resulting in this disaster of a season.
Whether this is the start of rebuilding his reputation, then, remains to be seen. Fans likely wanted more high-profile prospects in return, as Jefferson Rojas was the only player on any of the various Top 100 lists, but such rankings aren’t always a true indicator in judging deals, and scouts I talked to had a favorable view of at least the more notable trades.
Still, as Rojas looks to be the only player acquired who could make an impact in Queens next season, one thing stood out after all the wheeling and dealing: if the Mets are going to contend in 2027, as they say is their intent, they will have a ton of work to do this winter, especially in rebuilding virtually an entire bullpen.
In that sense, it seems fair to ask if Stearns could have been more creative, something a team like the Toronto Blue Jays showed was possible, buying as well as selling on Monday.
A similar approach by the Mets might have brought back more talent that could have helped in 2027. Still, scouts said the most important task for a seller was simply getting the best talent in return.
Rojas was by far the highest-profile prospect the Mets acquired, the only one ranked in the various Top 100 lists. The 21-year-old ranked 63rd in MLB Pipeline’s Top 100, though lower on other lists, and projects as an impact hitter in the big leagues.
“He’s always been an advanced hitter with natural ability to recognize spin and hit strikes,” one MLB scout told me. “He gets the barrel to the ball naturally too. With those skills there’s a lot of room for growth, considering he was pretty young for Double-A this year.”
Rojas was hitting .270 in AA with 15 home runs, as well as 19 doubles, adding up to a .466 slugging percentage and a .799 OPS. He also had 17 stolen bases, with five caught stealings, though scouts say he only has average speed.
“His instincts make him a good baserunner more than his speed,” said one scout.
He’s played mostly shortstop, with his defense considered average as well, and scouts saying he’s more likely to wind up at 2B or 3B as a major leaguer.
All in all, with Holmes having a buyout and Taylor on an expiring contract, Rojas was a solid get for the Mets.
“I wouldn’t call it a ‘wow’ type of move or anything like that,” said another scout, “but the Mets got a kid who you could see being a good big-league hitter several years, and he’s advanced enough that he should get there by sometime next year.”
From a Mets’ point of view, this was the trade well-received by scouts. Stafura, a 21-year-old shortstop from Cortland, NY, was the No. 9-ranked prospect in the Pirates farm system via MLB Pipeline, but two scouts I spoke to said his ceiling makes him a borderline blue-chipper.
“He has legit pop with the bat, and smooth actions defensively that should allow him to stay at shortstop,” said one scout. “He has the potential for high impact.”
“Even with a lot of swing and miss, he’s hitting .300 (.301) in High-A,” said a second scout, “and he’s young enough that he could grow into a better overall hitter to go with the power he’s shown.”
Since being promoted to High-A earlier this season, Stafura is slugging .656 with a 1.021 OPS and 19 home runs in 47 games.
The obvious knock on the deal, meanwhile, is that if the Mets intend to contend in ’27, as they are saying, Stafura almost certainly needs another season in the minors.
In addition, the Mets are paying $8 million of the remainder of Weaver’s contract, including $6 million next season, and considering there were other pursuers who likely would have taken on the entire contract, it’s an indication they identified Stafura as the prospect they really wanted.
No high-ceiling or highly-ranked prospects in this trade, and yet the reaction among scouts from a Mets’ point of view was generally favorable, as they noted how much Peralta value had fallen with his poor season.
“The Rays obviously feel they can fix him,” one scout said. “And they’re very good at that, so they gave up a couple of guys with potential.”
Former Toronto Blue Jays’ executive Keith Law, now a prospect analyst for The Athletic, wrote that “the Mets wound up doing better than I would have guessed.”
The key prospect in the deal is Pitre, a 23-year-old second baseman and former 2nd-round draft choice out of the University of Kentucky in 2024.
“Good contact hitter with great plate discipline,” said a scout. “Hits the ball on the ground more than you’d like, but if he learns to get the ball in the air, he has a chance to be their regular second baseman at some point.”
Pitre’s numbers speak to that high-contact tool: for the season, High-A and Double-A, he’s hitting .308 with a .438 on-base percentage and 28 extra-base hits that translate to a .447 slugging percentage.
Also, Law noted that with 70 walks and only 40 strikeouts this season, Pitre has the highest walk-to-strikeout rate of any player in the minors with at least 200 at-bats.
Hill, at 21, is said to have “a good feel” for pitching and an above-average slider, but his fastball gets hit hard “more than you’d like to see,” said one scout. The consensus is that “with some growth” his ceiling is as a back-end starter in the big leagues.
Smith, at 22, was a highly-regarded prospect who “has gone backwards” over the last couple of seasons, and has had a rough season repeating High-A this year.
Raley was the top left-handed reliever traded at the deadline, which makes this return for the Mets feel light.
Gabrysh was likely the more targeted player, a 23-year-old former who gets a lot of swings and misses with both his fastball and a couple of different breaking balls, as evidenced by his 89 K’s in 61 innings in high A-ball this season. That type of stuff is more significant, at least in projecting his future, than his 5.14 ERA, though the 34 walks are clearly an issue.
“This is the definition of a lottery ticket guy,” one scout told me. “You can dream on him because if he ever develops command, the stuff will play at the highest level. But he’s miles from there right now.”
Spikerman, meanwhile, feels like a bit of a throw-in as a 23-year-old outfielder in High-A who plays good defense in center field, has a great eye/plate discipline that translates to a .419 on-base percentage, but has no power _ as in zero home runs this season.
Brazobán is having an outstanding season, and has three more years of contractual control, so even though he’s going to be 37 in October, it’s fair to ask if this trade was really necessary, unless the Mets are really looking past 2027 as a year to contend.
That said, the 22-year-old Davis has a high ceiling as a starter with a 96-98 mph fastball and what a scout called “an outstanding curveball,” but he has underperformed as a minor leaguer, pitching to a 6.82 ERA in High-A and Double-A this season.
He was a fifth-round draft choice out of Oklahoma State, where he played with Carson Benge and Nolan McLean, but one scout told me, “At one point in college he was projected as a first-round pick, but he didn’t throw enough strikes and wound up in the bullpen (at Oklahoma State). You can still see that potential at times but, he doesn’t command his stuff consistently. It’s a leap of faith on the Mets’ part.”
Franklin, meanwhile, is a 27-year-old reliever who has a 4.57 ERA in Triple-A this season and is projected to be a journeyman reliever at best in the big leagues.
Amick was the 21st-ranked Twins’ prospect, via MLB Pipeline, a corner infielder with enough power to interest the Mets. Agbayani, son of former Met Benny Agbayani, is a middle infielder who was the 27th-ranked Twins’ prospect.
Minter is a rental, not expected have great trade value, and as such the return was what one scout called “about what you’d expect. Amick’s power is worth taking a flyer on, but neither guy is very projectable (as major leaguers).”
It is a fine and worthy ritual, and we strongly urge you to read our installment. That’s not why we’re right here in this space today, though.
We’re only going to talk about the losers.
It’s been an ugly season across the major leagues, with rampant mediocrity and clubs seemingly obsessed with programming an 84-win team that gives their fans modest hope while keeping their bosses’ balance sheets clean. All this comes against the backdrop of what could be a protracted labor battle that threatens the 2027 season.
MLB has already signaled that it will take the winter meetings and hot stove season away from its fans; a lockout is imminent. Thus, this trade deadline was the last time fans could hope and wish that their team improved its chances with a whopping 50 games left in the season.
Instead, many teams clustered in contention bade a hasty retreat.
Rather than adding, or standing pat and improving on the margins, or matching up with clubs on a my-reliever-for-your-fifth-starter neutral trade, they traded franchise players and beloved All-Stars, or asked potential Hall of Famers if they could please waive a no-trade clause.
It was an ugly look, befitting a loser mentality, threatening to boot encouraging presents into a hazy future and a land of prosperity that never seems to arrive. Let’s take a moment to disparage the losers:
Let the record reflect that the Tigers were 2 1/2 games out of a playoff berth when the trade deadline arrived. That they won three games in a row after telegraphing their intentions by scratching No. 2 starter Casey Mize from his assignment.
That Tarik Skubal led them on a glorious 31-13 finishing kick to roar into the playoffs, upset the Houston Astros and nearly reach the ALCS.
Nah. Definitely wouldn’t want to have that much fun again, right?
Tigers apologists will try to memory-hole the ’26 Tigers as having little chance this year, that they played poorly enough and Skubal was injured long enough that they had no choice but deal him to the Los Angeles Dodgers for a package that may help them in the long run but certainly is not the franchise-altering return one would expect for trading the greatest left-handed pitcher on the planet.
Don’t let them do that.
The Tigers chose to trade Tarik Skubal the way the Boston Red Sox chose to trade Mookie Betts. And let’s throw in Mize, too, while we’re at it.
Detroit will insist no towel was thrown in and the players left – Jack Flaherty, for one, was not dealt, as he was in 2024 – can make a run at the playoffs. Maybe they’ll even get there. Yet the club became demonstrably worse Saturday night.
And a team that had appointment viewing every five days just slinked even deeper into the great, gray mass that is the AL this season.
Funny how the Boston Red Sox gave up three of their best prospects to acquire Adley Rutschman from Baltimore on the same day they traded once-top prospect Marcelo Mayer to San Francisco.
It seems like yesterday the Red Sox boasted a “big four” prospect group of shortstop Mayer, outfielder Roman Anthony, catcher Kyle Teel and infielder Kristian Campbell.
Well, Mayer is gone, Anthony and Teel – now a White Sox - can’t stay healthy and Campbell is buried in the minor leagues after signing a multi-year contract. Almost like the Red Sox decided selling hope and dreams isn’t as good as seizing a moment.
That’s a lesson to be learned in Baltimore, where club president Mike Elias fielded some of the worst teams you’ve ever seen in 2019 and 2021 in service of gleaning top talent through the draft.
Rutschman was the bell cow who grew from first overall pick to three-time All-Star. And now that he’s approaching free agency, he’s gone.
This was a gut punch to Orioles fans who averted their eyes through those lean years and bought into brighter days, which came with a 101-win season in 2023 and a playoff appearance the next. Yet five postseason losses and zero wins in those campaigns preceded two desultory seasons, though the Orioles entered deadline day, like Detroit, just 2 ½ games out of a playoff berth.
No matter. Rutschman, whose engaging smile and pump-them-up hugs with his pitchers brought sunlight after so many dark years in Baltimore, is a goner. Never mind that heir apparent Samuel Basallo also seems injury prone, or that both of them are playable at catcher and DH, a combo that would have worked nicely in 2027, too.
Along the way, they dealt closer Tyler Wells – who toggled between roles for years before settling in nicely as their closer of late – to Tampa Bay and walk-happy, power-challenged outfielder Taylor Ward to Seattle. Two rebuild survivors, traded within the division. Wells and former Oriole Bryan Baker will make a nice late-inning combo in Tampa Bay. Perhaps they can ship some cigars to Eutaw Street as a thank-you.
The Orioles received a laudable package for Rutschman – top pitching prospects Anthony Eyanson and Kyson Witherspoon, who throw the hell out of the ball but have SEC mileage on their arms. Minor league outfielder Enddy Azocar is a potential superstar. He is also 19.
Perhaps indicative of the market’s exhaustion with collecting assets rather than championships, Elias, meeting with the media on a 29-minute video call, was not asked a single question about the incoming prospects. Instead, he pointed to Rutschman’s lack of a contract extension and the year and a half remaining on his deal, as if the world would implode should he not get traded before then.
“This is part of running a baseball organization,” says Elias. “Sometimes at deadline time, you have to sell off guys, particularly as they get near their contractual control.”
Well, just like the Tigers, you don’t have to do anything. There is no pennant for asset maximization.
Just one good week away from getting into playoff contention, the Orioles are instead selling the future. Again. This time, Orioles fans seem far more likelier to vote with their feet.
Texas Rangers: Losers
They have spent 37 days in first place, most recently in that ancient period of time known as July 30, 2026. Sounds like a perfect time to ask Jacob deGrom to waive his no-trade clause!
Yes, this is the mentality of the modern franchise: A ballclub will bob up and down with the currents and tides and, if the boat is dipping just a little bit at the magic date on the calendar known as the trade deadline, it’s like they’re a bunch of bums.
So it went in Arlington, where the Texas Rangers still draw decent crowds to their sterile ballpark and this year have fielded their best team since winning the World Series in 2023. At deadline time, they were just 2 ½ games back in the West, 1 ½ back of the wild card.
Some teams would kill to have two races to run. This one asked a potential future Hall of Famer if he’d be willing to get shipped out. Jacob deGrom said, hell no.
“I want to win here,” he said, per the Dallas Morning News. “I signed to win here. We can win.”
Whoa, there, pallie! Not so fast. There’s payroll to clear, assets to collect.
Per multiple reports, the Rangers also talked to clubs about right-hander Nathan Eovaldi, who won them that World Series and has only been a franchise stalwart ever since. Those dudes are owed a ton of money, so you can see the Rangers’ motivation.
They’re also not living quite as high on the TV rights hog as they were when they signed deGrom before the 2023 season. A penny saved, a penny earned, things of that nature.
Yet the Rangers should know how fleeting these windows are. It took the franchise 62 seasons to win a World Series, and two lackluster seasons followed. DeGrom didn’t contribute to that title due to elbow surgery.
Perhaps he’ll have an outsize contribution to this bid simply by saying, “No. Let’s try to be winners.”
Newly acquired Dodgers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal walks toward the dugout at Wrigley Field before Monday's game against the Chicago Cubs. Skubal is scheduled to make his Dodgers debut Tuesday. (Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
Just a few days ago, new Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal was on the other side, on a mid-market Detroit Tigers team that had hoped to unseat the Dodgers from the top of the league, before a disappointing season made them sellers at the trade deadline.
Still, with that perspective, he wasn’t going to entertain any talk about the Dodgers ruining baseball.
“I don’t really sympathize with people that blame the Dodgers for anything they’ve done,” Skubal said from the Barrel Room at Wrigley Field on Monday. “They’ve developed a really good organization. They draft well. They acquire talent really well. They retain talent. It’s a winning organization. Now the complaints seem to be [happening] because they’ve won the last two World Series. I don’t think it was like that three years ago. So I don’t really sympathize with people that are complaining. Because the Dodgers do all the right things.”
Skubal didn’t want to talk about his impending free agency. And he said he did not have any conversations with Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris about preferring to be traded to the Dodgers. Before the trade, he told Tigers reporters that he wanted to remain with the only team he’d known and compete for a championship there.
“Initial reaction, there was a lot of emotions,” Skubal said. “I spent eight years with the Detroit Tigers. That place will always be special to me no matter what. In the same breath, I’m excited to be here with these guys. When you watch them from across the way, see them do their thing on TV, you just have a lot of respect because they play the game the right way.
“The entire focus of this organization is on winning championships and that is my entire focus — playing baseball — so we’re very much aligned. I’m ready to go out there and compete and give this organization and city everything that I’ve got.”
The Dodgers put the final touches on their trade deadline, adding catching depth as Dalton Rushing went on the 10-day injured list with a sprained left elbow. The Dodgers added two backstops they’re already familiar with in Ben Rortvedt and Hunter Feduccia. They also added left-hander Kris Bubic, who is dealing with a shoulder injury.
It was clear all along, however, that Skubal was going to be the biggest splash of the deadline — for any team, really. And fuel for frustrated baseball fans upset about the Dodgers acquiring another star player.
“I think the Dodgers have done a fantastic job in player development,” said Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer, who also engaged in trade talks for Skubal. “They have a really good farm system, and Scott [Harris] did the best thing you could do for the Tigers and got a lot of talent back. And obviously they did the best thing for their team.
Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal throws in the outfield before the team's game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Monday. (David Banks / Associated Press)
“And he’s an incredible pitcher. I mean, there’s no question about that. And I guess we’ll see firsthand. But I know there’s been a reaction around baseball about it, but they put themselves in positions to do that deal, and they did, and that’s exactly what they should be doing.”
Skubal had accepted by the end of his last start that he was going to be moving on.
“Losing that game kind of felt like that was kind of it for me in Detroit,” he said. “So not surprised, but that didn’t make the news any easier because I love a lot of those people there. I’ve got a lot of respect about what they do and how they go about their business. A lot of those guys are like my best friends on and off the field. I wish those guys nothing but the best. I’ll be rooting for them, unless we’re playing.”
He officially starts a new chapter Tuesday, taking the mound for the Dodgers at Wrigley Field.
“They’ve been a pretty good baseball team without me,” he said. “So I’m going to show up and kind of be a chameleon in a sense and fit right in with these guys and just gel with them. They’ve got the winning recipe. They know what it takes to win.”
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 10: Luis Arraez #1 and Bryce Eldridge #8 come talk to Robbie Ray #38 of the San Francisco Giants as he is taken out of the game in the sixth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Oracle Park on July 10, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Andrew Baggarly just described today’s activity as “frenetic,” and he’s right. The past two trade deadlines have been practically Zaidian for Buster Posey, Zack Minasian, and the San Francisco Giants. For as much as the franchise has oversteered from the 2019-2024 days, the new regime is a lot like the old one in that no matter what they’ve done to improve the team, it’s been stuck in the zone of mediocre-to-bad. But Zaidi was (seemingly) constrained by ownership in how he could rebuild on the fly. Posey doesn’t seem to have any constraints. Does that automatically make today’s deadline deals great? In a moment, I’ll grade them.
First, though, let’s contextualize this analysis. It helps that these 2026ers will go down as one of the worst teams in franchise history, something Zaidi’s squads never came close to even suggesting. Trading away a chunk of the roster, then, would seem like a mercy killing. But also, with free agency and the regular season being such busts, the only real excitement these days seems to come from acquiring hope in the form of prospects. The Giants have done that in their past two drafts, at last year’s deadline, and now, possibly, this year’s deadline, too.
Take a look at this graph of Farm System Values (via FanGraphs) that was compiled by Sky Kalkman:
I admit that my eyes darted far to the right by sheer instinct. I’ve seen farm system rankings for decades now and have become accustomed to the Giants being down, down on the list. And yes, I’d forgotten that I’d written up FanGraphs’ farm rankings back in June. The Giants have been on the rise for some time now. But heading into the trade deadline ranked #9? Cool! And that was before the majority of the trades.
Second, I hope people have internalized that trade deadline deals are usually not great deals. Yes, headliners are moved, but rarely does the team getting prospects in return get equal (future) value. But, like, in the case of say, the Detroit Tigers, it was going to be hard to get back fair value for Tarik Skubal whether they traded him before the season or at the deadline, and the fact that they decided to try to go for it this season with Skubal is a very reasonable one on their part that just didn’t work out in the way they’d hoped.
And yet, unlike the Giants, their odds of making it to the postseason are solid. But that’s not my point. The point is that the Giants clearly helped teams more than helped themselves. They acquired a heap of lottery tickets in exchange for proven track records, and that’s the way the trade deadline usually goes. But that doesn’t mean the Giants’ process was flawed. Maybe “lottery tickets” is the wrong description. They added players with strong physical tools historically associated with prospects that are easier to project.
The Giants did the best they could under the circumstances (being a really bad team that doesn’t seem able to improve no matter what it does — oh, and is lousy with bigots). To what extent do I think that should weigh on these grades? None of us are front office execs, meaning we don’t need to put a premium on team control. It’s enough to know that the Giants traded away three guys who were bound for free agency in a lockout year and moved a player about to enter salary arbitration for the first time and in exchange they got back a lot of pitching — which they badly needed in the farm system. So “team control” isn’t part of my grading here. Let’s just take it as a given that getting players who will be here next year and 2028 is better than losing players after 2026. I also don’t think “freeing up money” is all that compelling, but I’ll merely discount it rather than ignore it.
Mahle was a Giant because they needed rotation help and Bruce Bochy recommended him. He signed just a 1-year $10 million deal in the offseason because of his injury history (he hadn’t started at least 20 games since 2022) and after the first couple of months of the 2026 season, it looked like the deal would be a total bust (6.04 ERA in 56.2 IP). But the strikeout stuff was there and the health was not catastrophic, and so there was reason for hope of a turnaround just in time for the trade deadline. His final outing was rough (5 ER in 5.2 IP), but in 7 starts off the IL he had a 3.79 ERA (3.62 FIP) in 38 IP; so, a better floor was demonstrated. Plus, teams always need pitching.
I’ll add that Aaron Civale, he of the 4.91 ERA and 5.59 FIP in just 22 MLB innings last season, wound up being traded around this time last season by the Milwaukee Brewers — who had acquired him the previous season from the Tampa Bay Rays — to the Chicago White Sox for… Andrew Vaughn, one of the key figures in Milwaukee’s lineup these days.
No, the Giants didn’t get Andrew Vaughn or any player in the vicinity. They basically got somebody to take the remainder of Mahle’s salary — ~$2.1 million. The Giants are still on the hook for a $3 million signing bonus due to be paid in January 2027, however. The actual “prospect” simply adds velocity to an upper minors system lacking velocity. As Brady wrote in his trade analysis:
Atlanta claimed Molina off of waivers this last offseason, then designated him for assignment and outrighted him to AAA, before adding him back to the roster on May 1. He’s only pitched five innings across three games for the Braves Major League team, but has pitched extensively for their AAA squad this year. Atlanta has experimented with using Molina as a starter in the Minors, and in 17 games this year (and nine starts), the Venezuelan has a 3.78 ERA and a 4.14 FIP, with 53 strikeouts and 20 walks in 52.1 innings.
Giants lose: The second-highest K/9 (8.5) in their starting rotation Giants gain: 24-year old RHP (35+ FV) who throws 95-97, salary relief ($2.1 million)
Grade: B
Yes, the Giants were able to get something for a guy who wasn’t going to be around next season under pretty much any circumstances, but saving money and getting a DFA-bound reliever for a major league starter isn’t a return that should earn an “A.” Mahle wasn’t some drag on the rotation or in the clubhouse and they’re likely to feel his absence over these final 50 games more than the sweet salary relief.
2. Luis Arraez & Caleb Kilian for RHP Ramon Marquez & RHP Marty Gair
Luis Arraez is one of the top position players this season who should’ve generated a great return for the Giants. Is that what happened here? A month ago (to the day!), I looked at possible trade returns for Luis Arraez and Robbie Ray in response to an SB Nation Reacts poll indicating that fans thought Ray would bring back the better return at the deadline.
Part of my analysis involved all the times Arraez had been traded previously:
Arraez has been traded twice in his career (in 2023 from the Twins to the Marlins, in 2024 from the Marlins to the Padres) for 7 total players.
[…]
OF Byron Chourio (18 at the time, now 21, has not appeared in MLB) INF Jose Salas (20 at the time, now 23, has not appeared in MLB) SP Pablo Lopez (27 then, now 29, an All-Star for the Twins who has amassed 9.6 fWAR in 2+ seasons and 455 IP) RP Woo-Suk Go (25 then, now 27, has not appeared in MLB, has not appeared in MLB) OF Dillon Head (19 then, now 21, has not appeared in MLB) — #25 in Miami’s system OF Jakob Marsee (23 then, now 25; 96 RC+, 2.1 fWAR in 585 PA across 2 seasons for Marlins) OF Nathan Martorella (23 then, now 25, just released, has not appeared in MLB)
In both instances, the trading team wound up getting back a major leaguer. It worked out best for the Twins, of course, because Pablo Lopez has been great for their rotation and the Giants sorely need starting pitching, but the truth is that the Giants might be able to get a couple of arms for him, or at least some intriguing volume that has more on-paper promise than what happened in the Tyler Rogers and Camilo Doval deals last season.
The Giants did, indeed, go for quality over quantity. Marquez was the Phillies’ #3 prospect and #67 overall according to the MLB Pipeline Top 100. He has a 50 Future Value (FV), according to FanGraphs, becoming the sixth Giants prospect with that rating. He joins:
5. SP – Keyner Martinez (50 FV — Average Everyday Player) 4. SS – Luis Hernandez (50 FV) 3. 2B – Jhonny Level (50 FV) 2. SS – Josuar Gonzalez (50 FV) 1. 1B – Bryce Eldridge (55 FV)
Brady’s summation:
He has a high quality fastball and slider, but his money pitch is a changeup that grades out as one of the best pitches in Minor League Baseball. He should immediately slot right behind the team’s No. 4 pick in last month’s draft, Jackson Flora, as the second-best pitching prospect in the system.
Marty Gair is a 23-year old relieving in A-ball this season but has 66 strikeouts in 36 innings. FanGraphs tags him with a 35+ FV.
Giants lose: One of the top position players in the entire sport whose story of reinvention to become a quality second baseman and his quest for the batting title were wonderful distractions from an awful season; one of their only good relievers (who must never pitch in the 9th inning) Giants gain: A top 100 prospect, a lottery ticket reliever, salary relief ($3.7 million)
Grade: A
To answer the question from the opening graff: yes, Arraez generated a great return. The Giants putting Kilian in the deal to finally compel the Phillies to part with Marquez works as a move but less so in the final analysis from a grading standpoint. In the ideal circumstance, Kilian is dealt in a separate deal. But it’s true that the list of suitors for Arraez was perhaps less than you’d expect. Not because of the player or how he improved himself this year, but just because most of the contenders were already solid at second base.
Casey Schmitt’s season-ending injury really hurts them from a “let’s see what the team could be in 2027 here in these final two months of 2026” POV and so losing both Arraez and Kilian really hurts the team over these final 50 games, but the Giants were desperate to get arms like this into their system. Mission accomplished.
3. Robbie Ray for RHP Miguel Mendez and SS Joniel Hernandez, and 50% salary
An intra-division trade with one of the most frenetic front offices of the 21st century. The Padres’ rotation was dire before their additions today of Ray and Casey Mize and the Giants made them pay for the privilege of lipsticking up that particular pig.
Mendez (45 FV) was San Diego’s #4 prospect. He has “a mid-high 90s fastball that can reach triple digits, with an excellent slider.” He was on course to be Rule 5 eligible this winter. Hernandez (40 FV) was an international signing out of Cubs this past January and was the #9 prospect for San Diego.
The Giants are also paying for half of Ray’s salary the rest of the season along with the $1 million assignment bonus built into his deal (recall that this was also part of his deal when the Giants acquired him from Seattle). So, they save about $4.36 million in the transaction, ultimately.
But getting back two of your division rival’s top 10 prospects for Robbie Ray’s expiring contract? Humm Baby! Sure, the Padres’ farm system is heavily depleted after years of big swings, but the pressure for San Diego to develop more prospects for more big moves in the future has only increased while the Giants have gotten one step closer to having a surplus of prospects.
Giants lose: Their #2 starter Giants gain: Two 40+ FV prospects, including a high-velocity arm, salary relief ($4.36 million)
Grade: A
Not really much to quibble with here. With domestic reserve caps being what they are, quantity over quality doesn’t make that much sense, especially with the quality of the Giants’ farm system already in the top third of the sport. Would’ve been a perfect deal if San Diego had taken on the full contract. This obviously obliterates the Giants’ rotation the rest of the way, but it’s hard to argue against a deal that wound up being a better return than one might’ve expected. Ray’s FIP for the season is nearly half a run greater than his actual ERA (and his xERA is approaching 2 runs more) and he’s projected to end the season as just about a 1.5-WAR pitcher.
4. Heliot Ramos for LHP Henry Lalane and INF Kaeden Kent
Heliot Ramos’s value to the Giants had probably peaked, and so all that was left was what they could get in trade. And on that front, they appear to have done very well, nabbing the Yankees’ #5 prospect in Lalane (45+ FV) — a 6’7” left-hander who throws 95+ — along with their #13 prospect, who happens to be the son of Hall of Famer Jeff Kent (40 FV).
Now, with Ramos still having three years of team control left, the typical industry argument is that the Giants might’ve come up a little short on their end. On the other hand, in exchange for a league average bat with questionable-to-bad defensive skills and an obvious injury history, the Giants got a pitcher just outside of MLB Pipeline’s top 100 and a nepo baby with some intriguing upside.
Giants lose: A Good Giant with consistent hard contact Giants gain: Two 40+ FV prospects
Grade: B+
Ramos has hit 42 points worse than the league average for about a month now, so, leveraging another team’s desperation to get some interesting prospects back is just good baseball.
5. Erik Miller for SS Marcelo Mayer and OF Carlos Gutierrez
In exchange for a 28-year old hard-throwing lefty who has struck out Shohei Ohtani 5 times in 7 at bats, who hasn’t had a massive handedness split this season (.600 OPS vs LHH, .642 OPS vs. RHH), and is set to be a first-time arbitration player, the Giants get MLB Pipeline’s #1 overall draft prospect of 2021, a 23-year old 55 FV prospect (graduated in 2025) drafted with the #4 pick overall in the 2021 draft by the Red Sox.
The profiling suggests a Corey Seager-type shortstop in development, but the injury history (shoulder impingement, back troubles) suggests he’s corner infield-bound if not an outright DH at some point.
Still, for Erik Miller, a strikeout guy with a high walk rate and an injury history himself, this is nothing but a great haul. Yes, Mayer is probably out for most of the next two months from a hand injury and losing Miller hurts the already bad bullpen even more, but the upside is hard to ignore.
Despite having Josuar Gonzalez, Luis Hernandez, Jhonny Level, Gavin Kilen, Kaeden Kent, and Joniel Hernandez already in the fold, the Giants really wanted Mayer, evidenced by the addition of Gutierrez in the deal. He is a 35+ FV prospect who was an international free agent signing back in 2023. He’s tearing it up in High-A this season.
Mayer looks to have high contact potential with gap power and good defense. Not a lot of speed, but the profile is in line with what the Giants seem to want these days.
Giants lose: A great left-handed reliever with command issues, an interesting outfielder possibly years away from contributing. Giants gain: A high upside former top prospect
Grade: A+
I think I dig what the Giants are doing, adding middle infielders like they’re stem cells that could go on to be any other position. Mayer could be bound for third. One of Josuar, Jhonny, or Joniel could wind up replacing Gutierrez as that upside outfielder. Who knows? Getting former top prospects just past their highest value is good baseball strategy for crappy teams like the Giants, and even as talented as Erik Miller is, given the team’s state, he’s the exact kind of player to experiment with. Here, the Giants got a prospect who, just three years ago, had “a promising bat and one of the highest ceilings in the minors.” Yes, three years ago is a long time in baseball years, but he’s only 23 (he turns 24 in December). Hard to argue this is anything other than a win and as a capper to a long day, about as great as could’ve been expected.
Final Grade: A-
Giants lose: Tyler Mahle, Caleb Kilian, Robbie Ray, Luis Arraez, Heliot Ramos, Erik Miller, $4.36 million
Giants gain: INF Marcelo Mayer, RHP Ramon Marquez, LHP Henry Lalane, RHP Miguel Mendez, INF Kaeden Kent, SS Joniel Hernandez, RHP Marty Gair, RHP Anthony Molina, $10.16 million in salary relief
That’s 6 players valued at 6.8 fWAR and $4.36 million for $10.16 million plus 8 players: ~55 FV prospect, a 50 FV, two 45 FVs, two 40 FVs, and two 35+ FVs.
That’s a good day’s work for a bad team. Only time will tell if building up all this talent will amount to a winner.
